Pilot
Officer William Adam Gray
Royal
Canadian Air Force
Son
of Thomas McNab Gray and Elizabeth Gray, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
age 23, died on 27-Sep-1944 on a bombing mission while based at
Melsbroek, Holland. At the time of his death, P/O Gray was on his
second operational tour with 57 missions total and was credited with
one damaged FW-190.
The
following entry is from 439's War Operations Record Book (Form 540): Fate
dealt us another blow when J.88900
P/O W.A. Gray (ex R.129277 W/O 2 Gray W.A.) was presumably killed
on operations. His aircraft was hit in the radiator causing vapour to
stream out, later it burst into flame and went into a steep dive,
exploding on impact near Goch, map ref. E9143 at 15:45 hours. The
pilot had completed 57 operational sorties totalling 56:55 hours
before this last sortie.
The
following entry is from 439's War Operations Book (Form 541):
A train with six
goods trucks was then attacked and damaged at map reference A.0323
south of Geldern. In the first attack, newly promoted from the rank of
Warrant Officer, P/O Nick Gray pulled his aircraft away streaming
glycol from the radiator. F/O Lawrence informed P/O Gray of that, but
Nick carried out a second attack on the train. The section set course
for home almost at once and Nick kept losing height as he came. The
white glycol trail turned to black as the aircraft caught fire and
spun into the ground from about 1,000 feet. P/O Gray did not bale out
despite repeated instruction to do so. He is believed killed.
Following
entry is from The
Canadian Virtual War Memorial website courtesy of
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
J/88900
P/O W.A. "Nick" Gray is
buried at REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY, Germany Grave Reference: L.F.
18. Location: The REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY is located 5 km south
west of Kleve. From Kleve the cemetery is located, using the
Hoffmannallee from the Town Centre, which becomes the
Materbornerallee. This road enters Reichswald Forest and becomes the
Grunewaldstrasse. Follow direction Gennep, entering Reichswald Forest
the cemetery is situated 500 meters on the left. Alternatively from
the motorway 57, take exit Kleve/Goch, which leads onto the 9 N road
in the direction towards Kleve. After 3 km turn left on to the 504
direction Kranenburg. Reichswald cemetery is clearly sign posted on
the 504 at cross roads Grunewald. REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY is
situated on the Grunewald Strasse direction Kleve on the right, 3 km
from cross roads Grunewald. Lose some information about the above
cemetery and its location which you may find of interest
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