Robert Hampton Gray
Encyclopedia
Robert Hampton "Hammy" Gray VC
, DSC (November 2, 1917 - August 9, 1945) was a Canadian
naval officer, pilot, and recipient of the Victoria Cross
(VC) during World War II
, one of only two members of the Royal Navy
's Fleet Air Arm
to have been thus decorated in that war.
Gray was born in Trail, British Columbia
, Canada
, but resided in Nelson
from an early age. In 1940, following education at the University of Alberta
and University of British Columbia
, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta
Fraternity, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR)
at in Calgary, Alberta. Originally sent to England for training, Gray was sent back to Canada to train at RCAF Station Kingston
where he qualified as a pilot for the British Fleet Air Arm
in September 1941.
Gray was first assigned to the African theatre, flying Hawker Hurricane
s for shore-based squadrons. After two years in Africa, he trained to fly the Corsair fighter and in 1944 he was assigned to 1841 Squadron, based on HMS Formidable
. In August 1944, he took part in a series of unsuccessful raids against the German battleship Tirpitz
, in Norway
. On August 29, 1944, he was Mentioned in Despatches for his participation in an attack on three destroyers, during which his plane's rudder was shot off. On January 16, 1945, he received a further Mention, "For undaunted courage, skill and determination in carrying out daring attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz."
In April 1945, HMS Formidable joined the British Pacific Fleet
. By July 1945, the carrier was involved in strikes on the Japanese mainland. Gray earned a Distinguished Service Cross
for aiding in sinking a Japanese destroyer in the area of Tokyo
. The award was not announced until August 21, 1945, when the notice appeared in the London Gazette
with the citation, "For determination and address in air attacks on targets in Japan".
On August 9, 1945, at Onagawa Bay, Miyagi Prefecture
, Japan
, Lieutenant Gray led an attack on a Japanese
destroyer
. The citation for his VC, gazetted on November 13, 1945, describes what happened:
Gray was one of the last Canadians to die during World War II, and was the last Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross. His VC is owned by the Gray family.
As Gray's remains were never found, he was listed as missing in action and presumed dead. He is commemorated, with other Canadians who died or were buried at sea during the First and Second World Wars, at the Halifax Memorial in Point Pleasant Park
, Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Royal Canadian Legion
hall in Nelson, B.C., numerous other sites in Nelson, and the wardroom of HMCS Tecumseh (his RCNVR home unit) also bear plaques in his honour.
A memorial service honouring Gray's act of bravery was held in 2006 and a memorial erected at Onagawa Bay, just metres away from where his plane crashed. This is the only memorial dedicated to a foreign soldier on Japanese soil.
Gray is one of fourteen figures commemorated at the Valiants Memorial
in Ottawa.
A cousin of Gray, filmmaker Ian Herring, in 2005 made a fictionalized film about him, The Last Battle of Hampton Gray.
To celebrate the Centennial of the Canadian Navy, during the 2010 air show season, Vintage Wings of Canada
flew at events across Canada in a Corsair
bearing the markings of the plane Gray was likely flying that fateful day.
, BC, after Gray and his brother, John Balfour Gray, who was also killed in World War II. Rising to a height of 2,753m, Grays Peak
is well known in Canada as the mountain pictured on the label of Kokanee beer
.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, DSC (November 2, 1917 - August 9, 1945) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
naval officer, pilot, and recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(VC) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, one of only two members of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
to have been thus decorated in that war.
Gray was born in Trail, British Columbia
Trail, British Columbia
Trail is a city in the West Kootenay region of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:Trail has an area of . The city is located on both banks of the Columbia River, approximately 10 km north of the United States border. This section of the Columbia River valley is located between the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, but resided in Nelson
Nelson, British Columbia
Nelson is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the extreme West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Known as "The Queen City", and acknowledged for its impressive collection of restored heritage buildings from its glory days in a regional silver rush,...
from an early age. In 1940, following education at the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
and University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
Fraternity, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR)
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve was a naval reserve force of the Royal Canadian Navy, which replaced the Royal Navy Canadian Volunteer Reserve .-Foundation:...
at in Calgary, Alberta. Originally sent to England for training, Gray was sent back to Canada to train at RCAF Station Kingston
RCAF Station Kingston
RCAF Station Kingston was a Second World War air training station built in 1940 at Collins Bay near Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The station was originally built by the Royal Canadian Air Force for use by the Royal Air Force . Like other RAF schools in Canada, it was subject to RCAF administrative...
where he qualified as a pilot for the British Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
in September 1941.
