Roll of Honour 2023

P AGE 131

W ORLD W AR II

S T . E DWARD ’ S S CHOOL , O XFORD R OLL OF H ONOUR

Name RAYMOND GRAYALLEN (Capt)

Lef SES 1939

Roll Number 2891 Died 01:08:1943

Set / House B

Arrive SES 1934

Where BATTLE OF SIMETO RIVER, SICILY Serving with 78TH DIV, ROYAL ULSTER RIFLES

Age 23

Buried No known grave Remembered The St. Edward’s School WW2 Memorial

Born in 1920, the youngest of two SES brothers, he rose to be a School Prefect, Prefect of the Library, rowed in the 2nd School Rowing VIII, Editor of the ‘Chronicle’, Sergeant in the OTC, Hon Sec of the Field Club and in the Classical VIth. He was commonly known as “Rufus”. He went up to Trinity Hall, Cambridge in 1939 and was resident when war was declared. He trained with the University OTC and joined the Royal Sussex Regiment as a Private in 1940 before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant with the Royal Ulster Rifles in 1941. In 1943 he was posted to Tunisia and during operations complained that others were at more risk that himself, as a result following a promotion to Captain in 1943 he was sent to the Sicily as part of ‘Operation Fustian’ where he was killed, leading his men through the Simeto River during the battle for that critical crossing. ‘Those who knew him will appreciate that at heart he was of a deep and generous nature, keenly alive to the injustice and suffering of the world. He was carefree and full of laughter. He loved pleasant things - fishing, books and music and above all birds’ (Chronicle).