Name
Leonard Edwin Reginald Gray
23/04/1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/06/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
88275
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
76th Company
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 10
France
Headstone Inscription
Leonard has no Headstone, He is Commemorated on the Arras Memorial to the missing in France
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin, We are not aware of any memorial in Gosmore
Pre War
Leonard was born in 1898 in Gosmore (ref: service records, although St Ippolyts is recorded in one census) and his parents were George and Jane Gray.
In 1901 the family were living at Water Dell, Ippolyts. Present were both parents: George (44) and Jane (44), with George and working as a coal merchant’s labourer. Their children were: Gertrude (21), Edwin (14) and Lennie (Leonard, 2).
By 1911 the family were living at 11 Lancaster Rd, Hitchin, Herts. Present were both parents, x now working as a oil merchant’s carman. The census recorded they had been married for 33 years with 6 children, all living. All the children listed above were present, plus Clara (23)
Officially Leonard was recorded as born in Gosmore, Herts. and enlisting in Hitchin, Herts.
Wartime Service
Leonard enlisted at Hitchin, Herts, on 23rd April 1916. His Record of Service Papers record he was aged 18 years & 9 months, 5ft-5ins in height, living at 11 Lancaster Road, Hitchin, and employed as a Book Binders Apprentice. He Received his Call-up Papers on 29th December 1916 and sent to the Training Reserve with the Service Number TR13/3761, transferred to the Machine Gun Corps with the Corps Number 88275, on 13th March 1917.
He embarked at Folkstone on 6th May 1917, Disembarking at Boulogne, France, the same day, serving on the Western Front. He was Killed in action on 15th June 1917, in France. At the time of his death, he was in the 76th Company of the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry).
He has no known grave but is remembered on Bay 10 of the Arras Memorial to the Missing in France.
Additional Information
The value of his effects were £2-6s-8d, Pay Owing and £3, War Gratuity, no recipient was recorded. His War Medals were returned to the War Office marked "No next of kin".
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
