Name
John Bray
2 June 1883
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
24/01/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
5368
1st (Royal) Dragoons
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LOOS MEMORIAL
Panel 1.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Baldock Town Memorial, St Mary the Virgin Church Memorial, Baldock
Pre War
John Edward Bray was born in Baldock on 2 June 1883, the son of Henry and Eliza Bray (nee Hooper), and baptised on 1 July 1883 in Baldock.
His mother died in 1889, aged 38, and on the 1891 Census the family were living at Pond Lane, Baldock where his widowed father was working as an agricultural labourer. They remained there in 1901 at which time John was working as a carter on a farm.
John enlisted into the army in December 1901 at Bedford, joining the 1st Battalion, Royal Dragoon Guards. On 25 April 1904 (when he had served 2 years 5 months) he elected to extend his period of Army Service to complete eight years with the colours. He was promoted on 9 March 1909 and on the 1911 Census he was recorded as a Lance Corporal and stationed at Muttra, India. He re-engaged on 23 August 1913 'for such period as shall complete 21 years with the colours'.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war in August 1914, the 1st (Royal) Dragoons were at Potchesfstroom in South Africa and were recalled to England, arriving on 19 September 1914. They landed at Ostende, Belgium, on 8 October 1914.
John was killed in action on 24 January 1916 during the Battle of Loos. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, France. When he died he was 33 and had been a soldier for 14 years.
Additional Information
A war gratuity of £8 and pay owing of £17 9s was divided equally between his brothers Henry and James and sisters Sarah and Elizabeth
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson, www.longlongtrail.co.uk
