Son of James and Helen Gray, of Sunside, Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire.
James Gray d 7/4/1945 age 90, Helen Morrison d 14/1/1957 age 91
Interred Insch CY, Charles recorded on headstone

War & Victory Medals

CWGC records, previously buried at map ref : 62B.5.13.B.1.7

15 (Service) Batt (1st Glasgow) HLI
He was born at Kennethmont and enlisted in Aberdeen, killed in action.
Formerly 143793, Royal Field Artillery

Born at Sunside 30 June 1896

19/5/1916 Called up and reported next day, given pass home.
22/5/1916 Left for Glasgow, arrived Maryhill 6am
24/5/1916 At Coliseum
25/5/1916 Inoculated
28/6/1916 Paid 8/-
20/6/1916 Transferred to HLI Montrose
22/7/1916 Home for weekend
14/8/1916 Started musketry

1/9/1916 Embarkation leave commences
6/9/1916 Leave ends
21/9/1916 Shifted to Malling? (Perthshire)

27/9/1916 Left for front
28/9/16 Arrived Folkstone 6am, left for Boulogne arrived 2pm
29/9/1916 Came to Etaples

9/10/11916 Arrived Beuvry, (JG note, near Bethune)

10/10/1916 Shifted to Busnes (JG note, near Bethune), no further movement entries

Service Notes
15th HLI Glasgow Trams Pals Battalion.

Raised in Glasgow by Lord Provost and City from recruits from the Glasgow Tramways.
To Gailes, Ayrshire.
May 1915 to Prees Heath in 97th Bde, 32nd Div
June 1915 to Wenslydale.
1/7/1915 taken over by the War Office.
23/11/1915 landed at Boulogne, 97th Brigade, 32nd Division.
22/2/1918 became pioneer battalion for 32nd Division ending the War at Avesnelles, France.

The following is an extract from - An Epic of Glasgow, History of the 15th Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) by Thomas Chalmers and details the actions of Charles Gray's unit at Savy Wood on the day of his death. As one of the casualties of April 2nd he was originally buried in SAVY WOOD NORTH CEMETERY and later moved to SAVY BRITISH CEMETERY in 1920.

NEAR THE HINDENBURG LINE.
The 15th H.L.L, with the 14th Brigade, arrived in the Bois-de-Savy about 3 on the morning of April 2 to take up attack positions. The objectives were Holnon and Francilly-Selency, still nearer to St. Quentin on the oblique line of the drive north-east across the town's western approaches. The 1st Dorsets on the left had to seize Holnon. The 2nd Manchesters had to go direct at Francilly, "B" Company of the 15th H.L.I. in support, with orders to consolidate the eastern edge of Francilly. Two other companies of the 15th on the right, "C" and "D" Companies, were to capture the height which runs roughly east from the village. This high ground was to have been taken by the 96th Brigade which had failed. Two platoons of "A" Company were employed as R.E. working parties and a third platoon as Battalion reserve. At 4.55 a.m. the British artillery laid down a heavy barrage on the village which lasted five minutes. Then the 14th Brigade attacked. The stormers were violently assailed by machine gun fire along the entire front but they swept on purposefully and laid hold of the allotted positions, taking numerous prisoners. "D" Company of the H.L.I. captured three machine guns in a quarry. The 2nd Manchesters were fired at point blank by a battery of six German field guns situated on a slope some hundred yards to the east of Francilly which was in the hands of that Midland battalion.

The gunners decamped, however, under the fusilade of rifle and machine gun fire, abandoning their pieces, whereupon the Manchesters dug their line so as to command the battery position. The 15th H.L.I. had few casualties in the actual assault, but about 6.15 a.m. the Germans opened a severe bombardment, smashing shells into Francilly and battering the heights. On this wet and dreary morning "B" and "C" Companies were frenziedly digging to consolidate. The shelling went on all day but did not turn the companies from the construction of very fine trenches. They dug and dug with shell-bursts all around them, dug for dear life. But they suffered 40 casualties before they had prepared a position in which to resist counter-attack.

15 HLI Diary entry.
April 2. Bois-de-Savy. Attack and capture of Francilly.
Casualties for April : Officers, 2 killed, 3 wounded; other ranks, 42 killed, 124 wounded.