Unidentified newspaper article
Vernon Rattenbury has submitted the following:
"I have been through your web site looking for this chap but I can't find him anywhere. The reason is that he is another NE serviceman buried in Lyme Regis Cemetery as he was married to a Lyme girl. I don't know if he appears on a memorial in the NE anywhere but for some reason he's not on ours. I would hate him not to appear anywhere so I don't know if you have any info on him? Here's what I have:
WILLIAM JAMES HAY
Flying Officer (Pilot), Royal Air Force Volunteer Service
Service No. 47798
b. Dec 1917 - Jarrow
d. 28 Oct 1942
Joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Service in 1936 rising to the rank of Sergeant (Service No. 531718) before being commissioned Pilot Officer, General Duties Branch 12 Dec 1941. He was promoted Flying Officer (Pilot) 1 Oct 1942. Husband of Mrs Monica May Hay (nee Blanchard), Norman House, Coombe Street, Lyme Regis who he married on Boxing Day 1941 and son of Mr William James Hay and Mary E. Hay (nee Cruickshank) of Jarrow. He is buried in Lyme Regis cemetery, section D, grave 47.A.
I hope you have a record of him somewhere. I have no idea how he died but can only assume it was as the result of an accident as he was buried in Lyme Regis. Please see the attached newspaper cutting which is from my Great Grandfather's scrap book which he kept as he was the Mayor of Lyme throughout WW2.
