Pte William Hay 2nd Scottish Horse

[Andrew P]

Remembered Today - Info from CWGC

Name: HAY, WILLIAM

Initials: W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Scottish Horse

Unit Text: 2nd

Age: 38

Date of Death: 26/10/1915

Service No: 4901

Additional information: Husband of the late Agnes Currie Hay.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: I. F. 11.

Cemetery: GREEN HILL CEMETERY

GREEN HILL CEMETERY

Country: Turkey

Locality: unspecified

Location Information: Green Hill and Chocolate Hill (which form together Yilghin Burnu) are adjoining hills, about 52 metres above sea level, which rise almost from the eastern shore of the Salt Lake. The cemetery lies on the east side of the Anzac-Suvla Road and can be seen from Suvla and from Anzac.

Historical Information: The eight month campaign in Gallipoli was fought by Commonwealth and French forces in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war, to relieve the deadlock of the Western Front in France and Belgium, and to open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea. The Allies landed on the peninsula on 25-26 April 1915; the 29th Division at Cape Helles in the south and the Australian and New Zealand Corps north of Gaba Tepe on the west coast, an area soon known as Anzac. On 6 August, further troops were put ashore at Suvla, just north of Anzac, and the climax of the campaign came in early August when simultaneous assaults were launched on all three fronts. The aim of the Suvla force had been to quickly secure the sparsely held high ground surrounding the bay and salt lake, but confused landings and indecision caused fatal delays allowing the Turks to reinforce and only a few of the objectives were taken with difficulty. Green Hill and Chocolate Hill (which form together Yilghin Burnu), rise from the eastern shore of the salt lake. They were captured on 7 August 1915 by the 6th Lincolns and the 6th Border Regiment but once taken, no further advance was then made. On the two following days, unsuccessful efforts were made to push on along the ridge of 'W' Hill (Ismail Oglu Tepe), leading to Anafarta Sagir and on 21 August, the attack of the 11th and 29th Divisions and the 2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade to take Scimitar Hill, although pressed with great resolution, left the front line where it had been. Green Hill Cemetery was made after the Armistice when isolated graves were brought in from the battlefields of August 1915 and from small burial grounds in the surrounding area. Among these was the cemetery at Scimitar Hill, containing 520 graves, almost all unidentified. There are now 2,971 servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 2,472 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate a number of casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

Does anyone have an account of how Hay died?

[michaeldr]

I see that William Hay was already a widower and one cannot help wondering if his death left any children to become orphans.

Green Hill cemetery has quite a few members of the Scottish Horse buried there and their deaths occurred from September when they arrived at Suvla, right through until December when they left.

There seems to be precious little in the usual Gallipoli histories regarding either the Scottish Horse or even the 2nd Mounted Division. The usually reliable Ray Westlake’s ‘British Regiments at Gallipoli’ has nothing at all on the Scottish Horse for October 1915. Hopefully one of our Scottish Pals is better informed on this aspect.

The dearth of available information reinforces the feeling that this daily remembrance by the GWF is of such importance;

We Will Remember Them.

[steve fuller]

Dont recall any actions as such 26th October. Were they in the N Anzac sector? If so, there were regular night raids on an Turkish No Mans Land outpost called Bulger Bluff 4th to 26th October . Believed it to be the 5th Beds and 10th londons though, but anythings possible by that stage of the campaign as several yeomanry units had temp attachments to the Beds in October (their numbers were down to 250 by then).

Just a thought ...

[Will O'Brien]

The dearth of available information reinforces the feeling that this daily remembrance by the GWF is of such importance;

Well said Michael

[Malcolm]

Scottish Horse Museum was in Dunkeld, Perthshire.

http://www.scottish-towns.co.uk/perthshire...d/regiment.html

However, the records are at the Cathedral Chapter House Museum in Dunkeld.

The Scottish Horse troops were dismounted at the time in question.

Aye

Malcolm