Canadian War Hero

By Carina308

  • Birth

    Robert Hampton Gray He was born in Trial, British Columbia. He came from a military background. His brother and his father was soldiers in the war.
    He was nicknamed Hammy.

  • School

    school He graduated from high school in 1936 and he enrolled at the University of Alberta. Then he transferred to the University of British Columbia in 1939, where he intended to go to McGill University for medical trianing. He hopes to become a doctor. Unkown date.

  • Major Life Events

    [major life events](http//Biographies | Lieutenant (N) Robert Hampton Gray ) Robert never thought the war would affect him, but it did. When the Nazis broke the allies front in the spring of 1940. He changed his mind of being a doctor and he rather join the war and fight for his country just like many other young men, in 1940. Unknown date.

  • Major Life Events

    major life events He joined the HMCS Tecumsehand and he applied to the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve with his two friends. They were on loan to serve the Royal Navy Fleet as officer canidates. Unknown date.

  • Major LIfe Events

    major life events When he and the rest of the canidates arrived at their destination, they knew it was going to be a long time for them to be promoted to the officer ranking. So when Robert was offered the chance to be promoted, he took the oppurtunity to join the Royal Navy Fleet Air even though he never expresed interest of being a pilot in the war.

  • Major/Significant Military Life Events

    major/signifacant military life events
    The Royal Navy Fleet Air was expanding quickly and they needed more pilots like Gray, who quickly progressed through pilot training. By September 1941, he rose to the rank of a Sub Lieutenant as a naval pilot. After futher training, he was sent to the African Theatre of opreations. He flew the aircraft called the Hurricanes and other aircrafts for diffrent Royal Navy Shore-Based sqaudrons and he spent nearly two years in Africa. Unknwon date.

  • Major/Signifacent Military Life Events

    major/signifacant military life event Now he is a lieutenant with valuable flying expriences. He badly wanted to fly in an operational carrier-based fighter squadron during the war. His goals were reached in August 1944. Following a flying conversion to the Vout Corsair U.S. built fighter, he was told to join Squadron 1841 aboard the HMFormidable as a Senior Pilot. Unknown date.

  • Major/Signifacant Military Life Event

    major/signifacant military life eventIn August 1944, he was assigned to four attacks against Tirpitz. Where the 42,500-ton vessel was holed up in a Norwegian fjord. In the fourth attack, on August 18, he was flying in a daring low-level strike against the ships protecting the battleship. Other targets included the nearby seaplane base and airfields, a command to draw fire away from the attacking Barracuda dive-bombers. The bombing attacks weren’t successful. Six Corsairs were lost and three Barracudas crashed while landing.

  • Major/Signifacant Military Life Evenyt

    major or significant military life event The final strike came on August 29, when he repeated his daring low-level attack against three heavily armed German
    Narvik class destroyers. His aircraft, and 16 other Corsairs, suffered flak damage. An additional Corsair was lost. Hammy Gray was awarded a Mention in Dispatches for his "not being discouraged, skill and determination in carrying out daring attacks on the ... Tirpitz." He was in the thick of the action at last, his combat leadership skills are now well known.

  • Major or Significant Military Life Events

    major significant military life event By July 1945, the combined Allied fleets were attacking the Japanese mainland. He lead successful low-level strafing attacks against airfields. As Gray leveled out his Corsair, it was shot with cannon and machine gun fire. The aircraft was on fire, and he shot off one of his 500 lb. bombs. This bomb hit the ocean escort vessel Amakusa below the after gun turret, exploded the ammunition locker, and blew out the starboard side of the ship. Amakuza rolled and sank immediately. Gray was killed.

  • Death

    [his death](Biographies | Lieutenant (N) Robert Hampton Gray ) He died at age 27. His body was never found because his air craft sanked in the Onagawa Wan, Honshū, Japan. Even though he was fighting the Japenese , the Japenese still remember/honour him because of his bravery. To add on to that, his aircraft was hit but he kept on going to kill his enemy with the 500lb bomb.

  • Contributions he made to Canada

    His contributions to Canada were by setting an example for his follow soldiers. He bravely faced his enemies without fear and he kept on moving forward. He is honored with other Canadians who died or were buried at sea during the First and Second World Wars, at Halifax Memorial in Point Pleasant Park, Nova Scotia. For his bravery Canada awarded him with the last Victoria Cross medal. Even his enemies the Japanese honoured him with a monument in memory of him on Onagawa Bay.

  • Why I Think Robert Hampton Gray was a Hero

    I think he was a war hero because he performed many daring attacks during the war. He was really brave in the face of the enemies. For example, he was flying really low to bomb his targets while he would get hit too. Also, when he got hit by the enemy, he kept on going to bomb his target without fear. He succeeded, but he also sacrifice his life in the end. Therefore, this is why i think he was war hero.