Name
David Leslie Gray
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/08/1917
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
25092
Royal Garrison Artillery
6th Siege Battery
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MAPLE LEAF CEMETERY
M. 1.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Mark’s Church Plaque, Colney Heath, Not on the Hatfield memorials, Barnet memorials not yet fully researched(*1)
Pre War
He was the son of William Nicol Gray and Isabella Gray, of Hill End Farm, Tyttenhanger Green, St. Albans. David was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire and lived in Park Farm Ride, Cheshunt (1891), 35 Bancroft, Hitchin (1901) and then The Farm, London Colney, St Albans (1911). According to the 1891 census David (14 months) was living with his parents in Cheshunt and was one of seven children, with three brothers and three sisters.
The 1901 census confirms that fact and that they were living with their parents in Hitchin. So at some stage between 1901 and 1911 the Gray family moved from Hitchin to The Farm at London Colney, where David’s father William was the bailiff. Also during this time it is likely that David’s mother, Isabella, died as the 1911 census records William as a widower. He enlisted as a Gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery prior to the war.
Wartime Service
David was originally a Gunner when he entered the war on 25th September 1914, but was promoted to Lance Corporal.
Notwithstanding the fact that David is registered as residing at The Farm in London Colney, he was in fact stationed with the army in Fort Tighe, Malta at the time of the 1911 census.
Additional Information
David’s father, and the Gray family, eventually moved from the London Colney Farm (1911) to 36 Stanhope Road, St Albans (circa 1915) before ending up at Hill End Farm near Tyttenhanger Green (circa 1917). It is probably this factor that explains why the two brothers David and Hugh are commemorated on the Colney Heath memorial. *1 If known, the ‘Barnet’ memorial is given, however ‘Barnet’ now appears to be the generic name for many historically separate Hertfordshire locations with Barnet in their name. While we try to unravel these – any help gratefully received! – we have to record ‘Barnet’. It may be that a person appears on several historical ‘barnets’. As this work is done, we will add further detail.
Acknowledgments
Graham Clark – World War One – The Fallen of London Colney, Grace Clark, Jonty Wild
