John Drury was from Langley Mill, Derbyshire and was the son of Mr and Mrs John Drury of South Terrace, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire.  He enlisted in 1912 with the 2nd Battalion.  He was the brother of Private James Drury of the same Battalion.  John was 21 years old in December 1914 and had served 3 years in the army when he went to France with the second draft where he joined up with his brother.    He contracted Enteric fever in October 1914 and was sent to Netley Hospital in England, where he remained until February 1915 before being sent to various convalescent homes to recuperate.  He returned to France in September 1915, but was not passed as fit by the French authorities and was returned to England in the next batch of wounded where he returned to a convalescent home.  He was marked as Home Service after an operation for appendicitis.  He was awarded the Military Medal (London Gazette 14.1.1918) when serving with the 17th Battalion. 

He served in WW2 as a Sergeant Major with Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry but was discharged in 1941, being classified as unfit for further service due to the effects of gas in the Great War of 1914-18.