Gray and his twin brother Kenneth were born in Christchurch, New Zealand on 9 November 1914. They applied for RAF short service commissions in April 1937. Kenneth was accepted but Colin failed the medical. He failed again in January 1938 but finally passed in September before sailing for the UK in December.
On 20 November 1939 Gray joined No 54 Squadron at Rochford, to fly Spitfires. He shared in the destruction of a Bf 109 on 24 May 1940 and returned with his aircraft badly damaged, without brakes, flaps, airspeed indicator or guns.
Gray destroyed a Bf 109 on 13 July, two more on the 24th, a probable Bf 109 on the 25th, two Bf 109s on 12 August and two Bf 109s on the 15th. He was awarded the DFC that day.
On the 18th Gray shot down a Bf 110, shared another, damaged two more and damaged a Do 17. He shot down a Bf 110 on the 24th and Bf 109s on the 25th and 31st, another Bf 109 and a probable He 111 on 1 September, a Bf 109 and a Bf 110 on the 2nd and a Bf 109 and a shared Bf 110 on the 3rd.
In December Gray was posted to No 43 Squadron as ‘B’ Flight Commander, with the rank of Acting Flight Lieutenant. He rejoined 54 on 16 January 1941, to be ‘A’ Flight Commander.
He went to No 1 Squadron on 12 June, as ‘B’ Flight Commander, and shared a He 59 on the 16th. Flying with No 41 Squadron on 2 August 1941 he shot down a Bf 109, which crashed on its own airfield at Le Havre. He was awarded a Bar to the DFC in September.
Posted on 28 September to command No 403 Squadron, Gray was appointed three days later to take command of No 616 Squadron.
At the end of his tour Gray was posted to HQ 9 Group, Preston, as Squadron Leader Tactics. He went to No 64 Squadron as a supernumerary and took command of the squadron on 1 November 1942.
Gray was posted overseas in late December and reported to HQ 333 Group at Algiers in January 1943. He joined No 81 Squadron at Gibraltar, as CO, on the 24th and on the 27th the squadron flew across to Tingley airfield, SW of Bone.
On 22 February Gray probably destroyed a Bf 109, on 2 March shared in the probable destruction of another, on the 23rd destroyed a Mc 202, on the 25th and 27th two Bf 109s, on 3 April a Bf 109, on the 18th a probable Bf 109, on the 20th a Bf 109 and another shared and two more Bf 109s on the 23rd and the 28th. He was awarded the DSO on 15 March.
On 1 June 1943 Gray was made Wing Commander Flying 322 Wing at Ta Kali, Malta. He shot down a Bf 109 on 14 June, a Mc 202 on the 17th and a Bf 109 on 10 July.
The Wing moved to Lentini airfield. On 25 July Gray led the Wing to attack a large force of Ju 52s, landing supplies on beaches near Milazzo. A large number were destroyed, two by Gray, and four enemy fighters were also shot down.
In September Gray went to Cairo and returned to the UK in October. In the following month he received a second bar to the DFC. After training appointments he became Wing Leader, Detling and then held the same post at Lympne.
In January 1945 he was sent to Cranwell for a Senior Commanders’ Course, after which he became Station Commander at RAF Skeabrae. Granted a Permanent Commission in April 1945, Gray stayed on in the RAF and held a series of appointments and commands before retiring, at his own request, on 31 March 1961, as a Group Captain. He had served as Secretary of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association.
He returned to New Zealand and worked for Unilever, holding a major personnel post before retiring from the company in November 1979. Colin Gray died on 2 August 1995.
