Ian Lowrie Gray (1919 - 1940)

Born 12 Mar 1919 in Masterton, New Zealand

Ancestors

Died 12 May 1940 at age 21 in At Sea; North Sea, Atlantic Ocean

Biography

Ian Gray is an Anzac who served in World War Two.

parents - John and Ethel D. Gray

Pilot Officer Ian Lowrie Gray 36188 - Royal Air Force, 206 Squadron

Ian Lowrie Gray was educated at the Vauxhall School, at the Takapuna Grammar School

Well known in Auckland by reason of his sporting activities. He was a good footballer, cricketer, boxer, and lawn tennis player, and had also made a name for himself in swimming and was also a keen golfer. He was halfback for the Auckland intermediate Rugby representative team before he left for Wigram, and was a member of the Takapuna club intermediate team. He was opening batsman for the Takapuna Grammer School's 1st eleven, and during the 1937-38 season was a member of the North Shore Club's senior B eleven. He was a prominent swimmer and also a keen golfer. ^[1]

He joined the staff of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company; leaving on June 11th 1938 to join the newly formed Royal New Zealand Airforce.

He had taken up flying before the war, training at Mangere with Squadron Leader D.M. Allan.

He left for England in March 1939, to take a commission in the Royal Air Force. joining RAF 206 Squadron; No.16 Group RAF and part of Coastal Command. With a small detachment of 26 Squadron from RAF Bircham Newton; he flew Avro Ansons from Carew Airfield in Wales on U Boat patrol, going on routine general reconnaissance patrols over the Irish Sea.

In March 1940, the squadron began to re-equip with the Lockheed Hudson, flying the first patrols using the new aircraft on 12 April 1940. He was posted to a training station in Scotland for an intensive course in B14s, the American Lockheed Hudson light patrol bombers built especially for the Royal Air Force for coastal reconnaissance work. ^[2]

May 1940 was a terrible month for the Squadron, with the loss of six Lockheed Hudsons in air operations, each usually with a five man crew; pilot, navigator, bomb aimer, radio operator, and gunner. On the 12th of May 1940, flying from their base RAF Bircham Newton in Norfolk, Leading Aircraftman R J Sloan was reported missing, Sergeant M Moore, Aircraftman 1st Class B Gill and Pilot Officer I L Gray reported dead when Hudson N7353 failed to return from air operations over the North Sea.^[3] Hudson N7353 was shot down by Bf-109s of 5./JG186 north of Borkum island, one of the East Frisian Islands off the north German coast of Saxony. ^[4] Ian Lowrie Gray was 21 years old.

Sources

1. ↑ Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 184, 14 May 1940, Page 6
2. ↑ Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23019, 14 May 1940, Page 10
3. ↑ National Archives Kew AIR 81/267
4. ↑ Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph
• Commonwealth War Graves
• www.aircrewremembered.com - Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, United Kingdom

See Also

• webpages - 206 Squadron; Coastal Command
• Wikipedia : No. 206 Squadron RAF
• U-Boat.net - Lockheed Hudson Patrol Bomber
• Wikipedia : Lockheed Hudson
• youtube video : Forgotten Aircraft - Lockheed Hudson Bomber