Engine Room Artificer 4th Class, Frederick Balfour Gray Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, was born 12th October 1892 in Alva, a small town in Clackmannanshire, set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. He was one of six boys born to William and Margaret Gray. His father was a commission agent.

Frederick was an apprentice engineer at David Carlaw & Sons, Engineering Works, Finnieston, Glasgow, when he enlisted in the RNR on 8th March 1911. David Carlaw was a very ingenious mechanical engineer, who invented envelope-making machines, and machines for serially numbering tickets and other printed goods.

He was assigned to the Royal Naval Division, Nelson Battalion on the 22nd August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of WW1, participating in the defence of Antwerp September – October 1914. Formed in September 1914, from surplus naval men, the Division fought on land alongside the Army. It consisted of personnel brought together from the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Fleet Reserve, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, a brigade of Royal Marines, Royal Navy and Army personnel. He was discharged from the RND on October 27th 1914 and shortly after this, on 24th Nov 1914, he was posted to the Laurentic.

Frederick’s brother John died in action in France 15th April 1918. 

Frederick is among the men whose bodies were found. He is buried in St Muras Church of Ireland Churchyard, Fahan, Co. Donegal. 

A notice of his death, along with a photograph, and that of his fellow apprentice engineer John Lawson Wren, appeared in the Daily Record, Tuesday 6th February 1917.