John Gray (Royal Navy officer)

Vice-Admiral Sir John Michael Dudgeon Gray KBE CB (13 June 1913 – February 1998) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic and South America Station.

Sir John Gray
Born13 June 1913
DiedFebruary 1998
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service1926–1967
RankVice-Admiral
Commands heldHMS Lynx
HMS Victorious
Director General of Training
South Atlantic and South America Station
Battles/warsWorld War II
Korean War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath

Educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth,[1] Gray joined the Royal Navy in 1926. He was promoted to lieutenant on 9 December 1935, with seniority from 1 December 1935.[2] He was promoted to lieutenant commander on 24 December 1943, with seniority from 1 December 1943.[3] He served with US forces at Anzio in Italy in 1944.[4] After the War, he became Naval Adviser to the UK Mission to Japan where he was present at the war crimes trials of senior Japanese military and political leaders.[5]

He then served in Korea in 1950.[4] Promoted to Captain on 31 December 1952,[6] he commanded HMS Lynx and then HMS Victorious.[1] On 7 January 1962, he was appointed a Naval Aide de Camp to The Queen.[7] He was appointed Director General of Training at the Ministry of Defence in 1964. On 19 November 1965, he was promoted to vice admiral.[8] He was appointed Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic and South America Station in 1965 before retiring in 1967.[4]

Awards and decorations

On 7 June 1951, the then Commander Gray was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "in recognition of non-operational services in Japan in connection with operations in Korea".[9]

As part of the 1964 New Year Honours, the then Rear-Admiral Gray was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).[10]

As part of the 1967 Queen's Birthday Honours, Vice Admiral Gray was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).[11]

Personal life

In 1939 he married Margaret Helen Purvis; they had one son and one daughter.[1]

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References
  1. Debrett's People of Today 1994
  2. "No. 34231". The London Gazette. 13 December 1935. p. 8037.
  3. "No. 36300". The London Gazette. 24 December 1943. p. 5596.
  4. Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  5. "Fleet Air Arm Obituaries". Archived from the original on 8 June 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  6. "No. 39749". The London Gazette. 9 January 1953. p. 220.
  7. "No. 42569". The London Gazette. 12 January 1962. p. 277.
  8. "No. 43819". The London Gazette. 19 November 1965. p. 10842.
  9. "No. 39248". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1951. p. 3107.
  10. "No. 43200". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1963. p. 2.
  11. "No. 44326". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1967. p. 6273.
Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Fitzroy Talbot		 Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic Station
1965–1967		 Succeeded by
Post Disbanded
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