On the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. France is the name of 30417 Private Robert Kay serving with the 15th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry who died 01/07/1916
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Robert Kay was the eldest of 4 known sons and had 2 elder sisters. His parents George and Rosanna Kay, in the census of 1911, declare to have been married 19 years prior, in about 1882 however no such marriage took place until 1900 at Tynemouth, registered between George Kay and Rosanna Lee. Both were born at Sunderland in 1868 and 1866 respectively.
Their daughters Rosanna born in 1893, Mary Ann born 1898 and son Robert, born 1894 were born in the district of South Shields. Between 1900 and 1901 they had moved to 129, Clavering Avenue, Whickham, near Dunston in Gateshead, George supported his family employed as a brick-maker. His wife gave birth to a further 3 sons, John George in 1903, James in 1906 and Oswald Mallison Kay in 1909.
By 1911 they were living at 39, Carnaby Terrace, off Walker Road, Low Teams, Gateshead, Robert (17) is listed as a worker, category unspecified, his father as a labourer at the iron works.
On the outbreak of war Robert enlisted at Gateshead, historically in County Durham assigned as Private 30417 Durham Light Infantry, joining his regiment at their barracks at Newcastle upon Tyne. He departed with his regiment by train from Newcastle station in late September bound for Buckinghamshire. At Aylesbury he was posted to the 15th Battalion, one of two battalions formed by the new recruits. The 14th and 15th Battalions formed part of the 68th Brigade, 21st Division. Training was slow, without uniforms or rifles, and hindered by too few officers and bad weather. In early December they were moved to billets in High Wycombe, issued with khaki uniforms and rifles, their training began in earnest. In Spring 1915 they were marched back to a newly built camp of wooden huts at Halton Park for final training in readiness for their departure for overseas service after a final move to Witley Camp near Aldershot.
On September 11th 1915 both the 14th and 15th Battalions Durham Light Infantry departed to France landing at Boulogne as part of the 21st Division. After barely 2 weeks of training, still inexperienced and unprepared, they were sent into battle at Loos, the first major offensive by the British forces on the Western Front. After a long march, cold wet and hungry, both battalions were ordered to move forward at 2 a.m. September 26th 1915. They attacked the German lines later that morning only to be cut down by machine gun fire. The 14th Battalion lost 300 men killed and wounded, the 15th Battalion over 450 men, including both commanding officers.
They spent the remainder of the winter in the trenches at Armentieres before moving south in preparation for the opening Battles of the Somme. Intended to begin June 29th 1916, the opening battle was delayed by bad weather until the morning of July 1st 1916. At 7 a.m. July 1st the 15th Battalion Durham Light Infantry attacked the German front line at Fricourt. By the end of the day they had advanced to Shelter Wood taking 200 German prisoners with the loss of 450 of their own men either killed or wounded.
Private 30417 Robert Kay, Durham Light Infantry, was one of the fatalities of the battle. Initially declared as missing, after extensive investigations as to his whereabouts, he was declared as deceased, July 1st 1916. His sacrifice is recorded as one of over 72,000 names inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval, France commemorating servicemen from Britain and South Africa who died on the Somme before March 20th 1918 and who have no known grave. Robert was 22 years of age and single.
His mother Rosanna received all monies owed to him from the Army, a pension and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Rosanna Kay nee Lee died in the district of Gateshead, County Durham in 1938 aged 71 years. Details regarding George Kay are unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Robert Kay is remembered at Redheugh on R43.01 and at Teams on T68.02, and at Durham in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance, page 169.
