Last week I was searching through New Zealand military archives when I looked for facts about Swedish born soldiers who joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. I have earlier in my research discovered four Swedish soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, however, I have also found Swedes who voluntarily joined the NZEF, and survived the war, but who often ended the war as wounded individuals.
When I was searching for specific data about one of the soldiers in the Swedish archives, I discovered a surname which I recognized from earlier research. Two brothers fought in the war, on the allied side, but for two different armies. One of the brothers served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
Pte Arthur Philip Grey
Arthur was born in Arvika parish in the landscape of Värmland on June 15th, 1894. He had a British born father and a mother who was born in Elgå parish in Värmland, Sweden. Arthur had five siblings. His father, Alan Hopwood Grey, who at the time was a Saw Mill owner.
Arthur served as a sailor in Gothenburg Naval Corps before he was noted as absent in the Swedish church books between 1905-1906. In the Swedish book about New Zealand Immigration it is noted that he arrived to New Zealand in 1920, but I know that he signed the NZEF attestation papers in 1915. He probably decided to jump ship when he arrived to New Zealand on his work around the world.
During the war Arthur served in the 2nd Battalion in Auckland Infantry Regiment. In his war records it is mentioned that he was wounded in action by a Gunshot Wound through the chest, on September 15, 1916, during the battle of the Somme.
He ended up in hospital, where his wounds later healed, however, he was later declared physically unfit for service due to his wounds. He embarked for his trip back to New Zealand on the ship “Marama” on January 13, 1917.
Arthur died in May, 1960, and he now buried in the Mangere Lawn Cemetery in Auckland.
Arthur’s Brother
I mentioned in my introduction above that I had seen the surname of Grey before, in some different situations connected to Swedish participation in the Great War. I decided to look through my database, and yes, there he was, the other soldier with the surname of Grey.
Arthur’s brother, Anthony Otto Grey, was also born in Arvika parish in Värmland, Sweden, on February 12th, 1887. Anthony had also a twin sister, Victoria Flora Grey.
Anthony is noted to have been emigrated from Sweden to South Nigeria, West Africa in 1907. Although, his name is later, in 1913, on a passenger list on a ship from Southampton bound to Montreal.
Anthony voluntarily signed his Attestation for the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in March 1916, and he embarked in Halifax for his journey over to Liverpool which he arrived in the beginning of October, 1916.
He initially belonged to the 148th Infantry Battalion, but was later transferred to the 14th Infantry battalion in November 1916.
On August 28th, 1917 he received his first injury, when he was wounded by a gunshot in his left arm. Just around one month later he was sadly Killed in Action when serving for the 48th Canadian Infantry Battalion. He was “instantly killed by enemy machine gun fire whilst taking part in an attack on Cambrai on the morning of September 29th, 1918” as it is stated on the casualty card.
Anthony is today buried at the Raillencourt Military Cemetery in France, just north-west of Cambrai. I visited him the last time in July 2023, and I then took this photo of him, with the Swedish flag, as I always do.
They were born in the same family, but ended up in different armies during the Great War. I wonder when Arthur Philip Grey heard about the death of his brother Anthony Otto Grey, or if they had any contact after they went on totally different paths in their lives. We will probably never know.
In my database I also have other data about two Swedish brothers, who also fought in two different armies, one in the Australian Imperial Force and one in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
You can read more about them in my article here
In further articles I will continue to look into other interesting facts about the Swedish emigrants who joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
Lest we forget.