Photo: Dorothy Hall
88610 Corporal
W. Lay
Northumberland Fusiliers
27th November 1918 Age 28
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Lay born 1890 is listed by the CWGC as the son of Mrs & Mrs William Lay of Holmside, Lanchester. He was married in the district of Lanchester, County Durham in 1913 to local girl Frances McKie born 1887.
He enlisted exact date unknown, assigned as service number 88610 to the Machine Gun Corps Training Reserve. The 29th, 30th and 31st Reserve Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers had been redesigned as the 84th. 85th and 86th Reserve Battalion Machine Gun Corps in 1915 and moved to Cannock Chase. The land at Cannock Chase had been donated to the war effort by Lord Litchfield in 1914 for the construction of 2 training camps, Brocton and Rugeley, to be used by servicemen in transit to serve on the Western Front where they perfected skills in musketry, scouting, signalling and gas training.
Having risen through the ranks Acting Corporal 88610 Walter Lay died at Rugeley Camp of influenza, November 27th 1918. His widow paid for his body to be brought, “home”, organised on her behalf by the Army, for burial at Stanley New Cemetery, County Durham, grave reference 7 “C’ 208. He was 28 years of age. Awards unknown.
As his widow she received all monies due to him and a person, Francis Lay nee McKie died aged 64 years of age in 1951 registered in the district of Durham N.W. her marriage appears to have been childless.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Walter Lay is not remembered on a local War Memorial.
