William Richard Lay

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Thu, 18/05/2017 - 15:03

First Name:

William

Middle Name:

Richard

Last Name:

Lay

Date of Birth:

Tuesday, April 25, 1882

Mother's Name:

Louisa Lay nee Atkinson

Father's Name:

William Lay

Date Enlisted:

Monday, March 27, 1916

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Sergeant

Unit:

56th Battalion

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

1914/1915 Star

Date of Death:

Sunday, April 19, 1959

Place of Death:

Warnambool, Victoria

Cause of Death:

Accident

Details:

William Lay (Service No 2925) was born in Burnie, Tasmania.

At enlistment Willliam was single, 30 years old, worked as a clerk, and was living at Port Kembla, N.S.W. He nominated his mother, Louisa Lay, in Tasmania, as his next of kin.

He embarked from Sydney on HMAT A11 Ascanius with 56th Battalion, 7th Reinforcement on 25th October 1916.

He arrived in England on 23rd December 1916 and was sent on to France, arriving on 15th June 1917, a day after he was promoted to Lance Corporal.

On 16th September 1917 William was attached to 1st Tunnel Company and served until 26th September 1917 when he was wounded in action. He was treated for shrapnel wounds to his face, returning to duty on 25th October 1917.

By December 1918 William was in London. On 1st February 1919 he was transferred to the Pay Corps as a Sergeant.

William returned to Australia in July 1919 and was discharged from the AIF on 11th October 1919.

Miss Ella Stumbles, of Wollongong wrote the AIF in May 1919 requesting information as to how she could meet William upon his return to Wollongong as all his relatives were in Tasmania. Miss Stumbles stated she was William's fiancee. The letter can be found in William's National Archives file.

William died in Victoria in 1959 as a result of an accidental head injury.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, LAY WILLIAM RICHARD