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Auction: 18001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 20

Four: Pilot Officer A. L. Gray, Royal Air Force, who was killed on active service in North Africa, the result of a collision between his Spitfire and a Kittyhawk

India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1937-39 (543388 L.A.C. A. L. Gray, R.A.F.), in its named card box of issue, Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, extremely fine (4)


Albert Lionel Gray was born in Abingdon, Northamptonshire on 23 November 1918, the son of Albert Edward and Clara Maria Gray. He enlisted into the Royal Air Force in June 1937 and was posted to India with No. 21 (Bomber) Squadron, followed by the Far East with No. 11 Squadron until November 1939.

Gray subsequently undertook pilot training and was appointed to a temporary commission in June 1943, prior to being killed on active service on 22 October 1943. As stated, the result of a collision between his aircraft Spitfire P9311 and a Kittyhawk, on take-off from Abu Sueir airfield. He is buried at Moascar War Cemetery, Egypt. A contemporary newspaper article adds a little more information:

'Rugby Pilot Officer Killed - Shortly After Meeting Brother

Shortly after receiving a photograph of their two sons, taken in their R.A.F. uniform, when they met at Aboukir, Alexandria, recently, for the first time for five years, Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Gray, 21, Crick Road, Rugby, had the sad news that the elder boy, Pilot Officer Albert Lionel John Gray, had been killed.

The Pilot Officer, who was aged 25, was educated at East Ham, London, and joined the R.A.F. seven years ago. He had seen service in seven campaigns, including India, North Africa, Crete, Greece and Singapore, and was decorated with a medal (of which he told his parents nothing) for his work in the North-West Frontier fighting. At the fall of Greece he was reported missing but returned to his base seven months later.

When the two brothers met at Aboukir they managed to spend four days leave together. Alan, the younger, has had nearly seven years' service in the R.A.F. and has been in the Middle East for the last two and a half years.'

Sold with an original and poignant archive comprising portrait photograph of Gray; condolence slip to Pilot Officer A. L. Gray; forwarding letter for I.G.S.M; original card box of issue for I.G.S.M., and paper envelope; box of transmission for WW2 medals, medal entitlement slip; contemporary newspaper article and copies of service details; R.A.F. embroidered Wings, mounted upon clear Perspex, with safety pin, rank slides and riband bar for the I.G.S.M. housed in a naive wooden case of African bazaar manufacture, as sent to his family, together with R.A.F. Officer's side cap, inscribed in ink to interior, 'P/O GRAY'.


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Sold for
£550