Year of birth: 1890

Place of birth: Bessbrook, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Profession: Hackle maker (Linen mill)

Country: Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Force: British Expeditionary Force

Rank: Private - Stretcher Bearer

Service number: 14201

Enlistment place: Armagh, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Units:  —  Royal Irish Fusiliers, 9th Bn.  (Last known unit)

Date of death: 16/08/1917

Place of death: Hill 35, Belgium

Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Age: 27

1914-15 Star Medal

British War Medal Medal

Victory Medal Medal

Edmund Gray was born in 1890 in Bessbrook, County Armagh. He was the son of William and Lucinda Gray, of Orange Hall, Bessbrook, County Armagh. Prior to enlisting Edmund worked in the local Linnen Mill. When Edmund joined the army he was taken on strength by the Royal Irish Fusiliers 9th Battalion, part of the 108th Brigade, of the 36th (Ulster) Division. Edmund was a good shot, being in the shooting club before the war. He quickly rose through the ranks, and was promoted twice.

At some point, Edmund was demoted back to private. In one of his letters he sent home, he wrote that he was ashamed of the things he had done. Little later he served as a Private - Stretcher Bearer in the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers. As a stretcher bearer he took part in the Battle of Langemarck on 16 August 1917.

On 16 August 1917 the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers assembled in an old trench running from Pommern Redoubt (HQ) to Iberian Farm. Zero hour was at 4.45 a.m. The men were quickly held up at Hill 35. Despite the persistent machinegun fire coming from Somme and Gallipoli the 9th managed to capture Hill 35. In the meanwhile the 7/8th Royal Irish Fusiliers got ahead of them as did the barrage. A platoon was left to consolidate Hill 35 and the attack was renewed. The 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers pushed on until they reached a double row of wire to the south and the east of Gallipoli, which was only cut in one or two places. This held up the advance again, while German machinegun fire was brought to bear on them from dugouts in Gallipoli, Aisne House, Martha House and Hill 37, which caused a lot of casualties. It was found impossible to push on and Edmund’s Battalion retired. It took up position in a trench running along Hill 35. But machinegun fire from Hill 37 was enfilading this position and again the battalion was forced to retreat, to a trench running in a southern direction on Hill 35. This position was consolidated and held until the 16th (Irish) Division on their right was pushed back by German counterattacks. With their right flank up in the air and enfilade fire coming from Iberian Farm, the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers were forced to pull back to their original positions.

Private - Stretcher Bearer Edmund Gray was killed in the fighting at Hill 35, due to the battalion retreating his remains were never recovered or never identified. According to the family Edmund was working as a stretcher bearer and was killed by German shellfire while helping an officer who was stuck in the mud. He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing. The 27-year-old left behind his family and fiancé Sadie Alderdice.

9 Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers (The National Archives, Kew (TNA) WO 95/2505/2). https://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used

Cunliffe Marcus, The Royal Irish Fusiliers : 1793-1968 (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1970). Sources used

Harris Henry, The Royal Irish Fusiliers (the 87th and 89th Regiments of Foot) (London, Leo Cooper, 1972). Sources used

Mc Carthy C., Passchendaele Day-by-Day account (London, Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018). Sources used

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/14201

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=3a9b56e6-88e0-4995-bb5b-ba07322508d5

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/2014201