Samuel Leonard Gray
Place of birth: Aldershot, Hampshire, England
Wife: Joan Gray
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Stoker 1st Class
Service Number: KX85556
Joined Hood: 30th August 1935 (Stoker 2nd Class)
Left Hood: 23rd November 1937 (Stoker 1st Class)
Biographical Information:
Samuel Gray was born on 10 January 1914 in Aldershot, Hampshire. He is known to have worked as a fitter prior to joining the Navy. He volunteered for 12 year term in the Royal Navy in December 1934, but did not enter the Navy until 22 January 1935.
Samuel was joined the Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class. His service number was KX85556. He was trained at Victory 2 from January to Aug 1935. After completing training he joined the crew of H.M.S. Hood on 30 August 1935.
During his time in Hood, the ship was stationed in the Mediterranean. He was promoted to Stoker 1st Class during this timeframe. He remained with Hood until 23 November 1937, when he returned to Victory 2. He remained there until March 1938 when he joined Enterprise. He would be assigned to both the Enterprise and Effingham for the remainder of the year.
Samuel returned to Victory 2 in February 1939. The remainder of that year saw him serve in/at Excellent (Frobisher) and return again to Victory 2. He was promoted to Acting Leading Stoker during this timeframe.
In January 1940, Samuel joined Cochrane 2 (Vega). He remained there until December 1940. In the meantime, he had been promoted to Leading Stoker. He spent the rest of the month in Pembroke 4 (Athelstone) and joined Victory 3 in mid January 1941. He served at Victory 2 in April and May 1941. The remainder of the year saw him serve in Aurora.
He joined the St Angelo (Talbot) in January 1942. Shortly thereafter he was appointed Acting Stoker Petty Officer (Ty). He returned to Victory 2 in July 1942 and remained there until July 1944. During this timeframe he was promoted to Stoker Petty Officer (Ty). From July to November 1944 he served at Drake 4 (Wivern). He then served in Cochrane 2 until June 1945.
Samuel served at Victory 2 from June to December 1945. He was promoted to Stoker Petty Officer during this timeframe. He then served at Enterprise until January 1946. The remainder of the year was spent in/at Ranpura with a short time at Victory 2.
1947 saw him leave Ranpura and serve in/at Victory 2, Mercury, Victory, Resource, Victory and St Angelo (Fort). He was promoted to Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic that same year. 1948 saw him leave St Angelo and serve in/at Forth. He remained at Forth until January 1950. The remainder of 1950 saw him serve at/in Kamarata Barracks and Victory. He became a Chief Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic during this time frame.
He served most of 1951 in Implacable. He left the ship in late October to join the crew of Vanguard. He remained with Vanguard until May 1954. He then transferred to Bellerophon where he remained until December 1956. He had been promoted to Chief Mechanician (E) during that timeframe.
Samuel's next assignment was a two month assignment to Victory. He then joined the Newcastle where he remained until October 1958. He was then posted to Sultan until March 1960. The rest of that year was spent at Phoenicia and Victory. He left Victory in August 1961 and joined Bellerophone. He rejoined Victory in December 1961 and spent his final month of service there.
Samuel retired and was pensioned on 21 January 1962.
During his naval service, he received the 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star (with France & Germany clasp), Africa Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-45 and the Royal Navy Long Service & Good Conduct Medal . Sometime after the war he and his wife Joan emigrated to Australia, where he spent the remainder of his life.
You can learn more about Samuel here.
