TOPIC:

Park Gray was the man a young Churchill contracted to take him into Ladysmith during the Siege - his story is an interesting one.

William Park Gray

Corporal, 5th Squadron (Weenen/Estcourt) Natal Carbineers, - Anglo Boer War
Captain, Natal Carbineers, Bambatha Rebellion
Lt. Colonel and Officer Commanding, Natal Light Horse – World War I

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek, South Africa 1901 and 1902 to 535 Corp. W.P. Gray, Natal Carb.
- Natal Rebellion Medal with 1906 clasp to Capt. W. P. Gray, Natal Carbineers
- 1914/15 Star to Maj. W.P. Gray, 1st M.R.
- British War Medal to Lt. Col. W.P. Gray
- Victory Medal unnamed as issued

William Park Gray had illustrious forebears, certainly in the South African context they were a well-known Natal family and some of the original Byrne Settler pioneers who opened up the Midlands of the Colony with their farms dotting the very foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains. Of Scottish descent the family moved to the Cathkin area in the late 1850’s where no fewer than two of the family were involved in the Langalibalele Rebellion of 1873.



Born the son of William Gray and his wife Jessie (born Adams) on 13 September 1878 on the farm at Cathkin in the Gourton (or Loskop) area he was to make his mark, as events will show, on the Colony, more especially in the military sphere. Schooling for the sons of farmers in the outlying and rural areas of a sparsely populated Natal presented a bit of a challenge and there was no option, other than the boarding school route, where boys could be sent for their education. Fortunately the Colony was blessed with a few top notch Private schools which fitted the bill admirably and it was to the prestigious Hilton College, just outside Pietermaritzburg, that a young William was sent.

A large child it came as no surprise that he was selected for Hilton’s 1st Rugby side, an honour that befell him in 1893 when only 15 years of age. Not for the sons of the soil was a university life and William returned to help out with the business of farming. In the process, and from his early childhood, he amassed a vast amount of experience in riding, hunting and shooting all of which skills he was able to put to good use in the years ahead.



Storm clouds had been building on the horizon between the might of the British Empire on the one hand and the two Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and Transvaal on the other. This erupted into a declaration of war between the two sides in early October 1899 and, with Natal bordering on the Orange Free State, one of the first incidents to take place was the crossing of the border by Free State Commandoes into Natal via the Drakensberg mountain range.

Park Gray had already enlisted with the Natal Carbineers as early as 4 January 1899 as a Trooper with no. 535 and was thus in a state of readiness when the call came for the Carbineers to mobilise on 29 September 1899 (his promotion to Corporal was effective from the same day). Living away from Pietermaritzburg, the home-base of the unit, meant that he was part of No. 5 Squadron which was made-up of men primarily from the farming communities around Estcourt and Weenen.

Park Gray was quoted extensively in an article written about him for the South African Military History Journal by R.E. Stevenson in December 1971. In the article Lt General Sir Hubert Gough is quoted as saying that “I learnt more in one day with the Natal Carbineers than I had learnt in 10 years with the regular cavalry” One of the people he met was Park Gray, “a fine horseman and a crack marksman who had joined the Carbineers as a teenage Trooper”

Stevenson went on to say that “He could tell at first hand much about the celebrities in Buller’s Army being in close touch, in particular, with Major Gough on Lord Dundonald’s staff”. Park Gray was, in fact, to act as a scout for Dundonald during the early stages of the Natal campaign. He also acted as a “Galloper” to Colonel Duncan Mackenzie, the Officer Commanding the Natal Carbineers and, in this capacity, was able to observe, first-hand, Buller’s inner circle.

It was at this point in the war that he met Winston Churchill for the first time – Churchill, a young and eager War Correspondent was ever anxious for the “story” and Park Gray got wind of the fact that a certain “odd type of fellow” was offering £200 to anyone who could smuggle him into the besieged town of Ladysmith. To Park Gray this seemed easy, so he immediately went to a canvas bivvy in the goods yard of Estcourt railway station to offer his services. Here he found Churchill who, he said, “looked very depressed and was very pink and white in the face and looked no more than 18 or 19. He looked like a blushing bride.” Park Gray felt himself being weighed up very shrewdly – he too was only 19 – but eventually Churchill decided to trust him and accept his proposals.

