Thomas Gray likeness

Thomas Gray cap badgePrivate Thomas Gray

16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Edinburgh) Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)
Service No: 43736

Thomas Gray grave

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Personal details

Family Information

Son of James and Margaret Rutherford Gray. Husband of Helen (Ellen) McLure Gray of 153 Buchanan St then 17a Manse St, Coatbridge and father of 4 children, Rebecca born 11/09/1910, Margaret born 15/06/1912, Mary born 14/06/1914 and Helen born 26/02/1916. Younger brother of Private John Gray of the 1/9th (Highlanders) Battalion Royal Scots who was Killed in Action on the 09/04/1917. From the 1891 Census - Address - 11 Kirkwood St, Coatbridge - James Gray aged 48, Margaret Gray aged 42, William Gray aged 16, John Gray aged 15, Robert Gray aged 13, Agnes Gray aged 12, Joseph Gray aged 9, Thomas Gray aged 7, Letitia Gray aged 6, David Gray aged 4, Peter Gray aged 2. From the 1901 Census - Address - 9 Kirkwood St, Coatbridge - James Gray aged 59, Margaret Gray aged 52, John Gray aged 25, Robert Gray aged 23, Joseph Gray aged 19, Thomas Gray aged 17, Letitia Gray aged 16, David Gray aged 14, Peter Gray aged 12, James Gray aged 8. Thomas' Pension was awarded to his wife Ellen c/o 91 Marlborough Avenue, Toronto, Canada on the 10/05/1925.

Born / Resided

Coatbridge / 153 Buchanan St, Coatbridge.

Died

Killed in Action on the 26/04/1917 by an exploding shell at the Battle of Arras

Enlisted

Hamilton 18/01/1915

Employed

Painter with Mr William Gibson, Academy St.

Age

33 / DOB - 26/05/1883

Buried / Remembered

Arras Memorial (Bay 1 and 2), Pas de Calais, France.

Cemetery / Memorial Information

The MEMORIAL commemorates nearly 35,000 soldiers of the British, South African and New Zealand forces with no known grave. Most of those commemorated were killed in the Battle of Arras, fought between 9 April and 16 May 1917.

Additional Information

Thomas arrived in France on the 04/12/1915 with the 6th (Reserve) Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles, 3187) and was transferred to the 4th (Reserve) Battalion Royal Scots then posted to the 16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Edinburgh) Royal Scots on the 01/10/1916. The 16th had arrived at Le Havre on the 08/01/1916 and were part of the 101st Brigade, 34th Division. The Battalion were formed at Edinburgh in late November 1914 by Lieutenant Colonel George McCrae MP and manned in large part by players and supporters of the Heart of Midlothian Football Club. Both Thomas and his brother John were Killed in Action 17 days apart during the Battles of Arras (Both with the Royal Scots). 5 brothers served from this family, 3 with the Royal Scots, 1 with the Royal Field Artillery and 1 with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The 34th Division were part of the First Battle of the Scarpe, 9th – 14th April 1917 which was the opening phase of the Arras offensive and a parallel phase of the Battle of Vimy, 9th - 14th April 1917 and the Second Battle of the Scarpe, 23rd – 24th April 1917. Thomas was instantaneously killed by an exploding shell on the 26/04/1917, two days before the Division was involved in the Battle of Arleux which was part of the Arras offensive (Battle of Arras). The Battalion War Diary for that day states : "The artillery on both sides were active during the day and night. The Battalion was relieved by the 15th ROYAL SCOTS. CASUALTIES : 2 Other Ranks Killed, 2 Wounded". SEE PHOTOS x 15 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY APRIL 1917. See Directory for Thomas' older brother Private John Gray's page. See Newspaper clipping for a letter sent to Thomas' wife by Captain Weir and photos for map showing the ground captured during the Arras offensive. See photos for Thomas' Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 3, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Arras Memorial Panel List, his name on the Arras Memorial, Thomas' Pension Records x 3, his Service Records x 17, his previous Regiment the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Cap Badge and the Royal Scots Cap Badge.

Photos
Thomas Gray Medal Index CardThomas Gray newspaper clippingThomas Gray newspaper clippingThomas Gray newspaper clippingThomas Gray remembered at homeThomas Gray remembered at homeThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photoThomas Gray additional photo

War Diaries

The battalion War Diary is available on the National Archives website.

Creative Commons License

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