GRAY, Walter Henry
| Service Number: | 1859 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Crystal Brook District WW1 Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Jan 1916: | Involvement Private, 1859, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Jan 1916: | Embarked Private, 1859, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Borda, Adelaide |
Walter Henry Gray
Walter trained with E Squadron Base Light Horse at Cheltenham and joined the 13th Reinforcement on 30 August. His unit embarked HMAT A30 Borda in Adelaide on 11 January 1916. He was admitted to the 3rd Australian General Hospital on 23 March with “mild illness” and on 2 May was transferred from the 3rd Light Horse to the 4th Pioneer Battalion.
Walter served in Egypt and on the Western Front. On 6 July 1917 Walter was sent to the 4th Australian Division Base Depot for the purpose of undergoing assessment by the Medical Board at Havre on 12 July. Consequently, he embarked the Benalla on 10 September for Australia where he was discharged on 8 November. His record gives the reason for Walter’s discharge as “over-age”.
The A.I.F. initially wanted men aged 19 to 38 and at least 5 feet 6 inches in height. The age limit was later extended to 45, to extend eligibility to many men who had fought in the Boer War. (The Dictionary of Sydney.)
On 4 November 1918 the Port Pirie Recorder reported that “Walter Henry Gray, idle and disorderly/drunk, sentenced to two months imprisonment in Public Courts.”
Walter was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Walter’s death notice appeared in the Port Pirie Recorder of 22 May,1923 stating, “Gray: On the 20 th of May, at Crystal Brook, Walter Henry Gray, aged 56; suddenly.”
Source: www.naa;B2455; Gray.W.H. Barcode 4671930.
www.trove.nla.gov/digitised newspapers.
Submitted 22 August 2023 by christopher collins