Cambridge District Scout Archive
Lieutenant Cambridgeshire Regiment
Arthur Frederick Gray was the sixth son of Arthur Gray, Master of Jesus from 1912. He had recently graduated from Magdalene when war broke out and had just entered Cheshunt College aiming to become a clergyman. He is recorded as being of the 5th Cambridge (Perse) in the Cambridge Journal of 2nd April 1915. An A F Gray is listed as SM of 14th Cambridge District (Coton) in the second Annual Report of 1912 and 1913.
(See HQ list of Cambridgeshire warrants 12/11/1913 SM)
This explains the discrepancy between College of Warrant record (Jesus) and College of War Service record (Magdalene). It is not known with which Troop he worked.
He was killed in action 26th August 1918. From ‘The Cambridgeshires 1914 -1919’ by Riddleton and Claydon p.207 21 – 27 August ‘ Shelling was heavy all day. We had 50 casualties but lost only one officer, A F Gray being unfortunately killed.’ Fricourt Ridge
He would have been well known about the College. Arthur Gray’s predecessor as Master, Dr H.A. Morgan and his wife had 5 daughters and 1 son (Conway, who was also killed in action). At the time Gray was Senior Tutor, so the two families often put on amateur theatricals together. He was a well-known figure in various Cambridge Churches, including All Saints Church in Jesus Lane, where he is remembered on the War Memorial.
His father was a Member of the Cambridge Boy Scouts association for many years and are listed in the Association list of 1910. Both parents regularly responded to fund raising requests.
His father, as Master, wrote in the Michaelmas Term 1919 edition of the Chanticlere, of the recent history of the College during the war. He did not mention individuals killed
JWR Archivist Feb 2019
Cambridge District Scout Archive 