There would be no difficulty getting through the Boer lines. They would go via the Drakensberg as others and many natives were doing. There were two possible snags – one was to get three days leave and the other would be to get safely through British pickets. Mounted men were very busy at that time and were more in the saddle than out of it. McKenzie, therefore, not surprisingly, demurred when applied to for three days leave. “Why did Park Gray want leave?” “To take someone into Ladysmith.” “Who?” “A War Correspondent.” Then, said Park Gray, the storm broke and what followed from McKenzie was “unprintable”

An article by June M. Smith of Estcourt published in the “Vista” of 25 June 1966 also covered the story. Churchill “wanted to slip into Ladysmith and discover, first-hand what the conditions in the town were like and their powers of resistance.

“From one Carbineer came an immediate response. He was 21 year old William Park Gray the grandson of the first British settler in the Winterton area. He knew the land between Estcourt and Ladysmith intimately and the Drakensberg was his childhood hunting grounds where he spent up to two weeks at a time shooting and stalking game while on holiday from Hilton College. In later life he wrote these words describing his first meeting with Churchill,

“I found him living in a small tent near the Railway station in Estcourt. When I approached him he was sitting in his tent and gave me the impression that he was a lonely and very young-looking man. He became very animated when I told him what I had come for and asked what plans we should adopt.”

From his day-to-day scouting activities along the Drakensberg range where he had seen the Boers entrench themselves on the hills which encircled the beleaguered town Park Gray was immediately able to envisage a successful plan which he outlined to the enthusiastic Churchill. It was decided that they would leave Estcourt and ride directly to the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains and then travel along this route until they reached Van Reenen’s Pass from where they would make their way into Ladysmith.

Park Gray assured Churchill that the only danger they would encounter would be when they approached the British outposts at the town. Churchill was delighted with the plan and promised to pay Park Gray the money when they were inside the fortifications of Ladysmith. As alluded to earlier Park Gray couldn’t get leave and the two, crestfallen, postponed the idea altogether.

Park Gray was also privy to but not directly involved with the famous Armoured Train incident which resulted in Churchill’s capture on 15 November 1899. He recounted his role in the affair thus,

“One morning four of us left Estcourt at 2 a.m. to scout down to Weenen. We arrived on the hill overlooking Weenen and we were eating our food at about 7 or 8 a.m. when we heard field guns firing from the direction of Chieveley. “The Boers have got that silly armoured train at last” we exclaimed. We then rode leisurely back to Estcourt. We were off-saddling when the “Alarm” and “Boots and Saddle” sounded. We flung our saddles on to fresh mounts and the composite regiment (Carbineers and I.L.H.) about 100 in all went off at a hard gallop towards Ennersdale.

We halted at the Little Bushmen’s River railway bridge where the armoured car train engine had arrived. There were wounded men on every part of the engine, even the cow-catcher. We waited there until an officer had spoken to the men on the train then we galloped off to Ennersdale where we engaged the Boer Forces with only a few casualties on either side. When we got back to Estcourt we heard that Churchill had been captured.”

On 11 December 1899 the Carbineers with Park Gray among their number escorted Dundonald on a reconnaissance of Colenso, where McKenzie pointed out the Boer trenchline, then under construction. The disastrous progress of the Battle of Colenso four days later, on 15 December is thoroughly documented; the Carbineer's role, though relatively minor, was the squadron's first major test (their involvement in the actions at Ennersdale and Willowgrange being more on the scale of skirmishes). The Composite Regiment participated in an assault on Hlangwane Hill on the British right flank.

The intention was to dislodge the Boers there and subject their compatriots in the Colenso koppies to enfilade fire. Their opponents were the 800-strong Wakkerstroom and Standerton Commandos. The Carbineers contingent was temporarily under the command of Lieutenant MacKay again, after McKenzie was reluctantly attached to Dundonald's staff for the day.

