Allan was born on 17 April 1908 in Chester Le Street, Co. Durham the 3rd child of 6 chiildren of John Thomas and Emily Esther (née Watson) Gray. Note the Birth Register shows Allen but the 1911 & 1921 Census and subsequent documents have Allan. With his 3 brothers Henry Benjamin (1899), John (1901), Frederick (1915) and 2 sisters Olive (1910) and Charlotte (1913) they were all living in Chester Le Street, Co. Durham.

Allan joined the Royal Navy on 21 July 1926 at the age of 18 years and 3 months as a Stoker Second Class when he entered HMS VICTORY ll in Portsmouth before joining HMS ARGUS on 8 June 1927 where he was advanced to Stoker First Class on 21 July 1927. On 8 May 1930 he was drafted to HMS CARYSFORT, with a return to VICTORY 2.6 on 2 October and HMS DOLPHIN, as ships company, on 22 October 1930. He then went to HMS VINDICTIVE on 7 March 1931, and HMS MEDWAY on 25 April 1931, joining HMS POSEIDON on 26 April 1931.

On 9 July 1931 POSEIDON was exercising with her nominated tender HMS MARAZON off her base port of Wei Hei Wei in calm seas and good visibility. A Chinese freighter SS YUTA approached on the submarine’s port beam. After a series of manoeuvres by both vessels the freighter collided with the submarine and caused a large V shaped hole in her pressure hull a few feet forward of her gun tower. POSEIDON sank within 2 minutes to the sea bed in 120 feet of water. 31 crew members escaped while the submarine was still afloat, 8 more attempted to escape from the fore-ends from 120 feet, 6 making it to the surface, sadly one of the 6 died before reaching hospital. 34 crew members were saved though sadly 21 perished.

Stoker 1st class, Allan Gray, Svc No. KX76663 aged 23 “Crossed The Bar” with 20 of his shipmates.