GRAY, Bert

Bert Gray was the youngest son of Mr and Mrs W. Gray of 84 Upper High Street, Lye. He enlisted in the Worcesters and was sent to the 14th Battalion, the Pioneers of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. This was a very active division which fought on the Somme in the last actions of November, at Arras, Passchendaele and Cambrai in 1917 and in defence in March 1918 during the German Spring offensives. In August it was in the front line for what became the Advance to Victory. On the 21st August the Battle of Albert started the unbroken sequence of outstanding success. However, Private Bert Gray was wounded on this first day. He was taken to a Casualty Clearing Station where he died on the 22nd August. He was 22 years of age and is buried in Bagneux British Cemetery at Gezaincourt, near Doullens, (IIII P 15) and commemorated on the Lye and Wollescote and Lye church Memorials.