Did you know that this statue commemorates Sergeant Job Henry Charles Drain VC? It stands here in Barking as a tribute to a local hero. The Job Henry Charles Drain VC Statue serves as a reminder of bravery.
In November 2009, this statue was unveiled. It honors Job Drain’s Victoria Cross. Councillor Liam Smith wanted to commemorate the borough’s heroes. Sculpt-It Ltd, a local firm, created the Job Henry Charles Drain VC Statue.
Job Drain was born and lived in Barking. After he died in 1975, he was buried in Rippleside Cemetery. The statue faces Barking Abbey Park right in front of the Broadway Theatre.
Job Drain’s grandsons unveiled the statue. A plaque on the base depicts his heroic action. It shows him saving guns at Le Cateau, France in 1914. Barking & Dagenham Council also commemorated other VC holders. They placed blue plaques on their former homes. These included Colonel William Hope VC and Major The Rt Hon Sir Tasker Watkins VC.
Steven Hunter from Sculpt-It Ltd used a model in a 1914 uniform. Over a hundred images helped to construct the statue. The process took six weeks.
The British Expeditionary Force faced a superior German force in 1914. They retreated under overwhelming odds. British troops performed numerous acts of heroism. One such incident involved Job Henry Charles Drain on August 26, 1914.
At Le Cateau, artillerymen of the 37th Battery tried to save their guns. Enemy infantry closed within 200 yards. Four howitzers were saved. Recovering the remaining two seemed suicidal.
Captain Douglas Reynolds asked for volunteers. There was no shortage of brave men. Two teams risked their lives. One team was quickly shot down. The other, including Job Drain, reached the gun position. They limbered up and brought one howitzer out. One of the drivers was hit. Reynolds and Drivers Frederick Luke and Job Drain all received the Victoria Cross.
King George V invested Job Drain with his Victoria Cross in France on December 1, 1914. Job Drain died in Barking on July 26, 1975. He was 79.
The plaque at the rear of the Job Henry Charles Drain VC Statue illustrates the event. It reads: “Le Cateau, France 26th August 1914. On this day, the 37th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, had lost four of their six howitzer guns in action. Driver Job Drain was one of the soldiers who volunteered to recover the last of the guns. Under intense fire and showing disregard for his own safety, he drove his team of horses within yards of the German lines, retrieving the last remaining gun thus preventing it from falling into enemy hands. For this act of bravery he received the Victoria Cross.”
The statue stands as a powerful reminder. It honors the sons and daughters of Barking and Dagenham who fell in the Great War. It reminds us of Job Henry Charles Drain VC’s extraordinary courage. At first sight, it appears as if the Job Henry Charles Drain VC Statue was created shortly after WW1 rather than in 2009.