In Longvenesse Souvenir Cemetery, France is the Commonwealth War Grave of 19124 Private Hugh Andrew Gray serving with the 12th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry who died 07/12/1915.

Peter Wise and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-

Andrew, the son of John and Margaret was born at Alnwick in 1885. He was baptised September 29th 1886.

The couple had 11 children together but 5 died.

The 1911 census shows most of the family had left home with only Andrew, Joseph and Margaret still with their parents at Thorngate, Barnard Castle. The 2 lads were labourers but later Andrew became a miner.

Andrew attested into the army on the 9th September 1914. His records show him to be 5 feet 4 inches tall, weight 126lbs and considered to be of good physical development. He was of dark complexion, with brown eyes and light coloured hair. His faith was Church of England.

Andrew married Lydia Jones on the 17th August 1915 at Barnard Castle Parish church. Unfortunately, he was sent to France only 8 days later on the 25th August 1915.

During his service he was charged with a couple of offences. The first, on 30th March 1915, was that whilst on active service he was absent from parade. His punishment was 7 days confined to barracks.

The next was that the day before his wedding (16th August) he overstayed his leave while on active service from 12.00 noon until 9.00 pm. He was forfeited 5 days’ pay.

On the 26th August 1915, 12th Durham Light Infantry as part of the 68th Brigade of the 23rd Division, landed in France and within days was sent into the trenches. The battalion, however, was spared the disastrous Battle of Loos and spent the rest of 1915 and early 1916 in and out of the trenches at Armentieres and Souchez.

On 7th December 1915 he was working in the trenches when he was hit by a piece of shrapnel. He was taken to 10th Stationary Hospital St Omer where he was considered to be dangerously ill with a shell wound to the head. He never recovered.

Andrew’s service totalled 1 year 92 days.

His wife, Lydia, later remarried a William Stobbs in 1923.

Hugh Andrew Gray is remembered at Barnard Castle on B135.02, B135.23 and B135.25, also at Durham in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance, page 328.