Kenneth Neil Gray

Flying Officer

DFC

Awards

Conflict:

WW2

Additional Information:

War Cross (Czechoslovakia). Son of Robert Leonard Gray and of Margaret Gray (nee Langford), of Gisborne, Auckland, New Zealand.

References:

Martyn (2008)

NZ WAR GRAVES

Public Contributions:

GRAY Kenneth Neil Flying Officer 40342, DFC, War Cross (Czechoslavkia), RAF 102 Sqn. Whitley V, N1500 crashing on the slopes of Hill of Foudland, 6mls SE of Huntley in Aberdeenshire, whilst being fer...ried from Kinloss to Driffield. ...'The crash site for N1500 is recorded in a 102 Sqn telegram of 1 May 40 as being 'Bains Hole, near Insch, Ordnance survey 1/4 mile to inch - (Q) K.1356.' The time is given as 1059 hours. - Killed Wednesday 1/5/1940 aged 25 years. Buried Dyce Old Churchyard grave 1, Aberdeen. Son of Robert Leonard & Margaret Gray nee Langford of Gisborne, Auckland, New Zealand. Brother of Colin Gray - Christchurch New Zealand. Molly Smith. P/O. Kenneth Neil Gray and P/O. Frank Hugh Long: P/O. pilot Gray and P/O. Long were respectively pilot and navigator on a night reconnaissance flight over enemy territory during November, 1939. During the operations a snowstorm was encountered and the aircraft became badly iced-up, in addition to being subjected to anti-aircraft fire. Nevertheless, the reconnaissance flight was continued, but it was not found possible to reach the objective, as eventually weather conditions rendered the aircraft practically impossible to control, the upper surface of one wing and half that of the other wing having been stripped of fabric and one " flap " jammed down. The wireless apparatus also failed. The journey home involved a flight of 342 miles over the sea during very heavy snowstorms, and it was mainly due to the skill, courage, and splendid team work of P/O. Gray and P/O. Long that the aircraft and crew were brought safely back. On 9 March 1940 Kenneth Gray had another hazardous experience [a reference to the event for which he was awarded the DFC] flying Whitley P-Peter, again with Tiny Long, when he was detailed for a leaflet raid on Prague. They encountered severe icing conditions over Prague, and one engine kept stopping. In spite of the obvious risks, he pressed on with the sortie for a total duration of over eight hours. This time his determination was rewarded by a Czech War Cross from the free Czech Government... crew/passenger list:- F/O K N Gray DFC, Czechoslovak War Cross; Sgt J H Hopper, Sgt F J Bass, AC1 A W H Hart, AC2 G Main, AC1 H Buttery AC1 J A Hewitt AC1 F Wallwork Hewitt. Main and Wallwork survived the crash but Wallwork died on 6/5/40 and Main on 25/5/40. Read More

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Casualty

Service Number:

40342

Name:

Kenneth Neil Gray

Rank:

Flying Officer

Date of Birth:

Not known

Date of Enlistment:

Not known

Unit:

Royal Air Force, 102 Squadron

Casualty Details

Cause of Death:

Killed in an aircraft accident

Date of Death:

01 May 1940

Day of Death:

Wednesday

Age at Death:

Conflict:

WW2

Embarkation Details

Embarkation Body:

Royal Air Force

Text in italics supplied by Cenotaph Online, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Cemetery

Cemetery:

Dyce Old Churchyard

Cemetery Reference:

Grave 1.

Cemetery Location:

United Kingdom