Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Flight Lieutenant K. M. Gray, 405 (Vancouver) Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, who was killed in action when his Halifax was shot-down over Luxembourg on 10 August 1943

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence Medal, Canadian issue in silver; Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, with overseas clasp; War Medal 1939-45, Canadian issue in silver, mounted for display in a glazed frame together with the recipient’s silver R.C.A.F. Operational Wings; and Birks Memorial Bar ‘F/L K. M. Gray R.C.A.F. Died in his Country’s Service 10 Aug. 1943’, extremely fine (5) £400-£500

Kenneth MacGregor Gray was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on 9 July 1914 and enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force on 3 January 1940. Commissioned Pilot Officer on 1 March 1942, he was advanced Flight Lieutenant, and served with 405 (Vancouver) Squadron. He was killed in action when his Halifax HR872, which he was piloting, was shot down by a night fighter at 1:00 a.m. on the night of 9-10 August 1943, and crashed at Awenne, Luxembourg, whilst on a sortie to Mannheim. Eye-witness reports state that he was discovered by a German patrol and during a gun battle was killed along with 10 Germans, although this is unconfirmed. He is buried in Florennes Cemetery, Belgium, alongside the rest of his crew.

Sold with copied research including the above-mentioned eyewitness reports, and full details regarding the recipient’s previous sorties, targets of which included Essen, Dortmund (twice), Dusseldorf, Wuppertal, Elberfeld, Cologne (twice), Aachen, Montbeliard, and Hamburg (thrice).