Hay, Arthur & James

No.3355 Private Arthur Hay 51st Battalion & No.2294 – Private James Hay – 48^th Battalion AIF

James Hay was born in Kyneton Victoria in 1894 to Mr. and Mrs. William Hay. The family moved across to Western Australia and took up residence in Fremantle and then Coolup and Arthur was born in WA.

James worked with Horses and was employed at Boolardy Station in the Murchison prior to enlistment, though when he enlisted he put his occupation down as a Bushman. On the 26^th May 1915 he enlisted into the AIF at Cue WA and was accepted as fit for service. The medical examiner found him to be 5 feet 7 inches tall; 10 stone in weight; 34 inches chest measurement; dark complexion; grey eyes and dark hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.

(Photo on right - James Hay pictured with his brother Arthur)

In early June 1915 James was assigned to the 8^th Reinforcements to the 11^th Battalion but two weeks later was transferred to the 6^th Reinforcements to the 16^th Battalion AIF.

On the 25^th June James boarded the H.M.A.T. “Wandilla” in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for overseas. They arrived in Egypt four weeks later, but hardly any time was spent there as the men were rushed on to Gallipoli, being taken on strength of the 16^th Battalion at Anzac on the 2^nd August 1915.

On the 8^th August 1915 a large offensive went ahead to try and break the Turkish position. The 16^th Battalion were part of an assault that went towards Hill 971 and during the advance James was wounded in the leg. He was sent back to the 2^nd Field Ambulance and was then shipped to Mudros where he was admitted to the 2^nd Australian Stationary Hospital. He remained in hospital here till the 4^th September 1915 when he was released to Base Details. However he soon fell ill and was admitted to the No.1 Canadian Stationary Hospital.

James was sent to England to recover, arriving there on the 28^th September 1915. He was admitted to King George Hospital at Stamford and he remained in England through the rest of 1915. In early 1916 he had recovered to be sent to the AIF Base details but he did not return to Egypt until 25^th March 1916 when he was sent to Base Details. On the 13^th April 1916 James was admitted to the 2^nd Stationary Hospital at Tel-el-Kebir with VD. The following day he was transferred to No.1 Australian Dermatological Hospital at Abbassia. James recovered and returned to the Base Details Camp on the 8^th May 1916.

On the 11^th May James returned to the 4^th Training Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir and remained with them for the rest of his time in Egypt. On the 7^th June 1916 he left with them from Alexandria, bound for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 14^th June 1916. James was sent on a train to the north of France to Etaples where he marched into the 4^th Australian Division Base Depot. He remained in Etaples until the 17^th June and the following day joined the 48^th Battalion on the Somme.

The 48^th Battalion was about to join the fighting on the Somme Battlefield and they came into the line around the 4^th August 1916. On the 8^th August 1916 James was reported missing though a later court of enquiry declared him as killed in action.

Unfortunately the body of James Hay was not found and he is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in France.

His brother Arthur Hay served in the 51^st Battalion AIF Regimental No.3355, having enlisted in August 1915 and was taken prisoner of war at Mouquet Farm on the 3^rd September 1916. Due to ill health Arthur was repatriated in December 1917, having been sent to Switzerland to recover. Arthur remained in Switzerland through much of 1918 and only arrived in England in December 1918. On the 3rd March 1919 Arthur boarded the transport ship Euripides and set sail home for WA, reaching Fremantle on the 19th April 1919. Arthur was discharged from the AIF on the 14th June 1919.

In 1919 Arthur married Eliza Blanche Higgins in Perth and they initially lived in North Fremantle where Eileen was born in 1919, then in 1920 they were in Katanning where James was born in 1920 but were back in North Fremantle when Eric was born in 1921. A daughter Yvonne was born in Beverley in 1923 and a son Leslie in 1925.

The family lived in Wardie Street South Fremantle.

Arthur Hay died in Hilton in 1961 aged 65. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican Mon A5 0159.