Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray holds a unique and solemn place in Canadian military history as the last Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the British Commonwealth. His final act of bravery occurred just days before the end of the Second World War, cementing his legacy as a national hero.
From Medical Aspirations to Military Service
Born on November 2, 1917, in Trail, British Columbia, to John and Wilhelmina Gray, Robert Hampton Gray—affectionately known as Hammy—had a different future mapped out. After graduating from the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia, he intended to pursue medical studies at McGill University in Montreal.
However, with the world at war, Gray's path changed dramatically. In 1940, he enrolled in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, often called The Wavy Navy, at the HMCS Tecumseh Naval Reserve Division in Calgary. By September 1941, he was training as a naval pilot with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, including a course at No. 31 SFTS near Kingston.
A Distinguished Naval Career
Gray's combat experience began with flying Hawker Hurricanes in the African campaign for two years with 747 Squadron. He later transferred to No. 1841 Squadron, which was based on the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable, where he piloted the Corsair fighter aircraft.
His courage was first formally recognized on August 29, 1944, when he was mentioned in dispatches for his role in an attack on three enemy destroyers, an engagement so intense that his plane's rudder was shot off.
In April 1945, his squadron joined the Pacific Campaign, conducting strikes on the Japanese mainland. Gray played a key role in sinking a Japanese destroyer near Tokyo, an action for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for gallantry at sea. Tragically, he would not live to receive this honor.
The Final Act of Valour
On August 9, 1945, Lieutenant Gray led an attack on Japanese shipping in Onagawa Wan, Honshu, Japan. Despite facing a barrage of fire from shore batteries and at least eight warships, Gray focused his assault on an enemy destroyer.
His aircraft was repeatedly hit, set ablaze, and he himself was wounded. Yet, he pressed his attack to within 50 feet of the Japanese ship, releasing his bombs and scoring a direct hit that sank the destroyer. His plane, engulfed in flames, crashed into the bay. His body was never recovered.
For this ultimate sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross on November 13, 1945. His citation praises his great bravery and determination in the face of certain death, noting he was one of the last Canadians to die in the Second World War.
A Legacy of Remembrance
Lt. Robert Hampton Gray is memorialized across Canada and in Japan. Tributes include The Valiants Memorial in Ottawa, displays at the Kingston/Norman Rogers Airport, and the B.C. Aviation Museum. His name is inscribed on the Sailor's Memorial in Halifax's Point Pleasant Park.
In a remarkable gesture of respect, the Japanese government erected a memorial on the shore of Onagawa Wan in 2006, near where his plane crashed. He remains the only member of a foreign military to be honored in this way by Japan.
The story of Lt. Robert Hampton Gray is a powerful reminder of the courage and sacrifice demonstrated by Canadians in the defense of freedom, ensuring his heroism will not be forgotten.
