180030 Flt Lieutenant R Gray

Discussion in 'General' started by Dmoody, Apr 20, 2017.

  1. Dmoody

    Dmoody Member

    From the Pegasus archive link above i see GNR Gray listed as an occupant of 305, I'm presuming this is more likely to be a gunner of the yeomanry? Interesting leads so far. Thanks for the pointers. I am reading into them.
     
  2. Dmoody

    Dmoody Member

    Cee,

    Thanks for all your information on the location of CN 302. That all seems to fit into place well, i was in work as last couple of days and missed that detail in first read through. I will research more into that lead to try and establish what happened after what seems a successful landing. I hope to be able to contact the author of wot no engines to see how this meets with the information he found into a possible crash landing and how he came to be a pow. Brilliant work
     
  3. Dmoody

    Dmoody Member

    Ok so it's time to summarise what I've found so far. R Gray was flying chalk number 302, his copilot was James Alphonsus Shore. The glider and it's tug were damaged by flak over the drop zone. It would appear that they were being towed by 196 squadron Stirling LJ 979, this tug was damaged and appears to have turned back and crash landed in overloon, Holland.

    Glider 302 went on fire after a crash landing, close to drop zone P. The heavy gun, jeep and trailer on board being damaged beyond use. The three troops on board appear to have been uninjured however both pilots were injured. Beyond this i have information in a book that both Flt Gray and Sgt Shore were taken prisoner. Neither have a known grave and both have dates of death as 24 March 45.

    Thank you for your help so far, i will see what more I can gather
     
    Tricky Dicky and Cee like this.
  4. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Dmoody,

    Good stuff as I was wondering about the fate of the tug and who F/Lt. Gray's copilot was.

    Regards ...
     
  5. Alex1975uk

    Alex1975uk Well-Known Member

    Hi.
    Just wondered where you guys were getting the grid references for glider landing locations?

    Alex.
     
  6. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

  7. Alex1975uk

    Alex1975uk Well-Known Member

    Thanks Cee,
    I seem to remember the son of glider number 356 tying to find out where they landed. He said they got taken prisoner, but I’m sure I’ve seen 356 with lots of German PW’s next to it? Anyway, I’m conscious not to hijack this thread!

    Alex
     
  8. Dmoody

    Dmoody Member

    Good afternoon again folks, it has been a long time since I have been in this forum, I've been researching Flt Lt Gray during that time and have made a lot of progress but possibly hit a dead end.

    He was piloting Horsa CN 302 which crashed and burnt up on landing. The details are earlier in this thread and I won't go over them again. His body was never identified nor was that of his copilot Shore. I have been in contact with CWGC to cross reference unidentified in Reichswald War Cemetery. With the details they have I have been able to narrow the search down to two bodies both found in a burnt out glider with coordinates matching that of 302. Unfortunately they were badly burnt and can not be identified. Dental details are given for one of them who had significant dental work, this gives me some hope as it may be possible to find dental records in an RAF archive.

    Could anyone give me any pointers or help to this end? Where would I start to look for Shore and Grays dental records?
     
  9. Dmoody

    Dmoody Member

    I have just studied the glider location map again to see if I can cross reference it with the details held by the CWGC for the unidentified. They have records of two casualties found in a burnt out glider at 171509, on looking at the map there appears to be another glider at this plot therefore the casualties possibly aren't Shore and Gray of CN 302. I am searching to see if I can find details of the glider that crashed in that location and if it burnt up.

    I guess I'm hopeful that I could eliminate this possibly and say with more conviction that I had found the bodies of Gray and Shore.
     

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