Lt Kenneth Whitmarsh Gray, 3rd Wilts Regt &RFC

[fmather]

Does anyone know any more about the above RFC observer?

We know that he was shot down by Belcke with 2nd Lt Leonard Kingdon in January 1916 and was held as a prisoner of war in Cologne.

We would much like to have details of his background and career both before and after WW1.

Fiona M

[Dolphin]

Fiona

Lt K W Gray was the observer in RE7 2287 of No 12 Sqn RFC, flown by 2Lt Leonard Kingdon, when shot down at Mouscron at 0920 on 12 January 1916. The RE7 was escorting another British machine on a reconnaisance mission. A victory was credited to Ltn Oswald Boelcke of Fliegerabteilung 62. It was the eighth of Boelcke's eventual forty victories.

Ltn Boelcke was patrolling in a Fokker Eindekker when he saw two British machines, one of which was apparently able to reach the British lines before he could catch it. He then turned to the other and overhauled it north of Lille. Boelcke noted that the RE7 pilot didn't take evasive action and that the observer didn't fire at him until after he had commenced firing - he took this to be a sign of an experienced airmen (presumably not someone who was going to waste ammunition at long range).

2Lt Kingdon was killed in action and Lt Gray was wounded and taken PoW; he was moved from German custody to The Netherlands on 19 April 1918.

A photograph of an RE7, an aeroplane described by Lt Col Trenchard as 'useless in the field' is below.

I hope that this is useful.

Gareth

[fmather]

Thanks. What I would like to find for is some pre-war and post war biographical details as I know someone who would like to trace his descendants.

Fiona M

[Stephen Nulty]

Fiona

There are several possible candidates on the 1901 census, but you'd need to provide some more information to narrow down the search. Do you have any indication of his age or where he was from?

SN

[fmather]

No, I don't. But would the fact that he was in the Wiltshire Regiment be significant?

Fiona M.