History of ships served in and ratings held:
Date From | Date to | Ship | Rating | Source |
25th January 1935 | 29th August 1935 | Victory II | Stoker 2nd Class | Service Record |
30th August 1935 | 4th December 1935 | Hood | Stoker 2nd Class | Service Record |
5th December 1935 | 23rd November 1937 | Hood | Stoker 1st Class | Service Record |
24th November 1937 | 18th March 1938 | Victory II | Stoker 1st Class | Service Record |
19th March 1938 | 24th August 1938 | Enterprise | Stoker 1st Class | Service Record |
25th August 1938 | 30th September 1938 | Effingham (Enterprise) | Stoker 1st Class | Service Record |
1st October 1938 | 27th October 1938 | Enterprise | Stoker 1st Class | Service Record |
28th October 1938 | 24th February 1939 | Effingham (Enterprise) | Stoker 1st Class | Service Record |
25th February 1939 | 2nd June 1939 | Victory II | Stoker 1st Class | Service Record |
3rd June 1939 | 1st September 1939 | Excellent (Frobisher) | Stoker 1st Class | Service Record |
2nd September 1939 | 14th October 1939 | Victory II | Stoker 1st Class | Service Record |
15th October 1939 | 23rd January 1940 | Victory II | Acting Leading Stoker | Service Record |
24th January 1940 | 14th October 1940 | Cochrane II (Vega) | Acting Leading Stoker | Service Record |
15th October 1940 | 4th December 1940 | Cochrane II (Vega) | Leading Stoker | Service Record |
5th December 1940 | 16th January 1941 | Pembroke (Athelstone) | Leading Stoker | Service Record |
17th January 1941 | 7th April 1941 | Victory III | Leading Stoker | Service Record |
8th April 1941 | 26th May 1941 | Victory II | Leading Stoker | Service Record |
27th May 1941 | 5th January 1942 | Aurora | Leading Stoker | Service Record |
6th January 1942 | 6th February 1942 | St. Angelo (Talbot) | Leading Stoker | Service Record |
7th February 1942 | 30th June 1942 | St. Angelo (Talbot) | Acting Stoker Petty Officer (Temporary) | Service Record |
1st July 1942 | 6th February 1943 | Victory II | Acting Stoker Petty Officer (Temporary) | Service Record |
7th February 1943 | 6th July 1944 | Victory II | Stoker Petty Officer (Temporary) | Service Record |
7th July 1944 | 31st October 1944 | Drake IV (Wivern) | Stoker Petty Officer (Temporary) | Service Record |
1st November 1944 | 27th June 1945 | Cochrane II (Wivern) | Stoker Petty Officer (Temporary) | Service Record |
28th June 1945 | 20th October 1945 | Victory II | Stoker Petty Officer (Temporary) | Service Record |
21st October 1945 | 5th December 1945 | Victory II | Stoker Petty Officer | Service Record |
6th December 1945 | 25th January 1946 | Enterprise | Stoker Petty Officer | Service Record |
26th January 1946 | 11th October 1946 | Ranpura | Stoker Petty Officer | Service Record |
12th October 1946 | 28th November 1946 | Victory II | Stoker Petty Officer | Service Record |
29th November 1946 | 20th January 1947 | Ranpura | Stoker Petty Officer | Service Record |
21st January 1947 | 4th March 1947 | Victory II | Stoker Petty Officer | Service Record |
5th March 1947 | 2nd May 1947 | Mercury | Stoker Petty Officer | Service Record |
3rd May 1947 | 8th July 1947 | Victory | Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic | Service Record |
9th July 1947 | 31st March 1948 | St. Angelo | Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic | Service Record |
1st April 1948 | 28th January 1950 | Forth | Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic | Service Record |
29th January 1950 | 6th February 1950 | Camarata Bar (Phoencia) | Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic | Service Record |
7th February 1950 | 22nd June 1950 | Victory | Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic | Service Record |
23rd June 1950 | 6th October 1950 | Keltwood (Victory) | Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic | Service Record |
7th October 1950 | 18th February 1951 | Keltwood (Victory) | Chief Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic | Service Record |
19th February 1951 | 30th October 1951 | Implacable | Chief Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic | Service Record |
31st October 1951 | 2nd May 1954 | Vanguard | Chief Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic | Service Record |
3rd May 1954 | 16th March 1955 | Bellerophon | Chief Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic | Service Record |
17th March 1955 | 17th December 1956 | Bellerophon | Chief Mechanician (E) | Service Record |
18th December 1956 | 10th February 1957 | Victory | Chief Mechanician (E) | Service Record |
11th February 1957 | 26th October 1958 | Newcastle | Chief Mechanician (E) | Service Record |
27th October 1958 | 7th March 1960 | Sultan | Chief Mechanician (E) | Service Record |
8th March 1960 | 27th July 1961 | Phoenicia | Chief Mechanician (E) | Service Record |
28th July 1961 | 30th August 1961 | Victory | Chief Mechanician (E) | Service Record |
31st August 1961 | 14th December 1961 | Bellerophon | Chief Mechanician (E) | Service Record |
15th December 1961 | Victory | Chief Mechanician (E) | Service Record |
Additional Photos |
Samuel on the forecastle of H.M.S. Hood. |
No known memorials
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
'Register of Deaths of Naval Ratings' (data extracted by Director of Naval Personnel (Disclosure Cell), Navy Command HQ, 2009)
Craig Radcliff (certificate of service)