The dawn assault was an immediate disaster. The small force, exposed on open ground, was swept with fierce volleys from short range. Four Carbineers died instantly and six were wounded - the severest casualties of the Relief campaign. The dead were Troopers B.W. Warren, Peter Adie, H.N. Jenner and David Moreland Gray. Gray was William Park Gray’s cousin and also his half-section. He had stood up, rashly exposing himself to get a better aim, under heavy Boer fire and was shot through the heart dying in his cousin Park Gray’s arms who then carried him from the battlefield.

On the following day, 16 December, a truce was declared to allow both sides to attend to their dead. The Carbineer fatalities were buried, in shallow graves, on the eastern side of the NGR line, three miles from Colenso. Lord Dundonald recalled that "when the curtains of the first ambulance were drawn back, a vast cloud of blue flies came out and ... a fearful smell was blown by the light wind towards us."

On the 17th January the division had crossed the swollen Tugela River – soon after the crossing a strong party of Boers, for once off their guard, was ambushed by the Carbineers at Acton Homes. Accounts vary in detail but Park Gray’s is regarded as the most accurate. The Boers having been spotted, two Carbineers, one of them Park Gray, were sent racing ahead to reconnoitre a ridge which the unsuspecting enemy would have to pass. The ridge was found unoccupied and the rest of the troops were then signalled to come up.

This they did at the gallop and making skilful use of cover, they reached the ridge unobserved. The Boers were at their mercy and, but for a premature shot, few if any would have got away.

Park Gray himself had been under aimed fire with sparse cover at the battle of Colenso and he now found the tables turned. He hated the experience and found it hard to fire to kill. In bringing succour after the engagement, he spoke to a wounded man, named Moodie, whom he had shot. He was an English-speaking burger of the Transvaal, with whom all his sympathy lay, and he had married a Boer girl. His thigh had been shattered and he was in great pain, but eventually made a good recovery.

After this the Carbineers, along with the Imperial Light Horse were the first to enter Ladysmith relieving the siege which had lasted for three months. They were also reunited with their Carbineer comrades who had been caught up in the town. He went on to participate in the actions at Laing’s Nek and in the Transvaal earning for himself the clasps Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal and Laing’s Nek to his Queens Medal.

Released from active duty on 9 October 1900 he was mobilised for the Zululand frontier operations between 18 September and 16 October 1901 and was again called out for active service in 1902 before being finally released from service with the conclusion of the Boer war on 31 May 1902.

But Park Gray, now 23 years old, wasn’t about to allow the war to interfere with matters domestic – on 7 May 1902 at Glenista in the County of Weenen he married Edith Annie Stockil, a local lass of 20 years. His occupation on the marriage certificate is that of Farmer, of “The Heff”, Gourton. But the Carbineers and the life of a soldier was in his blood and it wasn’t long before he was back in the saddle – this time with “H” Squadron where he was promoted to Sergeant on 14 January 1903 and to Lieutenant on 4 April of the same year.

Back on the farm and into the swing of things it wasn’t long before a fiery Park Gray was engaged in correspondence with the authorities. On October 16th, 1903 he wrote to the Protector of Indian Immigrants as follows,

“Dear Sir

I recently had three Indians consigned to me and one of these had an exceptionally bad character. Before coming out here he had been imprisoned for ten years with hard labour for murder.

As I live in the country and am often obliged to leave my wife and children alone, (my duties as Stock Inspector take a great deal of my time) I do not care to leave ...... servants at home. I would therefore be much obliged if you would have this man transferred to the N.G.R. or any company requiring servants.

I am sure you will quite understand my feelings and I therefore hope you will do your best to help me in the matter.

Yours
W. Park Gray”

Whether or not his request was acceded to is unknown but it was the first of many letters to pass between the Colonial Government and Park Gray.

