Clark Maxwell GRAY

Regimental number2374
Date of birth6 December 1896
Place of birthDunedin, New Zealand
SchoolScotch College, Melbourne; Wellington College, New Zealand
Age on arrival in Australia15
ReligionPresbyterian
OccupationStudent
Addressc/o Presbyterian Ladies College, Albert Street, Melbourne, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation19
Height5' 7.75"
Weight154 lbs
Next of kinFather, W Gray, Presbyterian Ladies College, Albert Street, East Melbourne, Victoria
Previous military serviceServed for 2 years in the Senior Cadets, New Zealand; 2 years in Senior Cadets, Victoria; 1 year in the Melbourne University Rifles, Citizen Military Forces.
Enlistment date31 May 1915
Place of enlistmentMelbourne, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name6th Battalion, 7th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/23/2
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A64 Demosthenes on 16 July 1915
Regimental number from Nominal RollCommissioned
Rank from Nominal Roll2nd Lieutenant
Unit from Nominal Roll58th Battalion
Promotions

2nd Lieutenant


Unit: 58th Battalion
Promotion date: 18 March 1916

FateKilled in Action 19 July 1916
Age at death19
Age at death from cemetery records19
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsV.C. Corner (Panel No 13), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
165
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: William and Mary GRAY, Presbyterian Ladies' College, East Melbourne, Victoria. Native of Dunedin, New Zealand
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

Joined 6th Bn at Gallipoli, 5 September 1915.

Promoted Temporary Sergeant, 1 October 1915; reverted to Pte from temporary rank, 19 November 1915; promoted Corporal, 19 November 1915; appointed Lance Sergeant, 5 December 1915.

Disembarked Alexandria from Lemnos, 7 January 1916 (general Gallipoli evacuation).

Promoted Sergeant, 15 January 1916.

Transferred to 58th Bn, 17 February 1916.

Appointed 2nd Lieutenant, 18 March 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 17 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916.

Wounded in action, 19 July 1916; subsequently reported wounded and missing.

Court of Enquiry, 6 August 1916, determined: 'The above Officer was killed in action, unless during the ensuing six months his name should appear in any Hospital List or in Lists of Prisoners of War.'

Assistant Adjutant General, Anzac Section, ruled, 23 April 1917, that his fate was 'Killed in Action'.

Statement, Red Cross File No 1201004, 4535 Pte O.C. LAIDLER, C Company, 58th Bn (patient, Faucett Road Hospital, Portsmouth, England), 4 December 1916: 'Informant states that in July 1916 at Fromelles during a raid on the German trenches Lt. Gray was taken prisoner. Informant had been told this by Private Gordon, A. Coy., 58th Battn., A.I.F. who was with Lt. Gray during the raid, but Informant could not say for certain that Pte. Gordon had seen [underlined] Lt. Gray taken prisoner though he understood that he had done so.'

Second statement, 2414 Pte J.R. NORRIS, 58th Bn (patient, No 9 Red Cross Hospital, Calais), 18 October 1916: 'Lieut. Gray was killed on the 19th July between V.C. Avenue & Pinney Avenue by a shot in the chest.'

Third statement, 1774 Pte G. JAMES, C Company, 58th Bn (patient, No 2 General Hospital (Palais), France), 5 December 1916: 'At Fromelles on 19th July about 6 p.m. we had attached the German first line and been driven back. I was with Lieut. Gray: on our way back to our trenches I saw him hit in the right thigh and stomach. I had to carry on. Next day I saw Lt. Keyes 57th Battn. Trench Mortars and he told me he had been out with a search party early next morning and found Lt. Gray's body and he brought in all his belongings.'

Note on file: 'No trace Germany. Cert. by Capt. Mills 10.10.19.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, GRAY Clark Maxwell
Red Cross file 1201004