In memory of

Pilot Officer

Eric William Bray

who died on 22 Apr 1943

Service details
  Conflict WWII
  Service RCAF
  Unit Royal Canadian Air Force
  Rank Pilot Officer
  Service number J24636
  Date of death 19430422
  Cause of death killed in action
Narrative history
  J24636 Pilot Officer (RCAF bomb aimer) Eric William Bray (b.1911) of Nokomis was KIA 19430422 and is commemorated on the Ottawa Memorial for airmen from the western hemisphere who died with no known grave. Bray was one of 37 airmen lost when the MV Amerika was torpedoed and sunk by U306 off Cape Farewell, the southern tip of Greenland. The Amerika was a Danish vessel that was confiscated by the British, she was carrying 8800 tons of general cargo, 200 sacks of mail and seven gunners, plus the 37 RCAF personnel on their way to postings in Great Britain. DM Clarke, JH Warren and RK Ollis died in the same incident.

He was the son of Alfred William and Marion (Firth) Bray of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. Eric was born at London, educated at Bedford school and came to Canada in 1932 to operate the McColl Frontenac agency at Nokomis. He enlisted at Saskatoon in 1940 leaving a wife Irene Mary Elizabeth (Babineau) of Rouleau (she later moved to Vancouver, British Columbia).
       A Glossary of abbreviations to help understand the terms used is available.
Images
  Photo
TimesHerald clipping
   Please click here if you have another photograph or document to add.
Additional information
  Links to other web pages Memorial - Nokomis
Photo collection on CVWM

  Pages on our Blog Please click here if you would like to create a Blog page for this casualty.
Memorial information
  Saskatchewan rural municipality for commemoration 280 - Wreford
  Cemetery or memorial location Ottawa Memorial, Ontario    

Please click here to view the cemetery/memorial information on Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  Honour roll location(s) Nokomis
  Geo-memorial Bray Lake, Saskatchewan     
  Geo-memorial location 57.45°N / 109.3667°W
  Geo-memorial NTS map reference 74F6
  Geo-memorial details On behalf of the family, Doug Chisholm erected a plaque at Bray Lake northwest of Lloyd Lake in 2002.
Personal information
  Date of birth 19111206
  Place of birth Greater London, England    
  Date of enlistment 19400408
  Place of enlistment Saskatoon    
  Residence on enlistment Nokomis    
  Occupation fuel distributor
Copyright Information
  The information above is Copyright © Saskatchewan War Memorial Project; all rights reserved. Permission is granted to use this information for personal use and for use in a school classroom environment only. For all other uses, please submit a request through the Contact Form.