John Gray

Story:
John Gray was born on 15 Jan 1891 in Twyford, Shaftesbury, Dorset, the son of Harry Gray and Lavinia Annie Gray (nee Wareham).  He lived his early life in Twyford and later at Watery Lane, Iwerne Minster, Shaftesbury, Dorset. He married Florence Mary Roberts in Iwerne Minster on 2 Apr 1911. John and Florence with two children emigrated to Canada arriving in 1914 and settled in Toronto, Ontario.  (They later had another child in 1917 but he only lived for less than a year.)  John enlisted on 28 Jul 1915 with the Canadian Expeditionary Force joining the Canadian Mounted Rifles (Special Service Company) as a Private (Service No. 140088).  He was posted to France and Flanders arriving there on 7 Jun 1916.  He was later found to be physically unfit for further duty due to general debility and returned to Canada on 22 Jun 1917 and discharged on 30 Sep 1917.  He would have qualified for the Victory and British War Medals.  By 1935 he was living at 206 Robina Avenue, York Township, Toronto, Ontario, working as a Checker on the Railway.  He died in London, Ontario, on 20 Oct 1961.  His brothers, Harry George, Richard, Benjamin Frank and Frederick Charles, served in the conflict and all their names are on a Roll of Honour published privately in Iwerne Minster.