Name
John Gray
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
02/10/1916
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
36317
Princess Charlotte of Wales’ (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
6th Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 11D.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Ippolyts Village Memorial, Roll of Honour, St Ippolyts Church, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
John was born in 1894, in St Ippolyts, Herts. The son of Jesse Gray and Eliza Gray. He was baptised on the 8th July 1894, in St Ippolyts Church, St Ippolyts, Herts.
The 1901 Census records John aged 7, living with his parents, 2 brothers and sister, in Ashbrook, Hitchin, Herts. The 1911 Census records John aged 17, living with his parents’ older brother Samuel at 6&7 Top Row, Ashbrook, Hitchin, Herts. His occupation is given as a Farm Labourer.
Wartime Service
John enlisted in Hertford. Formerly with the 1st/1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment, with the Regimental Number 5780. Then he was posted to the 6th Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wale’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment), with the Regimental Number 36317.
John was killed in Action on the 2nd October 1916. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Fallen.
Additional Information
John Gray was a neighbour of Alfred Goodman Harrison who died on the 2nd November 1918, while serving with the Royal Navy.
There is another potential John Gray for the name in the St Ippollitts memorials and that is Sergt. 203270 John Gray. D.C.M.. However, even though a family headstone in St Ippollitts churchyard does refer to this man, we believe the man on the memorials is the man to whom this biography refers. The main reasons for this is that on one of the memorials the rank of Private is given, as is his regiment of Royal Berkshire. These do not match Sergt. John Gray, however we have assume that the same man is referred to on both memorials.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Stuart Osborne, Jonty Wild
