Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Robert and Martha Drake of Morcott, Uppingham, Rutland. When war was declared he was employed as a fitter at Messrs. Martins of Stamford, Lincolnshire. He enlisted in the 1st Battalion Northamptonshire Regt. and embarked for France in October 1914. During the following winter he was incapacitated with frost bitten feet, and later was invalided home with pleurisy and pneumonia. Upon returning to France he took part in the Battle of the Somme. On the night of October 26th 1916 while carrying up rations over some open country he was killed by a shell. A comrade writes:- “He was at the rear of me and seemed to be the only one who saw the shell coming. When I turned round he was knocked down. I tried my best to help him, but of no avail. He asked me to see to everything, which I promised to do and then he passed away. He died a hero’s death, and is missed by the Company, also the platoon.” Cecil was a member of the Church Choir before joining the army.