Major Hugh Allport Hay (24 November 1889 – 13 October 1965) was a British

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

credited with five aerial victories.

Biography

Family background and education

He was the eldest of three sons born to

The Reverend The Reverend (abbreviated as The Revd, The Rev'd or The Rev) is an honorific style (form of address), style given to certain (primarily Western Christian, Western) Christian clergy and Christian minister, ministers. There are sometimes differen ...

Reynell Wreford Hay and his wife Margaret Alice (née Bolton). His grandfather William Hay was a merchant and ship owner from

Bishopwearmouth Bishopwearmouth () is a former village and parish which now constitutes the west side of Sunderland City Centre, in the county of Tyne and Wear, England, merging with the settlement as it expanded outwards in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is ...

, while his uncle,

William Delisle Hay William Delisle Hay (11 March 1853''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837–1915'' – ) was a nineteenth-century British author and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society from Bishopwearmouth Bishopwearmouth () is a former ...

, was a novelist and

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their taxonomy, genetics, biochemical properties, and use by humans. Fungi can be a source of tinder, food, traditional medicine, as well as entheogens, poison, and ...

. At the time of his birth his father was teaching at Newchurch Grammar School, Lancashire, but in 1892 was appointed the rector of Garsdon and Lea in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

. He was educated at Armstrong College, Newcastle (then part of

Durham University Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...

, now part of

Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick university and a mem ...

World War I

After serving as a cadet in the

Officers' Training Corps The University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), also known as the Officers' Training Corps (OTC), are British Army reserve units, under the command of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which recruit exclusively from universities and focus on ...

, on 27 January 1915, almost six months after the

British entry into World War I The United Kingdom entered World War I on 4 August 1914, when King George V declared war after the expiry of an ultimatum to the German Empire. The official explanation focused on protecting Belgium as a neutral country; the main reason, ho ...

, Hay was commissioned as a second lieutenant (on probation) in the 3rd (

Militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

) Battalion,

West Yorkshire Regiment The West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (14th Foot) was an infantry regiment of the British Army. In 1958 it amalgamated with the East Yorkshire Regiment (15th Foot) to form the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire which was ...

, alongside his brothers Guy Baldwin Hay (1890–1951) and Roger Bolton Hay (1895–1917). On 2 February 1916 he was appointed a temporary supernumerary lieutenant, and on 24 June, while attached to the 1st Battalion of the West Yorkshires, was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

(MC). His citation read: :2nd Lieutenant Hugh Allport Hay, Special Reserve, West Yorkshire Regiment (attd. 1st Bn.). ::For gallantry and ability. He made a very close reconnaissance of enemy trenches prior to attack, and in the attack itself led his platoon with great ability. He has served for many months in the front line, and has proved himself a capable leader. He relinquished his temporary rank on 4 July, but was promoted to full lieutenant on 26 September. In mid-1917 Hay was seconded to the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

, receiving Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate No. 5481 and being appointed a flying officer on 29 November. Hay was posted to No. 11 Squadron RFC in early 1918 to fly the Bristol F.2 Fighter.Shores ''et.al.'' (1990), pp. 188–189. On 1 April, the Army's Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) were merged to form the Royal Air Force, and a week later, on the 7th, Hay gained his first victory when he and observer/gunner Sergeant P. A. Sherlock drove down an Albatros C 'out of control' over

Grévillers Grévillers () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. west of Bapaume and south of Arras. Population See also *Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department The following is a list of the 887 ...

. On 4 May he and Sherlock shot a Pfalz D.III down in flames over Marquion, and on 11 August, with 2nd Lieutenant E. J. Norris, he did the same to an Albatros D.V south of Péronne. On 26 August Hay was appointed a temporary captain while serving as a

flight commander A flight commander is the leader of a constituent portion of an aerial squadron in aerial operations, often into combat. That constituent portion is known as a flight, and usually contains six or fewer aircraft, with three or four being a common ...

, and on 6 September, Hay and Lieutenant A. H. Craig destroyed and drove down two

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII is a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the '' Fokker-Flugzeugwerke''. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII ...

s west of

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; ; ), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the Escaut river. A sub-pref ...

. Hay left the RAF after the war, being transferred to the unemployed list on 2 June 1919.

World War II

Hay returned to military service just prior to World War II, serving in an anti-aircraft unit of the Territorial Army. He was commissioned as a captain, and appointed administration officer of the 1/5th Battalion,

Durham Light Infantry The Durham Light Infantry (DLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1968. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and ...

, on 23 March 1939. Hay relinquished his post of administration officer on 2 September, and on 1 August 1940 his unit was transferred and renamed, becoming the 54th Searchlight Regiment,

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

. He served throughout the war, finally relinquishing his commission, having exceeded the age limit, on 22 August 1945, and was granted the honorary rank of major. On 13 April 1951 he was awarded the

Efficiency Decoration The Efficiency Decoration, post-nominal letters TD for recipients serving in the Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Territorial Army of the United Kingdom or ED for those serving in the British Colonial Auxiliary Forces, Auxiliary Military Forces, ...

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hay, Hugh 1889 births 1965 deaths People from Newchurch, Lancashire West Yorkshire Regiment officers Royal Flying Corps officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War I British World War I flying aces Recipients of the Military Cross Durham Light Infantry officers Royal Artillery officers British Army personnel of World War II Alumni of Armstrong College, Durham Military personnel from Lancashire British Army personnel of World War I British Militia officers