As the Regiment’s acknowledged “crack shot” it came as no surprise that Park Gray was selected to represent the Carbineers as a member of the Natal Bisley Shooting Team – an honour bestowed on him from 1902 until 1909. This led to a contretemps between himself and the Crown around the issue of a Coronation Medal to the Bisley team with Park Gray writing to his old pal and Officer Commanding, Lt. General McKenzie on the matter on 6 May 1902 as follows,

“Sir

As a member of the Coronation Bisley team of 1902 I beg leave to bring to your notice the fact that we have not been presented with the Coronation Medal to which we were as much entitled as the remainder of the Coronation contingent who received it.

Capt. W. Murray Smith who was in command of us I believe applied for the medals but without success and I now take the liberty of addressing you, Sir, on this subject in the hope that you may be able to do something for us.

I may mention, Sir, that two Natal Volunteers who were on their own account with the English Bisley in 1902 received this medal.

I have the honour etc.

W. Park Gray, Lt. Natal Carbineers”



McKenzie, sympathetic to the request, addressed the matter to the Prime Minister who, in turn, referred it to the British authorities. The answer, when it came from the War Office on 20 August 1902 was that, “I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to acquaint you that by decision of His Majesty the King, the Coronation Medal will not be issued to any of the Bisley teams that came to this country as such.”

On 22 July 1905 the Magistrate at Estcourt wrote reporting that “Mr W. Park Gray of Gourton complains of sheep stealing on his farm”. The Natal Police were called in to investigate and the following communication was submitted by the policeman, a Mr Dodson,

“Natal Police, Gourton
24.5.1905

To: Sub Inspector West, N.P.

Sir

I have the honour to inform you that a case of sheep stealing took place on Sunday night at Mr P. Gray’s. Early on Monday morning the Indian who is in charge of the place during Mr Gray’s absence missed a sheep from the kraal. He searched about and came across the skin of a newly killed sheep lying close to the kraal.

When the matter was reported to me I obtained a search warrant and searched every kraal on the farm but without success. I have reported the matter to Mr Bartholomew.

I have the honour etc.

F.H. Dodson"

Park Gray was to be thwarted again with a letter coming from the authorities to the effect that “there is no evidence to suggest that natives stole the sheep and that, unless further information comes to light the matter is closed.”

Park Gray’s attention was about to be diverted from his farming operations and the troubles they were occasioning him. What was the cause of this? None other than what became known as the Bambatha Rebellion. Post-war Natal’s finances were in a parlous state and the fiscus was desperate to find additional monies to ward off the threat of depression. The Colonial government hit upon an ingenious (but contentious) scheme where every black male of a certain age and above would have poll tax of £1 levied against his head. This was accepted grudgingly by most tribal Chiefs and Indunas but there were exceptions, the chief among them being a vocal and stroppy young chap from the Zondo clan in the Greytown/Kranskop area. Bambatha, for such was his name, went about stirring up trouble and inciting others to follow his lead and refuse to pay the tax when the magistrates charged with the task of collecting it called round.

This in itself was unacceptable to the authorities but Bambatha went one step further and called upon his followers to take up arms and openly rebel against the white man and his rule. Initially the Militia were called out in early 1906 but the strife fizzled out and they were disbanded. Several months later trouble flared up again and, with the blood of several citizens and Natal Policemen on his hands Bambatha was actively pursued.

Park Gray was mobilised along with his Natal Carbineer comrades and he was pleasantly surprised to find that he would be again under the command of his old O.C. McKenzie. He was also promoted to the rank of Captain on 9 February. On 26 April he found himself part of the Squadrons overlooking the great Nkandla Forest deep in the heart of Zululand in which Bambatha and Chief Sigananda with his tribe were hiding.

The Reverend John Stalker who wrote the definitive History of the Natal Carbineers up until 1910 takes up the story on page 184 of his book,

“On May 2nd a combined movement was made by the whole force through the valleys down to Ufeni Gorge and along the ridges overlooking the forest. Many hundred head of cattle were captured, but only once during the day, did the rebels offer determined resistance. Captain Park Gray with 20 men of E Squadron were scouting at the extreme edge of Nomanci Ridge, when about 100 rebels attacked them at close quarters, having been in hiding behind the numerous large rocks. The engagement was short and sharp, the rebels being so close as to throw their knobkerries in amongst the Carbineers. They, however, soon retreated and Captain Gray retired after killing four and wounding several rebels. By sundown the whole force returned to camp.

