Edward (Ned) Gray

Sunday Times 28 Jan 1917 page 8S
Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known 1884
Place of Birth	Newcastle, Northumberland, England
Age at Enlistment	31 years, 1 month
Description	5'11" (1.80m) tall; weight 146 lbs (66.2kg); fair complexion, blue eyes, fair hair.
Occupation	labourer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Mundijong, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife Mrs Catherine Gray
Military Information
Reg Number	4278
Date of Enlistment	27 Aug 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	16th Battalion, 13th reinforcement transferred to 48th Battalion / 12th Brigade, 4th Division
Date of Embarkation	29 Jan 1916 - 26 Feb 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A54 Runic
Date of Return	22 Jul 1917 - 13 Sep 1917
Ship Returned On	HMAT A71 Nestor
Fate	Wounded in Action 1 Sep 1916 Mouquet Farm Returned to Australia
Monument	Mundijong Honour Roll
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Electoral Roll entries - 1914 Mundijong, timber worker, with Catherine; Wife moved to Frances street, West Perth after his enlistment.

War Service

After five week general training, Edward was allocated to the 13th reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion, and travelled with them to Egypt, where on 2 Apr 1916 he was transferred to the 48th Battalion at Serapeum.

On 2 Jun 1916 the battalion sailed for Marseilles aboard the HMT Caledonia, disembarking on 9 Jun 1916,

The 48th Battalion relieved the 13th Battalion in the front lines near Mouquet Farm on the night of 30 Aug / 1 Sep 1916. Edward was one of the casualties during the day when seven of his colleagues were KIA and 19 others, like himself wounded. Most injuries were caused by artillery shells.

Edward's wound was a GSW to right hand and he was treated first by the 44th Casualty Clearing Station on 3 Sep 1916. The next day he was transferred to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station, and on 25 Sep the 7th Convalescent

Rejoined his battalion on 9 Dec 1916. Sick to hospital 3 Feb 1917 (Trench Feet) and on 9 Feb 1917 he was embarked on a Hospital Ship for England where on 7 Feb 1917 he was admitted to the 2nd Birmingham War Hospital.

On 22 Jul 1917 Edward was embarked for Australia for a change, but on arrival in Perth, he was discharged as permanently unfit by the 5th Military District on 3 Oct 1917.

Post War

Granted a pension for himself of 15/- per fortnight from 4 Oct 1917, and for Catherine, 7/6 per fortnight . A Sunday Times article describes him as being "Late of Mundijong"

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial