In recognition of the 80th anniversary of the tragic death of Trail-born Robert Hampton Gray, VC the end of the Second World War, the City of Trail invites the community to the Trail Cenotaph on Friday at 4:30 p.m. for a brief ceremony to formally proclaim Saturday, August 9 as Lt. Robert Hampton Gray, VC Day.
“The City of Trail is honoured to join many municipalities across the country in commemorating the bravery and sacrifice of Lt. Gray and his family,” Mayor Colleen Jones said.
“Although only a resident of Trail for a short time, we are proud of and humbled by Lt. Gray’s courage during one of the most perilous and devasting periods in global history.”
Lt. Robert Hampton Gray, VC Day has been proclaimed in the municipalities of Victoria, Esquimalt, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Halifax, where the Royal Canadian Navy will formally name their sixth Arctic offshore patrol ship, HMCS Robert Hampton Gray.
The City of Trail is collaborating with the Royal Canadian Legion Trail Branch 11 to develop a program for this event. Veterans and families of veterans, as well as the community, are encouraged to participate in commemorating the day by attended the service at the cenotaph on Pine Avenue, followed by a gathering at the Legion for light refreshments.
Born in Trail in November 1917, Gray moved to Nelson soon after. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1940 at Calgary and trained in England, eventually returning to Canada to train with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He served in most battle arenas during the Second World War, leading many missions and rising to the rank of Lieutenant.
In the spring of 1945, a Canadian naval ship, HMS Formidable, joined the British Pacific Fleet in the battle against Japan. On Aug. 9, 1945, the plane Lt. Gray piloted sunk a Japanese escort ship in Onagawa Bay before crashing into bay waters after being hit by fire. His body was never recovered. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the last Canadian to receive it.
The Japanese city of Onagawa Bay dedicated a memorial to Lt. Gray in 1989, the only non-Japanese soldier to have such a monument. An annual ceremony is held there on the anniversary of his death. Lt. Gray is also commemorated at many memorials and sites across Canada.