On the 4th and 5th further reconnaissance’s in force were made, the object being to try and estimate the enemy’s strength without engaging them. on the 5th just as the Column was retiring from the Nomanci Ridge, a party of rebels opened fire at about 900 yards on the rear-guard, consisting of E Squadron and one troop each from A and J Squadrons all under Captain Gray. Orders were given not to engage the enemy as they were only a few scouts, and it was getting late. It was impossible to see the enemy concealed behind the huge granite boulders, but one of them exposed themselves full length and challenged the Carbineers to “come on”. He was promptly treated to some sharp-shooting by Captain Gray and Trooper Samuelson and then disappeared.

On the night of the 7th ….. within two miles of Chief Matshwili’s big kraal the Column halted and dismounted. A and G Squadrons of the Carbineers under Captains Barter, Brandon and Park Gray, with fixed bayonets were ordered to surround the kraal. It was a stirring sight. Within 75 yards of the kraal the order of “Charge” was given. The door of the chief’s hut was smashed in but, alas he was gone. Not a rebel was there, only a few fowls”

John Stuart on page 218 of his book "The History of the Zulu Rebellion", wrote covering another incident that Park Gray was involved in on the 2nd May,

“Shortly after noon the same day, a squadron under Capt. Park Gray went to reconnoitre on Ndindindi Ridge, overlook Insuze valley. No sooner did he reach the summit than he, and the few men with him at the moment, were suddenly charged by a company of rebels, up till then concealed behind rocks.

Knobsticks and assegais were flung amidst wild war-cries. The Carbineers met the charge and killed two or three before being obliged to fall back on the rest of the squadron.

As they fell back, the two 15-pounders N.F.A. opened fire at about 1,500 yards and succeeded in dropping a shell in the enemy's midst. Sigananda afterwards had the insolence to say his men were out looking for Bambata in obedience to the Commissioner's orders, and to contend that the Government was the first to begin hostilities in so far as he and his tribe were concerned. As a matter of fact. Gray had seen nothing whatever of the Natives before going on to the ridge, nor, when he got there, did they afford him an opportunity of explaining how they came to be under arms four or five miles from where it was commonly known Bambata then was.”
Park Gray was awarded the Natal Rebellion Medal with 1906 clasp for his not inconsiderable efforts and returned, once more, to his farming endeavours. Seemingly never very happy with the indentured Indian Labourers he needed to assist on the farm he wrote to the Regional Magistrate in Estcourt on 7 July 1907 as follows,

“Dear Sir

By bearer I am sending in Narayaan. Narayaan has worked 126 days since he was indentured to me and Budden 78 days. I do not know the exact number of days each has been in gaol and will be glad if you will give the information to the Protektor.

I enclose papers.

W. Park Gray”

These men were eventually transferred into the care of Sir Liege Hulett and Park Gray heard no more about them.

On 15 October 1908 he was promoted to Major and on 12 June 1909 he arrived at Southampton aboard the Kinfauns Castle along with other senior officers to represent Natal at the Bisley Competition for the last time. Correspondence showed that he had still not got over the Coronation Medal debacle and was still, as recently as 1907, trying to get the authorities to award this medal to him and his Bisley team.

Park Gray might have been breathing in the healthy air of the Natal Midlands but he wasn’t immune to illness – an insert in the October 1911 edition of “The Hiltonian” school magazine tells us that, “W. Park Gray and J.T. Oliff have each undergone an operation for appendicitis. We are glad to report that it was successful in each case”

Peace and tranquillity had returned to Natal and Park Gray was most likely revelling in the freedom afforded him to spend time on other pursuits. The prospect of war was, however, never very far away and, on 4 August 1914 war broke out on a grand scale on the international stage, not some small skirmish in far-away Africa. Here it was the might of the Empire pitted against Germany and her Allies. General Botha, the South African Prime Minister and a man who, a matter of 12 years earlier was fighting the British, took South Africa into the war on the side of the Empire after first having to suppress a mutinous uprising by pro-German Boers.



