Sergeant William Arthur Bill Gray was born in 1918 and was from Stansted, Essex.

He was an observer on a Hampden bomber with 49 Sqn. The crew consisted of pilot, FO Alexander Muir Harvey, wireless operator/air gunner Sgt John William Hallam and air gunner Sgt Richard Mannering Knapman.

In the night of 20 January 1942 five Hampdens of 49 Sqn. were sent out to bomb Emden. Two returned without bombing the target due to icing. Two others did bomb Emden.

    49 Sqn RAF

Sgt. Gray's crew, flying Hampden S-Sugar, was intercepted by a night fighter flown by Oberfeldwebel Paul Gildner of II/NJG2. They were shot down over Groningen and crashed near the farm of Mr. Ritsema, near Roodehaan, Noorddijk.

All four crew died and were buried at Noorddijk General Cemetery.

Sgt. Gray was 24.

 

(Picture by Wim Bastiaanse)

Noorddijk, The Netherlands

See Also:
FO Alexander Muir Harvey
Sgt John William Hallam
Sgt Richard Mannering Knapman

Sources:
Beware Of The Dog At War, John Ward and Ted Cachart, JoTe Publications, Delper, Derbyshire, 1997

Acknowledgements:
RAF Squadron crest © Crown Copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

Directions to Noorddijk General Cemetery

If you have any suggestions, comments or additional information, please contact me.

This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

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