Cenotaph Stories

John W. Gray

John Wilford Gray was born 13 March 1883 in Lindsay ON, the oldest son of William and Annie (White) Gray of 5 Queen Street, Lindsay ON. The family had two daughters and three sons, with all three sons moving to Saskatchewan as part of the lumber trade.

On 10 February 1916, John enlisted in North Battleford SK with the 188th Battlion (OC North Battleford Unit) and with his experience as a millworker and lumberman, was assigned to the Forestry Corps upon arrival in England. His brother Richard also enlisted in Saskatchewan in May 1918, but was not taken on strength before the end of the war.

Stationed in Shorncliffe England, John had been out with a fellow soldier, Private William Wright, and were on the way back to Camp from Folkestone. In an attempt to get on a bus that was heading in the direction of the Camp, John accidentally crossed in front of a bus that was going the opposite way, and was run over. His injuries were significant, with a fractured skull and a fracture of the left femur. He was rushed to Royal Victoria Hospital by the vehicle that hit him, but died of his injuries at 6:10am on the morning of 4 March, 1917.

John Gray is buried at Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, Kent, England. He was 33 years old.