Name
Charles J Gray
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
09/08/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
23471
The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
9th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 41 and 43.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hertford Heath Village Memorial, Holy Trinity Church Memorial, Little Amwell
Pre War
Charles born in Little Amwell in 1890 to William Gray, a bricklayer’s labourer, and Rose (nee Akers).
On the 1891 Charles was living at Goat Row, Little Amwell with father William and his mother Rose, who had married William on 29 Jul 1888, and stepson Arthur Akers. On the 1901 Census the family had been joined by William (born 1894) and were living at The Street, Little Amwell, Hertford Heath. Arthur, aged 13, was working as a cowman on a farm. On the 1911 Census Charles was working as a general labourer, his brother William was working as a farm labourer and they were living at the Street with their widowed mother Rose (her husband William had died in 1904).
Wartime Service
Charles attested on 15 Nov 1915 and was put on Army Reserve until he was mobilised as Private 26128 3rd (Reserve) Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment on 10 Feb 1916.
Following training he was transferred to 3rd Loyal North Lancashire Regiment as Private 23471 on 26 Jun 1916. Charles went to France on 1 Jul 1916 arriving in 25 Infantry Base Depot, Etaples on 2 Jul 1916.
He was attached 20 (Service) Battalion, Manchester Regiment on 8 Jul 1916. In the fighting on the Somme (Delville Wood) Charles was wounded (GSW thigh) on 27 Aug 16 and was passed through 43 Field Ambulance, 34 Casualty Clearing Station and 3rd Canadian Hospital, Boulogne. He left France on 31 Aug 1916 on board H S ‘St David’ arriving at No 3 General Hospital, Oxford.
Following his recovery he returned to Boulogne, France on 15 Dec 1916 to again pass through 25 Infantry Base Depot, Etaples before joining 9th Battalion of his Regiment in the field on 7 Mar 1917. Charles was killed in action on 9 Aug 1917 near Westhoek during the Battle of Pilkem, a phase of the Battle of Paschendaele.
His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Menin Gate, Ypres.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £6 and arrears of £1 0s 11d was paid to his mother. His stepbrother Arthur Akers served as L/Cpl 17353 Beds Regt and was Killed in action on 13 Mar 1916.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