German South West Africa was to be the theatre that enjoyed the South African Forces attention initially. Being a German territory and one which had a powerful radio station it was felt that the movements of the Royal Fleet and other vessels could be reported on and impeded were the Radio Station not decommissioned. This would have to be done by force and this was the initial intention when, in early 1915, the South African forces landed there.

Already a seasoned veteran of two wars Park Gray was mobilised on 21 August 1914 for service in the Great War, already 36 years old he was soon transferred with the rank of Major and as Second-in-Command of the Natal Light Horse, a unit specially raised for the campaign. The O.C. was none other than “Galloping Jack” Royston, a man known more for his courage than his intellect. On 4 January 1925 Park Gray was promoted to the rank of Officer Commanding the Natal Light Horse with Royston moving on to head-up a Brigade of which the N.L.H. formed a part. On 21 January the promotion to Lt. Colonel was made substantive.

Much has been written about what is widely regarded as the seminal action of the entire German South West campaign which took place at Gibeon on 27 April 1915 and I leave it to Gerald L’ange in his book “Urgent Imperial Service” to recount the event itself and the actions leading up to it. But first there is a need to contextualise it – a large section of what remained of the German army had retreated to a small railway siding known at Gibeon and were intent on boarding the train there along with all their men and supplies in order to travel north and away from the advancing South African forces. They were under the impression that they had plenty of time and wholly underestimated the time it took a determined S.A Brigade to get there before the train departed and blow up the track to the north of the station in order to block any escape attempt.

“Royston had deployed three squadrons of the Natal Light Hors on the railway embankment with fourth squadron in reserve. Because Royston had placed his men so near the station it wasn’t long before they were encountered by the patrols that Von Kleist had been sending out continually ever since learning that the line had been blown up. In fact Royston was still getting his men into position at 2 a.m. when a patrol arrived on the scene and the Natal men were forced to open fire, alerting Von Kleist to the arrival in his rear of more than a sabotage party.

The Germans quickly brought up reinforcements with artillery and machine guns and, from the cover of the culvert and the draining ditch, they poured a heavy fire into the Natal men. Caught out in the open they were soon being cut up by shrapnel and machine gun fire.

Shortly before dawn they found themselves surrounded and had to surrender. Royston withdrew his force three miles to the east of the railway to await daylight. When Royston withdrew and the trapped N.L.H. men surrendered the Germans assumed that they had defeated the main South African force and celebrated joyously. But there joy was short-lived McKenzie was already moving up with his main force…….”

The battle then raged and “shortly afterwards, however, the 1st Natal Carbineers and Lieutenant Colonel Park Gray, who had collected a handful of his men – the N.L.H. – released about 70 of these prisoners.” Park Gray was wounded in the action (slight) and was still on the mend, progressing favourably, on 4 May.

For his efforts Park Gray was awarded the 1914/15 Star, War Medal and Victory Medal. They were forwarded to him on 31 October 1930 – a late claim.

Released from active service he was asked to take up the position of Second-in Command, 8th South African Horse, a unit created for service in German East Africa, but declined the offer – probably, with the benefit of hindsight, a wise move as that theatre of the war was no place for a white man unaccustomed to the tropical diseases which were rife there and which decimated the ranks of the troops sent there.

1920 was to be an auspicious year in what was becoming Park Gray’s the twilight of his long military career. Application was made for the award of the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal in October 1919 and official permission came a few months later via the Union Gazette of 13.2.1920. Park Gray had served a total of 20 years and 301 days and had risen through the ranks from a Trooper to command a Regiment as Lieutenant Colonel – no one was more deserving of the honour.

