Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born in Glanford Brigg, England, George was living in Brisbane QLD & working as a stockman when he enlisted for service in the AIF at the Enoggera Camp on 22 Aug 14 & was appointed Signaller on the 29th

He was allocated to Regimental Staff, Headquarters of the 2nd Light Horse Regiment

He embarked for the Middle East from Brisbane, on board A15 Star of England on 24 Sep, arriving in Egypt on 2 Dec

The Regt took part in the North African Campaign defending the Suez Canal, marking the beginning of the Sinai & Palestine Campaign

Due to his knowledge of first aid, he was attached to the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance on 5 May & embarked with them for Mudros on the 9th

The 1st LHFA war diary states: 4 Aug - 2 Maj C.H. Helsham & 34 OR’s left Mudros for Anzac

On 8 Aug he was WIA with shrapnel to R/knee at Hill 971, Suvla Bay & admitted to Beach Hospital

Medical notes state: Shrapnel, while bursting into about 20 fragments, shattered the right tibia & fibula. The right leg is wasted, the two bones have separated, there is drop foot & flat foot, the foot is everted outward & the sinus has not yet filled up

Hill 971 was the target of the 4th Aus Inf Bde’s failed attacks during the August Offensive, while the NZ’ers, backed up by the Brit’s captured then later lost Chunuk Bair

He was evacuated to Egypt on 3 Aug, he was then invalided to England on board HT Devanha, arriving in London on 14 Dec

On 15 Jun he was discharged as permanently unfit for war service at home or abroad

On 12 Aug 16 he enlisted for service in the Merchant Navy, serving with the Cunard Line on board HMT Ausonia & was appointed Second Mate (Officer) as a Navigator

Ausonia was torpedoed by a German U-Boat on 11 Jun 17 off the Southern Ireland Cost but was able to reach port

He discharged from the MN on 26 Jun & enlisted in the Royal Navy on 20 Jul as Sub Lieutenant

While with the RN, he was posted to;

 HMS Macedonia - patrolling the home sea
 HMS St Dunstan - as OIC
- St Dunstan was sunk after it struck a mine laid by German U-boat (UC21)
 HMS Convolvulus - patrolling the home sea
 HMS Hecla II (Depot Ship)
 HMS Gardenia of the Thirteenth Sloop Flotilla - serving at Egypt & Red Sea patrols
 HMS Duke

Unfortunately, due to his old shrapnel injuries, he had further surgery to his R/leg & was
admitted to a private nursing home in Belfast for rehabilitation in 1919

He was discharged from the RN on 10 Oct 19

On 8 Nov 39 he enlisted for service with the Royal Australian Navy Volunteer Reserves & was appointed Lieutenant (on probation)

He was mobilised for war service with the RAN on 2 Jul 40 & transferred to HMAS Cerberus III
training establishment

While with the RANR, he was posted to;

 HMAS Swan II - 1941
 HMAS Toowoomba I - 1941-42
- Toowoomba served in Batavia, Malaya, Java, Singapore & Australia
- During the remaining two months of the disastrous Malaya/Java campaign Toowoomba was almost constantly at sea
- In Feb 42 Toowoomba & Ballarat came under heavy bombing by five Japanese aircraft, which were repulsed by gun fire after Toowoomba had sustained slight damage
- In the final stages of the Malaya fighting, Toowoomba arrived at Batavia the day before Singapore fell, in company with the destroyer HMS Jupiter & escorting four tankers
- Following the collapse of resistance to the Japanese forces in the Netherlands East Indies, Toowoomba, her sister ship HMAS Maryborough & the Dutch merchant ship Gernraal Verspyck entered Fremantle Harbour on 10 March. Thus all the ships of the 21st Minesweeping Flotilla, of which Toowoomba was a member, had safely returned to Australia after a series of desperate rear-guard actions
 HMAS Gunbar - 1943
- Appointed OIC of Gunbar in NT on 7 Dec 42
- Gunbar and HMAS Kara Kara were the two anchored gate ships for the Darwin Boom Defence

He was transferred to Fremantle WA & allocated to the base’s Boom Depot before transferring to Melbourne for discharge in Aug 1944

Charle’s son;

14983839 PTE Reginald Charles Syrrot Gray, served with the 4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment of the 2nd Parachute Brigade in France & Germany, then later in Palestine & SE Asia

Post WW2 he served with the Australian Military Forces in RAEME as a Fitter Mechanic from 18 Apr 52 to 17 Apr 58