Name
Leonard Gray
1877
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/06/1916
39
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
20612
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CERISY-GAILLY MILITARY CEMETERY
II. J. 25.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Bishop's Stortford Town Memorial
Pre War
Leonard Gray was born in 1877 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk to Lawrence Gray, a cutler, and Louisa (nee Whitaker).
Although his parents were living in Hockerill, Bishop's Stortford on the 1891 and 1901 Censuses with his siblings Louise (born 1876), Constance (born 1882), Lawrence (born 1880), William (born 1884), Walter (born 1887) and Alice (born 1890), Leonard was not living with them. His mother died in 1909.
On the 1911 Census he was a boarder with Alfred Bishop and his wife His mother died in 1909.Annie at 130 South Street, Bishop's Stortford and working as a Fishmonger's Assistant, aged 35. (Alfred Bishop was also a Fishmonger's Assistant.)
His widowed father was living in South Street, Bishop's Stortford in 1911.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Bedford as Private 20612 in the Bedfordshire Regiment probably in late 1914 or early 1915. No Service Record was found.
He went of France on 30 Sep 1915. The 2nd Battalion received 2 Drafts of 250 & 20 other ranks in early October (4th and 6th), Leonard would be in either of these. In Jan 1916 the Battalion deployed to Maricourt in the south Somme sector. From 16 Jun 1916 the Battalion was in front lines trenches and were under retaliatory bombardment from enemy, Leonard was killed on 27 Jun 1916 during this period prior to the Battle of the Somme (1st Jul 1916)
Additional Information
His father Lawrence received a War Gratuity of £4 and arrears of £11 5s 10d but was refused a pension. CWGC records his Forename as Lenard.. His elder brother Lawrence is named on Hockerill memorials.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
