HARRY HAY
2 July 1880 - 9 September 1915
At School 1891 - 1895
Cpl Z/2215 3rd Rifle Brigade
Harry was born in Moss side, Manchester and in 1881, aged 9 months, was living at 192 Radnor
Street, Hulme, with father Harry, a Merchant's Clerk, mother Alice, aunt Theodora and great
aunt Alice. By 1891 Harry senior had become a Cottongoods Merchant and the family had
moved to 1 Withington Grove, Moss Side, with the addition of daughters Annie and Alice, son
William and a domestic servant. The aunts by this time had moved away. By 1901 the family had
moved again to 55 Withington Road, Moss Side and Harry was now working as a Warehouse
Clerk in his father's business. By 1911 the family had moved again to Eden
Field, Upper Chorlton Road and both Harry and William were now
partners in the business, Hay Mee & Co., Mosley Street, Manchester.
Harry's service records survive and show he enlisted in the Rifle Brigade
in Manchester on 1 September 1914. He had previously been in the 2nd
Volunteer Battalion, Manchester Regiment, which later became one of
the Manchester Territorial Battalions, and his military training would have enabled him to join
the Regular Army. He is described on his Medical Form as being 5ft 6ins tall and weighing
142lbs. Harry joined the Rifle Brigade at Winchester on 4 September and on the 6th was posted
to the 6th Rifle Brigade for training. On 27 December 1914 Harry left for France and was posted
to the 3rd Rifle Brigade and appointed Acting Corporal.
At this time the 3rd Rifle Brigade
was part of the 17th Brigade,
6th Division in the Armentieres
sector of the front line at
L'Epinette. This was a fairly
quiet sector although casualties
occurred from sniping and
shelling.The Division stayed in
this area until the end of May
1915 when it moved north to
positions in the Ypres Salient to
relieve the troops there after the
Second Battle of Ypres. This
was now a quiet sector of the
line although the usual sniping
and shelling was a constant
threat.
The Battalion War Diary states
that on 2nd September the
Battalion relieved the 1st Bn
The Buffs in trenches 400
metres north of St Jean. On 9th
September Harry was killed
when a shell scored a direct hit
on his dugout. His platoon
commander, Lt T H Henderson
wrote " He was killed by a small
high explosive shell while in his
dug-out. two other men were
with him at the time and both
wounded, one seriously.
The same shell also buried three men in an adjoining dug-out. It was very unlucky, as nothing
but a direct hit, as this was, could have done so much damage. he has been a great loss to the
Company and particularly this platoon." and the Coy. Sergt-Major "He always bore himself
bravely, and underwent many
hardships which we knew he was
unaccustomed to, without
complaining in any way."
Harry's body was recovered
and he was buried in La Brique
Military Cemetery No. 2 on the
northern outskirts of Ypres.
Probate was granted in London on 30 October
1915 to Harry Hay and William Hay,
merchants. Effects £5,187 11s 6d.
