GRAY, WILLIAM, son of Thomas and Ann Gray
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Master
Regiment/Service: Mercantile Marine
Unit Text: S.S. "Serula."
Age: 50
Date of Death: 16 September 1918
Additional information: Son of Thomas and Ann Gray; husband of Jane Gray, of "Eythome," Saughall Massie Rd., Moreton, Wirral, Cheshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Against West boundary.
Cemetery: ABERFFRAW (ST. BEUNO) CHURCHYARD
Drowned as a result of an attack by enemy submarine 16th September 1918. One of only three crew identified found washed ashore.
Seventeen on board all perished in the Irish Sea off the coast of North Wales.
With the greatest appreciation to Helen, Find A Grave member 47880495 for the photos of Aberffraw Cemetery and the following history and her permission to publish the photos.
"In the logbook of the village school it was recorded that following the discovery of the bodies of two Mercantile Marine Servicemen (washed ashore on the beach next to the village) a decision was made to bury the men in the village churchyard.
The funeral service was well attended by members of the village and indeed, the village school was closed for the day to allow teachers and pupils to attend. The Headmaster of the school, Mr Evan Parry, had lost his son, Hugh, six months earlier (he died of wounds received on the Somme and was buried in France).
Perhaps because of this, he was particularly keen that your Great Uncle and his shipmate be honoured for their sacrifice and although they were buried a long way from their homes and families, that their graves were tended regularly.
The children of the village school were encouraged to lay flowers and keep the graves tidy. My next door neighbour is now an elderly lady but she has confirmed that this was a tradition upheld for many years after the end of the war.
The school itself has now unfortunately closed but the tradition is still observed and flowers are placed on the graves on Palm Sunday and also On Remembrance Sunday each November."
Military History
S.S .Serula (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland): World War I: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 13.5 nautical miles (25.0 km) northeast of Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of seventeen crew.
SM UB-64 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German language: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 August 1917 as SM UB-64.
UB-64 was surrendered to the British on 21 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany and broken up in Fareham in 1921.[3]
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Master
Regiment/Service: Mercantile Marine
Unit Text: S.S. "Serula."
Age: 50
Date of Death: 16 September 1918
Additional information: Son of Thomas and Ann Gray; husband of Jane Gray, of "Eythome," Saughall Massie Rd., Moreton, Wirral, Cheshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Against West boundary.
Cemetery: ABERFFRAW (ST. BEUNO) CHURCHYARD
Drowned as a result of an attack by enemy submarine 16th September 1918. One of only three crew identified found washed ashore.
Seventeen on board all perished in the Irish Sea off the coast of North Wales.
With the greatest appreciation to Helen, Find A Grave member 47880495 for the photos of Aberffraw Cemetery and the following history and her permission to publish the photos.
"In the logbook of the village school it was recorded that following the discovery of the bodies of two Mercantile Marine Servicemen (washed ashore on the beach next to the village) a decision was made to bury the men in the village churchyard.
The funeral service was well attended by members of the village and indeed, the village school was closed for the day to allow teachers and pupils to attend. The Headmaster of the school, Mr Evan Parry, had lost his son, Hugh, six months earlier (he died of wounds received on the Somme and was buried in France).
Perhaps because of this, he was particularly keen that your Great Uncle and his shipmate be honoured for their sacrifice and although they were buried a long way from their homes and families, that their graves were tended regularly.
The children of the village school were encouraged to lay flowers and keep the graves tidy. My next door neighbour is now an elderly lady but she has confirmed that this was a tradition upheld for many years after the end of the war.
The school itself has now unfortunately closed but the tradition is still observed and flowers are placed on the graves on Palm Sunday and also On Remembrance Sunday each November."
Military History
S.S .Serula (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland): World War I: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 13.5 nautical miles (25.0 km) northeast of Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of seventeen crew.
SM UB-64 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German language: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 August 1917 as SM UB-64.
