The Airmen's Stories - P/O N G Drever

Nigel George Drever was born on 19th January 1920 in Midlothian. He was educated at Harris Academy before going on to St. Andrews University, where he was a member of the OTC.

After graduating he joined Syme, Johnstone & Co., accountants in Dundee.

Drever joined the RAF on a short service commission in May 1939. He completed his training and joined 98 Squadron, operating Fairey Battles in France. With the French collapse he was evacuated to St.Nazaire and was lucky to escape when the ship he embarked on, the Lancastria, was sunk on 17th June 1940 with heavy loss of life.

He attributed his survival to having learned to swim in the sea off the Orkney Islands.

Back in the UK, he was then posted to 4 Ferry Pilot Pool on 22nd July 1940 and then to 7 OTU on 3rd September. Drever joined 610 Squadron at Acklington on 22nd September.

Drever was shot down on 5th March 1941 in Spitfire IIa P8027 on Circus 6 near Boulogne.

He was captured by the Germans and was held in Stalag Luft III at Sagan. He worked on the escape tunnels but his name did not come up when those of the escapers were drawn.

Drever was released from the RAF in 1946, with the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

After the war Drever became a sisal plantation manager in Tanganyika, later moving into coffee. He then spent five years in Malta as a property developer. He settled in England on retirement.

Drever died on 16th July 2016.