An interview/narrative of Raymond Skelton Gray's experiences during World War II. Captain Gray served with the Canadian Scottish Regiment. Interview took place on August 27, 1987.

Rank: Captain.

ABSTRACT: Capt. Raymond Skelton Gray Canadian Scottish Regiment Gray_R_0055_01.mp3 Born on March 11, 1912 in Victoria. Prior to joining the Canadian Scottish Regiment in the spring of 1939 he had belonged to the Army Service Corps militia unit in Victoria. During the summer of 1939 the Canadian Scottish Regiment trained at Vernon, B.C. where they still wore kilts during training in the field. Called up for active service in 1939 by means of a notice posted outside the newspaper office of the Victoria Times. Comments on recruiting, training in Victoria, courses elsewhere. A sergeant in Debert, N.S. where they encountered very poor barrack conditions, no water laid on, plumbing facilities, etc. This was to be the cause of much sickness among the troops. Sent to the O.C.T.U. at Brockville for three months, then advanced training at Calgary. Volunteered to go to Hong Kong in 1941, but was turned down as he was already committed to the Canadian Army in England. Overseas to a reinforcement unit before joining the Canadian Scottish Regiment. Anecdotes. Comments on leave in England. Promoted to captain and adjutant. Isle of Wight for amphibious training. Extremely busy pre-D-Day administrative period. (35:00) Gray_R_0055_02.mp3 Loaded in ships several days before the Invasion. A monotonous time: wrote letters, the troops sharpened the edges of their shovels for use as a close-combat weapon. Finally, on June 6, a very rough trip to the beach. Advanced under fire through a grain field. On the night of June 26 the regimental headquarters, which was in a farmhouse, received a direct hit from enemy artillery. Capt. Gray was wounded, evacuated to the beach, then taken by hospital ship to England. After convalescence, returned to the unit for a short period. The former commanding officer, Brig. Cabeldu, offered him a staff job at 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade headquarters. Acted as a staff captain for the remainder of the war. In Germany, in 1945, he contracted jaundice and stayed at hospital in Oldenburg. Returned to Canada in Oct. 1945. Staff job in Vancouver until discharged in June 1946. Returned to his provincial civil service job. (50:00)

Interviewer: Torrie, Tom

Interviewee: Gray, Raymond Skelton, b. 1912

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Gray, Raymond Skelton, b. 1912
• Torrie, Tom

Subject

• Military history
• World War (1939-1945)
• Canada. Canadian Army
• Operation Overlord

Language

• eng

Keyword

• Canada--Canadian Army--Medical care
• Amphibious warfare
• Canada--Canadian Army--Military life
• Canada--Canadian Army--Leaves and furloughs
• World War, 1939-1945--Landing operations
• World War, 1939-1945--Hospitals
• Canada--Canadian Army Overseas
• Cabeldu, Fred N. (Frederick Norman), 1905-1976
• World War, 1939-1945--Amphibious operations
• Gray, Raymond Skelton, b. 1912.--Interviews
• Canada--Canadian Army--Canadian Infantry Brigade, 4th
• Canada--Canadian Army--Canadian Scottish Regiment.
• D-Day, 1944 (Normandy invasion)
• World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Canadian
• Canada--Canadian Army--Training Centre, A30--Officers' Training Centre (Brockville, Ont.)
• Camp Debert (N.S.)
• War wounds
• World War, 1939-1945--Medical care
• Canada--Canadian Army--Recruiting, enlistment, etc
• World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy

Date created

• August 27, 1987

Relation

• Part of the Reginald H. Roy collection of interviews.

Resource type

• Sound

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 2 sound recordings (MP3)

Geographic coverage

• France--Normandy
• Germany
• Canada

Coordinates

• 60.10867, -113.64258
• 51.5, 10.5
• 49, 0

Additional physical characteristics

• One original sound tape reel (ca. 60 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 1 sound cassette copy : standard, mono. in Special Collections.

Physical repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• interviews
• reminiscences
• sound recordings
• oral histories (literary genre)

Archival item identifier

• GRS_055

Fonds title

• Reginald Herbert Roy fonds

Fonds identifier

• SC104

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds

Date digitized

• May 30, 2007

Technical note

• Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 22 kHz. In .mp3 format at 64 kbps and 22 kHz. Digitized by AN, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Transferred from audio reel to audio cassette between 1987-1997. Interview migrated to digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2007. Migration metadata by KD and MT.

Rights

• This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/9yrd-0v79

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