Private Frederick George Drury 6500

Photograph of the tree planted on the Avenue of Honour, Ballarat, Victoria, in recognition of the service of 6500 Private Frederick George Drury, 8th Battalion. This photograph is from a series of 22 images taken by Trent Parke titled WW1 Avenue of Honour.

Artist's original caption: Private Frederick George Drury 6500
8th Battalion A.I.F.
Enlisted: Aged 18 years and 5 months: 14th July 1916 (‘Died of Wounds’ Rouen, May 1917)
“Pte. Drury was admitted to this hospital on April 25th. He was suffering from a wound in the head, caused by a shell. The wound was about two inches above and below the left ear. An Xray examination showed two foreign bodies very deeply embedded in the brain. He was completely paralysed on the right side. He was semi-conscious on admission, could understand fairly well what was said to him but was unable to express his thoughts. Throughout his illness he continued to repeat ‘Blighty is the place for me.’ It was consider that an operation would be useless and would only hasten the end. He gradually became worse and sinking into complete unconsciousness he passed painlessly away at 5.46p.m. on May 5th. He is buried in the military cemetery at Boisguillaume just outside Rouen.”
Letter from:- Registrar, No. 8 General Hospital. Rouen 19.8.17 London 23.8.17/Australian War Memorial Archives