Herbert James DRAY

Herbert James DRAY Update Details

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DRAY, Herbert James

Service Number:	6529
Enlisted:	15 August 1916
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	26th Infantry Battalion
Born:	London, England, 28 March 1893
Home Town:	Roma, Maranoa, Queensland
Schooling:	Yingerbay State School, Queensland, Australia
Occupation:	Grazier
Died:	Killed in action, France, 3 October 1918, aged 25 years
Cemetery:	No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France
Tree Plaque:	Roma Heroes Avenue
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Roma Cenotaph, Town of Roma and Shire of Bungil WW1 Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial

World War 1 Service

15 Aug 1916:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6529, 26th Infantry Battalion
7 Feb 1917:	Involvement Private, 6529, 26th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Wiltshire embarkation_ship_number: A18 public_note: ''
7 Feb 1917:	Embarked Private, 6529, 26th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wiltshire, Sydney

Help us honour Herbert James Dray's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

Herbert ‘Bert’ James Dray was the son of William John and Sophia Alice Dray, of Stanhope Downs, Moonta, Roma, Queensland.

His older brother, 6591 Pte. William George Dray 15th Battalion AIF had died of wounds in Belgium on 15 August 1917, aged 27.

Bert Dray was taken on strength of the 26th Battalion in Belgium during October 1917. He was wounded (gassed) during July 1918 and was away for five weeks. He was reported as missing in action on 3 October 1918, in one of the last fights of the AIF on the Western front.

There is a letter in his file from Captain Claude Stapleton of the same Battalion who won a bar to his M.C. during this fight, he stated that Dray was badly wounded in the German trenches, and his mates had to leave him there when they had to retire for a short time. It was the last time Dray was seen. Dray was finally declared as killed in action by a court of enquiry held during March 1919.

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