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Canadian Pilot's Heroic Last Stand: Sinking Japanese Destroyer Before Fiery Crash
9 Aug
Summary
- Robert Hampton Gray led a daring WWII attack, sinking a Japanese destroyer
- His aircraft was hit, crashed, and his body never recovered
- Gray was the last Canadian combat fatality of WWII and the last to receive a VC
On August 9, 2025, the Royal Canadian Navy will honor Robert Hampton Gray, a Canadian pilot who led a heroic attack during World War II. Gray, born in 1917 in Trail, British Columbia, joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1940 and served with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm.
In July 1945, Gray distinguished himself by sinking a Japanese destroyer in a daring low-altitude attack, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Tragically, just a month later on August 9, 1945, Gray's aircraft was hit by intense anti-aircraft fire during another attack on a Japanese warship. Despite this, he pressed on with his mission, sinking the enemy vessel before crashing into the sea. Gray's body was never recovered, and he became the last Canadian combat fatality of the war.
For his bravery and sacrifice, Gray was posthumously recommended for the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor. He was one of 17 members of the RCNVR who lost their lives while serving with the Fleet Air Arm during WWII and have no known grave. Gray's legacy will be honored today with the naming ceremony for HMCS Robert Hampton Gray, a Royal Canadian Navy warship.
