Bray, William Musson

William Bray 21st October 2019

William was born at Ashwell, Hertfordshire on 3 October 1894, the fifth son of Alfred and Catherine (nee Musson) Bray. He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell.

William enlisted at Hitchin on 19 November 1915 with the Royal Engineers.  He was mobilised on 25 January 1916 as a Pioneer.  He passed his proficiency tests and was promoted to linesman on 28 August 1917.  In April 1917 he was admitted to hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm.  He was admitted to hospital a number of times over the next two years and on 19 April 1919 was marked for demobilisation.  With the 51st Signal Regiment William saw active service in the Western European Theatre of War, France and Flanders.  He survived the War.

William was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.

He is commemorated on the St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour.

Before enlisting William was a Booking Office Clerk with the railways.

William married Helen Gertrude Stott in the 4th quarter of 1924 in the Luton district, Bedfordshire.  They had one child, Jean, born at the beginning of 1930. The 1939 census shows him living in Luton, a railways clerk.

He died on 19 July 1967 and is buried in the United Reformed Church graveyard, Ashwell, Hertfordshire.

William’s brother Fred served with the Bedfordshire Regiment in the War and survived.

Royston Crow  5 May 1917  Pioneer W Bray of West End – shrapnel wounds.

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