Major Hubert L. Drake

Hubert Lloyd Drake

Commanding Officer 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

October 3, 1944 -November 17, 1944

Hubert L. Drake was born on April 24, 1906 in Riverside, California, the son of Loyd Charles and
Floy Ethel Drake.

He married Juanita Anita Ranson in 1927. They had two children, Melba and Charles.

One account has Drake as being commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry in the Army Officers Reserve Corps in 1929
after graduating from U.C.L.A. in Los Angeles, California where he had been a member of the R.O.T.C. program.
(The R.O.T.C. program at U.C.L.A. has Drake's graduation year as 1927 so that may be the year of his commission.)
He is in the UCLA yearbook of 1930 as graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Physics.

Details of his Army service and his promotions could not be found until his promotion to Major.

He was promoted to Major on February 1, 1942.

He was assigned to Headquarters 2nd Battalion 22nd Infantry, from Headquarters 4th Infantry Division,
on July 13, 1944, and became Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion.

He was seriously wounded in action on August 1, 1944 and sent to a medical facility.

He returned to duty and was assigned to Headquarters 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry on October 2, 1944,
becoming Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion.

Hubert Drake was killed in action on November 17, 1944 in the Hürtgen Forest.

Above: The orders awarding Major Hubert L. Drake the Combat Infantryman Badge

Courtesy of John Tomawski

" Major Hubert Drake, the 1st Battalion commander was the only field grade officer, outside Colonel Lanham, to be assigned
to the regiment after D-Day and before the Hürtgen. All other senior officers were promoted from within the organization.
A native of California, Drake was severely wounded in July (Ed. on August 1, 1944) while commanding the 2d Battalion. After recovering
from wounds, he was assigned to command the 1st Battalion. Possibly because he had not trained with the regiment in the states,
Drake never really fit in with the other officers. His executive officer, Major George Goforth and his operations officer,
Captain Clifford Henley had both been with the regiment since early 1942.

Just before daybreak ( Ed., November 17, 1944 ), heavy concentrations of German artillery began falling throughout the regimental area.
In the 1st Battalion, Major Drake had planned to attack with Baker Company fighting up the firebreak with Able Company
on the left and Charlie Company following Baker. But as Captain Clifford Henley, 1st Battalion Operations Officer, said,
'All hell broke loose.' German artillery landed where Baker Company was forming for the attack and Major Drake was killed
by a German 170mm artillery round bursting in a tree near his position. Communications between the companies
and battalion were knocked out. " ¹

Hubert L. Drake was awarded the Silver Star Medal in HQ 4th Division General Orders # 22 (1945).

Hubert L. Drake was buried in the temporary U.S. Military Cemetery,
Henri-Chapelle Cemeterey, Eupen, Belgium and some time later
his remains were returned to the United States where he was
reinterred in California.²

¹ Paschendale with Treebursts
A History and Analysis of the 22nd Infantry Regiment
During the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest
16 November through 3 December 1944

By Robert S. Rush 1996

² One account states Hubert L. Drake's remains were cremated. No record of burial could be located.

Top photo of Hubert L.Drake from the UCLA yearbook of 1930

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