Several years later (in 1930) trouble between his wife and himself broke out and led to a Court Case wherein Edith Annie Gray, Plaintiff sued William Park Gray, Defendant in “an action in which the plaintiff says that the defendant is indebted to her for a sum of money. The Plaintiff is living apart with the Defendant’s consent and agreement.

“On or about the 23rd day of April 1918 the Plaintiff lent and advanced to the Defendant a sum of £1000 Sterling. No time was fixed for the repayment of such sum. On divers occasions between the years 1920 and 1928 the Plaintiff requested the Defendant to repay in whole or in part the said sum, without obtaining satisfaction. On the 30th October 1928 the Defendant paid an amount of £50 at the request of the Plaintiff’s brother and wrote back as follows,

“If you demand that I hand over the £1000 to her I will do so at my own convenience, but I must tell you that in order to do so I may probably have to dispose of my property here. If I could send you more I would do so, but at the present time I am engaged upon a business that requires the expenditure of much time and money.”

This wasn’t good enough for Mrs Park Gray and she demanded the balance of the money – the response was that, “He thinks that this will be in about four years’ time when his wattles (trees) mature. What finally became of this acrimonious exchange is not known.

Another plaudit was to come his way in 1938 at the age of 60 when he became the first man, with a companion, J. Van Heyningen, the forester of the Champagne Castle area, to climb to the top of the Drakensberg and, by means of a spirit level, confirm the findings of those who in 1912 claimed that Champagne Castle was not the highest peak in the Range. Park Gray and his friend observed an even higher peak jutting out into Basutoland. They made their way to it and erected a cairn of stones on the summit over a bottle which contained their names.

The last semi-official military act Park Gray participated in took place a few months before his death. It fell to him to represent the Natal Carbineers at the exhumation of the bodies of three Carbineers and two I.L Horsemen who had been killed on Hlongwane on 15 December 1899. These men had been buried the day after the battle, Hamilton Baynes, Bishop of Natal officiating. Park Gray had been present as his cousin, David Moreland Gray had been one of them (this was referred to earlier in detail). Park Gray knew exactly what type of wound each of the dead men had received, and he was visibly moved when the remains were revealed. As an old man he retained all his faculties. His memory was unclouded and his descriptions of events. Of which he had first-hand knowledge, were meticulously accurate. His criticisms and appraisals of character were reasoned and just and never malicious or barbed.

Had he have written an autobiography it would have been notable for its moderation and modesty. William Park Gray’s long and eventful life came to an end on 18 November 1965 at the age of 87 years and 2 months. Ironically it was the very same year which saw the death of a man who he once knew, Winston Churchill. His wife Edith, despite the acrimony between them had never divorced him and had passed away in 1937. He was survived by his two children Owen Park Gray (who won the Distinguished Flying Cross in Italy in World War II and Elma Hannah Park Makaskill.

A remarkable man. [/size]

Not only a pleasing group, but, a significant recipient and an important piece of Natal's history.

Thank you Frank

I'm probably boring everyone with this but what made the story all the more poignant for me was that I have the QSA to David Moreland Gray, Park Gray's cousin who died in his arms at Hlangwane on 15 December 1899.

I must confess to "having a moment" when I was able to put the two alongside each other.

Regards

Rory

Very good group and well reported, Rory. Thank you for sharing with us. I have long looked forward to this post.
Regards
Brett

Thank you Brett

I am gradually getting round to writing up some of the groups which have long lain dormant. My next big "assignment" is the group to Oliver Dimmick.

Regards

Rory

Well, I'm certainly not bored by anything in this thread, I like all things Natal and always have since I was a small boy, so perhaps you might like to add Gray's cousin to this thread, or, at least tell his story in more detail?
Kind regards Frank

Rory wrote: Thank you Frank

I'm probably boring everyone with this but what made the story all the more poignant for me was that I have the QSA to David Moreland Gray, Park Gray's cousin who died in his arms at Hlangwane on 15 December 1899.

I must confess to "having a moment" when I was able to put the two alongside each other.

Regards

Rory