Arthur William RAY

RAY, Arthur William

Service Number: 3231
Enlisted: 6 August 1915
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 59th Infantry Battalion
Born: Sale, Victoria, Australia, 1888
Home Town: Sale, Gippsland, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Railway employee
Died: Killed in Action, France, 19 July 1916
Cemetery: New Irish Farm Cemetery
Plot XXXI, Row F, Grave No 11 (Remains discovered and moved in 1921)
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Sale Baptist Church WWI Honour Roll, Sale Cenotaph
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World War 1 Service

6 Aug 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3231, Depot Battalion
18 Nov 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3231, 21st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Wiltshire embarkation_ship_number: A18 public_note: ''
18 Nov 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3231, 21st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wiltshire, Melbourne
19 Jul 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3231, 59th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3231 awm_unit: 59th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-19

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

Arthur William Ray was the second of three brothers who were killed during WW1. They were the sons of Nicholas and Elizabeth Ray of Sale, Victoria.

His brothers were 174 Tpr. Alexander Leslie Ray 4th Light Horse Regiment, killed in action at Gallipoli 16 September 1915, aged 24 and 1605 Pte. Herbert Ray 7th Battalion AIF, killed in action 20 August 1918, aged 33.

Arthur William Ray was transferred to and taken on strength of 59th Battalion in Egypt on 15 March 1916. He was posted missing, 19 July 1916.

At a Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 29 August 1917, he was pronounced as 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916'. A handwritten note in his service file states he was presumed to be buried in No Man's Land.

Arthur’s remains were discovered, confirmed by the presence of his identity disc, during 1921. His remains were reinterred in New Irish Farm Cemetery St Jean-Les-Ypres, Belgium, which is about 45 kilometers from Fromelles. His father received the identity disc during May 1922.

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