UB-64 was surrendered to the British on 21 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany and broken up in Fareham in 1921.[3]
GRAY, WILLIAM, son of Thomas and Ann Gray
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Master
Regiment/Service: Mercantile Marine
Unit Text: S.S. "Serula."
Age: 50
Date of Death: 16 September 1918
Additional information: Son of Thomas and Ann Gray; husband of Jane Gray, of "Eythome," Saughall Massie Rd., Moreton, Wirral, Cheshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Against West boundary.
Cemetery: ABERFFRAW (ST. BEUNO) CHURCHYARD
Drowned as a result of an attack by enemy submarine 16th September 1918. One of only three crew identified found washed ashore.
Seventeen on board all perished in the Irish Sea off the coast of North Wales.
With the greatest appreciation to Helen, Find A Grave member 47880495 for the photos of Aberffraw Cemetery and the following history and her permission to publish the photos.
"In the logbook of the village school it was recorded that following the discovery of the bodies of two Mercantile Marine Servicemen (washed ashore on the beach next to the village) a decision was made to bury the men in the village churchyard.
The funeral service was well attended by members of the village and indeed, the village school was closed for the day to allow teachers and pupils to attend. The Headmaster of the school, Mr Evan Parry, had lost his son, Hugh, six months earlier (he died of wounds received on the Somme and was buried in France).
Perhaps because of this, he was particularly keen that your Great Uncle and his shipmate be honoured for their sacrifice and although they were buried a long way from their homes and families, that their graves were tended regularly.
The children of the village school were encouraged to lay flowers and keep the graves tidy. My next door neighbour is now an elderly lady but she has confirmed that this was a tradition upheld for many years after the end of the war.
The school itself has now unfortunately closed but the tradition is still observed and flowers are placed on the graves on Palm Sunday and also On Remembrance Sunday each November."
Military History
S.S .Serula (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland): World War I: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 13.5 nautical miles (25.0 km) northeast of Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of seventeen crew.
SM UB-64 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German language: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 August 1917 as SM UB-64.
UB-64 was surrendered to the British on 21 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany and broken up in Fareham in 1921.[3]
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Master
Regiment/Service: Mercantile Marine
Unit Text: S.S. "Serula."
Age: 50
Date of Death: 16 September 1918
Additional information: Son of Thomas and Ann Gray; husband of Jane Gray, of "Eythome," Saughall Massie Rd., Moreton, Wirral, Cheshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Against West boundary.
Cemetery: ABERFFRAW (ST. BEUNO) CHURCHYARD
Drowned as a result of an attack by enemy submarine 16th September 1918. One of only three crew identified found washed ashore.
Seventeen on board all perished in the Irish Sea off the coast of North Wales.
With the greatest appreciation to Helen, Find A Grave member 47880495 for the photos of Aberffraw Cemetery and the following history and her permission to publish the photos.
"In the logbook of the village school it was recorded that following the discovery of the bodies of two Mercantile Marine Servicemen (washed ashore on the beach next to the village) a decision was made to bury the men in the village churchyard.
The funeral service was well attended by members of the village and indeed, the village school was closed for the day to allow teachers and pupils to attend. The Headmaster of the school, Mr Evan Parry, had lost his son, Hugh, six months earlier (he died of wounds received on the Somme and was buried in France).
Perhaps because of this, he was particularly keen that your Great Uncle and his shipmate be honoured for their sacrifice and although they were buried a long way from their homes and families, that their graves were tended regularly.
The children of the village school were encouraged to lay flowers and keep the graves tidy. My next door neighbour is now an elderly lady but she has confirmed that this was a tradition upheld for many years after the end of the war.
The school itself has now unfortunately closed but the tradition is still observed and flowers are placed on the graves on Palm Sunday and also On Remembrance Sunday each November."
Military History
S.S .Serula (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland): World War I: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 13.5 nautical miles (25.0 km) northeast of Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of seventeen crew.
SM UB-64 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German language: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 August 1917 as SM UB-64.
UB-64 was surrendered to the British on 21 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany and broken up in Fareham in 1921.[3]
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