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Picture courtesy of DNW

CMG n/b;
IGS 1895 (1) Relief of Chitral 1895 (Surgn. Capt. W. L. Gray. A.M.S.);
QSA (4) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 (Major W. L. Gray. M.B., R.A.M.C.) top lugs removed;
1914-15 Star (Lt. Col. W. L. Gray. R.A.M.C.);
British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. Oak Leaves (Col. W. L. Gray.)

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, April 2001.

CMG London Gazette 1 January 1917.

William Lewis Gray was born in London, 17 July 1864, the second son of Alexander Gray, M.D., of Selby. He was educated at Glasgow, where he graduated as M.B. and C.M. in 1885, and at Edinburgh, where he took the B.Sc. in Public Health in 1888.

Gray joined the Army Medical Service as a Surgeon in February 1887, and served on the Anglo-Siamese Boundary Commission of 1889-90; and on the Kieuglung-Chienghai Mission of 1890-91. He served on the North West Frontier in 1895, and during the Second Boer War in operations in the Transvaal, Orange River Colony, and Cape Colony (Mentioned in Lord Roberts’ despatch of 2 April 1901, London Gazette 16 April 1901).

Gray advanced to Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps in February 1899, and to Lieutenant Colonel in August 1911. He served during the Great War as Colonel, Assistant Director of Medical Services, 22nd Division, April - October 1915, and in the same capacity for the 2nd Division in the French theatre of war, October 1915 - January 1917 (C.M.G.; M.I.D. London Gazette 15 June 1916 and 4 January 1917).

Gray served as Officer Commanding, The Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich, January 1917 - August 1919. He transferred to the Reserve of Officers in August 1919, and retired from the latter in October 1921. Colonel Gray died of pneumonia at his home in North Holt, Hythe, Kent in November 1924.

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (15143 Pte. R. Lyon, R.A.M.C.);
Natal (1) 1906 (Cpl: R. Lyon, Natal Medical Corps);
BWM (Sjt. R. Lyon 1st F. Amb. S.A.M.C.)

In the write-up for this eBay group, the seller says the recipient was given the option of either a CC or Natal clasp. While CC and Natal are not permitted on the same medal, I was unaware that recipients were given a choice. Has anyone else heard this explanation before?


Picture courtesy of eBay

QSA (1) CC (6622 S SGT E ROSS RAMC)
KSA (2) (S SERJT E ROSS RAMC)
Army LS&GC Ed VII (6622 2ND CL ST SJT E ROSS RAMC)

ARMY QUARTER MASTER SERGEANT EVAN ROSS ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CIORS A FORMER STUDENT FROM ARDERSIER ABERDEEN ENLISITNG IN 1885 HE SERVED IN SOUTH AFRICA WITH NO 1 GENERAL HOSPITAL WYNBERG.HE DIED WHILST SERVING ON THE ISLAND OF JERSEY 1909 AGED 50 WHERE HE WAS CHIEF CLERK TO SENIOR STAFF MEDICAL OFFICER AT THE MILITARY HOSPITAL

INTERESTINGLY HE WAS OFFERED THE CLASP NATAL TO HIS QSA BUT OPTED FOR CAPE COLONY AS YOU COULD NOT BE AWARDED BOTH

HE WAS LIVING AT 102 ROUGE BOUILLON JERSEY AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH FROM STOMACH CANCER

HE WAS GIVEN A FULL MILITARY HONOURS AT HIS FUNERAL WITH A FIRING PARTY FROM KINGS OWN ROYAL LANCASHIRE REGIMENT AND A GUN CARRIAGE FROM WEST BATTERY ROYAL JERSEY ARTILLERY

David
Surely the only people concerned with allocating Sgt. Ross's clasp/clasps would be the officer signing the roll pages and the tradesman (Master Tailor?) at Woolwich who made up his medals. I suppose Sgt. Ross might have complained regarding his single QSA clasp - and was given the official line about either one or the other. In the apparent absence of proof by the seller, perhaps some kind soul on the Forum might access Sgt. Ross's history sheet and see if he ever served in Natal.
It really hardly matters, does it?
Best regards
IL.

IL,

Interestingly, the QSA roll (WO100/222p36) notes:



The 'above' being CC.

David
What do you know about that! I wonder who did the "preferring"?
Best regards
IL.