Source: Per record of promotion in 53685 Heath service records.
Family Search: When Corporal William Kerr Gray was born on 6 October 1893, in Larbert, Stirlingshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, his father, Alexander Peterkin Gray, was 37 and his mother, Anne Mckechnie, was 41. He married Janet S. Lindsay on 29 July 1920, in London, Canada West, British North America. They were the parents of at least 1 daughter. He registered for military service in 1914. In 1914, at the age of 21, his occupation is listed as moulder. He died on 22 July 1953, in London, Ontario, Canada, at the age of 59, and was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, London, Ontario, Canada.
Military Medal Citation
“On August 15th 1917. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in action. Sgt.GRAY upon reaching the German support line encountered a hostile Machine Gun. He single-handed charged the position and captured the gun and entire crew. When his superior Officer was wounded he took charge of his platoon and upon reaching the objective successfully consolidated the position and reorganized his men.His work was of the greatest value as upon a hostile counter attack being launched his party was well organized and thereby able to successfully deal with the attacking forces.
Military Medal Bar Citation
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in front of PASSCHENDAELE on Nov: 10th. After his Platoon Officer & Sgt had become casualties and his trench blown in he took charge of the Platoon, reorganized the men under him and reestablished his line by a series of out-posts and placed the remainder of his men in a place of security and so maintained an effective line and an efficient unit. Under very heavy shell fire he assisted in rescuing wounded from a shelter which had been blown in.”
This soldier was reduced in rank for “drunkenness”.
This man enlisted with the 18th Battalion on 14 December 1914, at London, Ontario. He was a moulder by trade and had no prior military experience.
He went overseas via Halifax to Avonmouth, England arriving on 29 April 1915 aboard the SS Grampian.
He trained in England until 15 September 1915, when the entire 2nd Contingent went “overseas” to the Continent and then to Belgium.
This man had several promotions and a demotion during his service. He was appointed a Lance-Corporal on 6 June 1916 and was promoted Sergeant in the field on 15 September 1916, the day of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette commenced.
He was convicted of an FGCM for drunkenness on 25 September 1917 and reduced to the rank of Corporal.
He was wound 13 November 1917 during the Canadian involvement at Passchendaele and returned to service. It was recorded on 17 December 1917 he had earned a Military Meda and was awarded a Bar to the MM (report date 13 May 1918).
He was appointed as Company Sergeant Major on 24 August 1918 and served with the 18th Battalion until he suffered an ICT to the groin and was invalided to England for treatment.
Due to his medical condition and treatment, he did not return to the fighting and was SOS to Canada on 25 March 1919 and sailed for Canada via the HMT Scotian via Liverpool and St. John, New Brunswick, arriving on 4 April 1919.
He was discharged due to demobilization on 6 April 1919 at London, Ontario.
“Military Medals have been awarded to Sergeant James McCallum, Sam Forter Ferguson, William Kerr Gray, Hugh McGanley, and Privates Levi Thorne, Duncan McLean Ross, Ronald Taylor, Joseph Gilmore, Arthur White, Frank Baldwin, Nicholson Vernon, Bruce Newhouse, Albert Godbehere, Reginald Adams, Percy Bertrand, Thomas Percival Mason, Percy Albert West, Stanley Clifford MacDonald, William Gladstone Zimmerman, Rudolph Switzer, Merril Eakins Baldwin, George Walling, James Wooder, and William Edward Richardson, all of a Western Ontario battalion which took part in the battle of Lens, for their conspicuous gallantry on that occasion.
The cases of Sergeant Gray and Private Walling illustrate the type of deeds for which these awards have been made. Sergeant Gray, upon reaching the German support-line, encountered a hostile machine-gun and the entire crew. His superior officer was wounded and Gray took charge of the platoon. He reached the objective and consolidated the ground won.”
Sat, Sep 15, 1917 ·Page 5.
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 