Canada’s Last Victoria Cross

Lt. (P) Robert Hampton Gray

Prepared & Presented by: Don MacNeil – Vintage Wings of Canada

From School Boy to Warrior

• Born in Trail, British Columbia Nov. 2, 1917;
• Son of Wilhelmine and John Balfor Gray (Jeweller, Optometrist) – Nelson, B.C.
• Older sister Phyllis and younger brother Jack
• Educated at the University of Alberta and University of British Columbia – 3yrs;

Enlisting for Service

• Enlisted on July 18, 1940 in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve;
• Arrived in the UK, trained at HMS Raleigh
• HMS Drake – volunteered for Fleet Air Arm (FAA);
• January 1941 he started training at HMS St. Vincent

Fleet Air Arm (FAA) Flight Training

• No. 24 Elementary Flying Training School at Luton near London;
• Trained on the Miles Magister aircraft;
• No. 31 Service Training School in Kingston, Ontario
• Qualified as a pilot for the British Fleet Air Arm in September, 1941;

Tragedy Strikes the Gray Family

• Telegraphist Air Gunner (TAG) on Halifax bomber;
• Hammy’s brother Jack is killed in action Feb. 27, 1942;

Off to War

• First assigned to the African theatre, flying Hawker Hurricanes for shore-based squadrons;
• After two years in Africa, finally posted to a carrier, HMS Illustrious sister ship to Formidable and assigned to Sea Hurricane squadron 877 as 2^nd in command;
• Promoted to Lt. On Dec. 31^st.

HMS Formidable

Tirpitz Attack – The Mission

Formidable’s Aircraft

Formidable’s Aircrew

Tirpitz Attack – The Target

The Launch

En route to the Target

Corsairs of 1841 sqdn en route to Operation Goodwood I attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz, 22 August 1944

HMS Devonshire and HMS Trumpeter in view

Results of the Attack

Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) August 29, 1944

The Pacific War

• HMS Formidable joined the British Pacific Fleet April 1945;
• In May 1945, Formidable was hit by a Japanese Kamikaze aircraft by a 500 lb bomb;
• By July 1945, the carrier was involved in strikes on the Japanese mainland;
• A hanger fire later destroyed 30 aircraft resulting in withdrawal to Sydney Australia for repairs;
• During this period, Gray earned a DSC for aiding in sinking a Japanese destroyer in the area of Tokyo.

Pacific War Corsairs

August 9, 1945 – The Target

Matsushima Military Airfield, Honshu, Japan

Hammy’s Aug. 9^th, 1945 Aircraft?

Corsair IV – Squadron #115 – Ser # KD658

Vintage Wings Corsair

Aug. 9 Ramrod Two

Aug. 9^th Ramrod Two Route

August 9, 1945 – The Attack

The Victoria Cross

• Highest British Commonwealth military honour for valour in face of the enemy;
• Created by Queen Victoria in 1856;
• Awarded to 96 Canadians;
• Hampton Gray’s is the last to be awarded to a Canadian.

Japan Honours a Canadian Hero

Lt. Robert Hampton Gray Memorial Onagawa Bay, Island of Honshū, Japan

Hammy Gray’s Honours

• Victoria Cross
• Distinguished Flying Cross
• Mentioned in Dispatches
• 1939-45 Star
• Atlantic Star
• Africa Star
• Pacific Star
• Defence Medal
• Canadian Volunteer Medal & Clasp
• War Medal

Why is this important today!

• To honour those who bought the freedoms we enjoy today;
• To not repeat the mistakes of the past;
• Most of all to remember that Freedom isn’t Free

Research Credits

• 1841 Squadron Survivors
• Stu Soward – Author: Formidable Hero
• Phil Markum – Lt. Hampton Gray Research
• Bob Murray – CAM Volunteer
• Chuck Rolf – Lt. Hampton Gray Research
• National Archives Research Staff & Tim Dubé
• Peter Lawson – Lt. Hampton Gray Research