Charles Gossage Grey

Captain Charles Gossage Grey was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. He remained in France after World War I. During World War II, he joined the Office of Strategic Services and served with the French Resistance. He continued in U. S. civil service until his retirement in 1961.

Early Life pre World War I
Charles Gossage Grey was born in Chicago, Illinois, on 20 June 1894, the son of Charles Scott, and later adopted by his step father Walter C. Grey. He attended Columbia University, and subsequently was a journalist in Chicago with the Chicago Evening Post.

World War I
In February 1917 he volunteered his services with the American Ambulance Field Services in France. and in June of that year enlisted into the French Foreign Legion obtaining his military flying license on September 29, 1917. He was then assigned to the Escadrille Spad 93 Lafayette Flying Corps as seargent where he remained until March 1918. Promoted lieutenant, he was then commissioned into U. S. service and assigned to the 213th Pursuit Squadron on 1 August 1918 as Flight Commander of its third flight. Between 2 September and 3 November 1918, he used his Spad XIII to score five aerial victories, becoming the squadron's only ace and winning the Distinguished Service Cross. He was promoted to captain on 6 November 1918.

Post World War I
Charles Grey remained in France after World War I, involved mostly in private business and banking. In 1935 he married Cornelia O'Connor Wallace, born herself in Paris, France, the daughter of James Charles O'Connor of Dallas, Texas, and Ivor Tate O'Connor of Houston, Texas. Charles and Cornelia had two sons, James, born in 1936, and Michael, in 1939.

World War II
At the outset of World War II, the Grey family remained in Paris. Charles and Cornelia with their long allegiance to France were extremely disappointed with the isolationist stance of the United States in the face of the Nazi invasion of Europe. Both immediately volunteered their services, Cornelia as a military ambulance driver on the battlefield in north eastern France during the German invasion of 1940 for which she was awarded the "Croix de Guerre" medal. She served in the "IPSA" corps and later recounted her war experiences in her diary "Farewell Beloved France" (unpublished). Charles volunteered his service to MI-6, the British Secret Intelligence Service, under the code name of "L'ange Bleu", and was known as "The First Volunteer". Activities included organizing the evacuation of SIS station in Paris, and it's commander "Biffy Dunderdale" and Sir Peter Smithers June 14–23, 1940, via Bordeaux. After the armistice, in late 1940, the family moved to the United States by way of Spain and Portugal. In 1942, Grey became an early member of the Office of Strategic Services, and was active in its X-2 counter espionage division, based in Lisbon Portugal. He was also active in various capacities in Finland (Red Cross), Poland, North Africa, and in France where he was a member of the F-2 "Forces Françaises Combattantes" resistance network under code name "Gris". His World War II service earned him a number of citations among which the Légion d'honneur, the Médaille de la Résistance Française.,and the "Golden Cross of Merit", (Poland).

Post World War II
On the heels of the liberation of Paris in 1944, the Grey family returned to their home there. Charles Grey remained in U. S. diplomatic service in France, until his retirement in 1960. Following his retirement, Charles Grey remained a resident of Paris for the rest of his life.. He returned to the United States periodically for family visits. On 20 February 1987, he was struck by a car in Manalapan, Florida. He died of his injuries in JFK Hospital in Atlantis, Florida on 6 March 1987, and was interred in Paris.

Honors and awards
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Charles Gossage Grey, Captain (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Montmedy, France, November 4, 1918. While leading a patrol of three machines, Captain Grey observed a formation of our bombing planes hard pressed by 12 of the enemy. He attacked the leading enemy machine without hesitation, thereby attracting the enemy's fire and allowing the bombing machines to escape undamaged. (General Orders No. 46, W.D., 1919)

""Médaille de la Résistance Française"":

"Agent de S.R. en territoire occupé par l'énemi. A organisé par ses relations personnelles, l'envoi régulier de rapports du Réseau F-2 par la voie diplomatique. A rendu par ce fait des services importants au Réseau F-2. A hébergé, à son domicile, des agents compromis du Réseau malgré les risques considérables que cela comportait. A donné au Réseau des contacts et des renseignements de tout premier ordre. Ce résistant mérite bien d'être décoré de la Médaille de la Résistance".