Gray was first assigned to the African theatre, flying Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s for shore-based squadrons. After two years in Africa, he trained to fly the Corsair fighter and in 1944 he was assigned to 1841 Squadron, based on HMS Formidable
HMS Formidable (R67)
HMS Formidable was an Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy during World War II. She was constructed by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, and launched on 17 August 1939...
. In August 1944, he took part in a series of unsuccessful raids against the German battleship Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
, in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. On August 29, 1944, he was Mentioned in Despatches for his participation in an attack on three destroyers, during which his plane's rudder was shot off. On January 16, 1945, he received a further Mention, "For undaunted courage, skill and determination in carrying out daring attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz."
In April 1945, HMS Formidable joined the British Pacific Fleet
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
. By July 1945, the carrier was involved in strikes on the Japanese mainland. Gray earned a Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
for aiding in sinking a Japanese destroyer in the area of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. The award was not announced until August 21, 1945, when the notice appeared in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
with the citation, "For determination and address in air attacks on targets in Japan".
On August 9, 1945, at Onagawa Bay, Miyagi Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Lieutenant Gray led an attack on a Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
. The citation for his VC, gazetted on November 13, 1945, describes what happened:
Gray was one of the last Canadians to die during World War II, and was the last Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross. His VC is owned by the Gray family.
As Gray's remains were never found, he was listed as missing in action and presumed dead. He is commemorated, with other Canadians who died or were buried at sea during the First and Second World Wars, at the Halifax Memorial in Point Pleasant Park
Point Pleasant Park
Point Pleasant Park is a large, partially forested municipal park at the southern tip of the Halifax peninsula. It once hosted several artillery batteries, and a well-preserved 18th century Martello tower can be found there...
, Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Royal Canadian Legion
Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
hall in Nelson, B.C., numerous other sites in Nelson, and the wardroom of HMCS Tecumseh (his RCNVR home unit) also bear plaques in his honour.
A memorial service honouring Gray's act of bravery was held in 2006 and a memorial erected at Onagawa Bay, just metres away from where his plane crashed. This is the only memorial dedicated to a foreign soldier on Japanese soil.
Gray is one of fourteen figures commemorated at the Valiants Memorial
Valiants Memorial
The Valiants Memorial is a military monument located in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, commemorating fourteen key figures from the military history of the country....
in Ottawa.
A cousin of Gray, filmmaker Ian Herring, in 2005 made a fictionalized film about him, The Last Battle of Hampton Gray.
To celebrate the Centennial of the Canadian Navy, during the 2010 air show season, Vintage Wings of Canada
Vintage Wings of Canada
Vintage Wings of Canada is an aviation museum of historically significant aircraft, organized as a charitable foundation. The facility is located at the Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport, Quebec, Canada. It was founded by former Cognos CEO and philanthropist Michael Potter...
flew at events across Canada in a Corsair
Corsair
Corsairs were privateers, authorized to conduct raids on shipping of a nation at war with France, on behalf of the French Crown. Seized vessels and cargo were sold at auction, with the corsair captain entitled to a portion of the proceeds...
bearing the markings of the plane Gray was likely flying that fateful day.
Grays Peak, British Columbia
On 12 March 1946, the Geographic Board of Canada named a mountain in Kokanee Glacier Provincial ParkKokanee Glacier Provincial Park
Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park is one of the oldest provincial parks in British Columbia, established in 1922. The park has an area of and is located in the Selkirk Mountains in the West Kootenays region of BC...
, BC, after Gray and his brother, John Balfour Gray, who was also killed in World War II. Rising to a height of 2,753m, Grays Peak
Grays Peak (British Columbia)
Grays Peak is a mountain in southeast British Columbia, Canada. It is located in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park in the Kootenays, and is best-known for being the mountain pictured on the label of Kokanee beer.-Location:...
is well known in Canada as the mountain pictured on the label of Kokanee beer
Kokanee beer
Kokanee is a beer brewed at the Columbia Brewery in Creston, British Columbia. Columbia Brewery began brewing Kokanee lager in 1959 and was purchased by the Labatt Brewing Company in 1974.-The Beer:...
.