Lieutenant Roger Bolton Hay (1895 – 17 July 1917) 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 youngest 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, 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 ...

, 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 ...

. Hay was educated at

Dean Close School Dean Close School is a co-educational private boarding and day school (for pupils aged 3–18) in the public school tradition, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The school opened in 1886 and is divided into pre-prep, prepa ...

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

, and at

Blundell's School Blundell's School is an Private schools in the United Kingdom, independent co-educational boarding school, boarding and Day school, day school in the English Public School (United Kingdom), public school tradition, located in Tiverton, Devon, T ...

, Tiverton, and was preparing to enrol at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

when the war broke out.

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 Hay was commissioned as a second lieutenant (on probation) in the 3rd 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 Hugh Allport Hay (1889–1965) and Guy Baldwin Hay (1890–1951). He was confirmed in his rank on 19 November, and received orders sending him into the front lines in July 1915, but a motor-cycling accident delayed his departure until February 1916. He served in the trenches until August, when he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps. Hay returned to England to train as a pilot, and was appointed a flying officer on 28 March 1917. He returned to France in April 1917, and joined No. 48 Squadron, the first to be equipped with the Bristol F.2 Fighter.Shores ''et.al.'' (1990), p.189. Hay began his victory string during

Bloody April Bloody April was the (largely successful) British air support operation during the Battle of Arras (1917), Battle of Arras in April 1917, during which particularly heavy casualties were suffered by the Royal Flying Corps at the hands of the Germ ...

, taking a share with Fred Holliday,

Anthony Wall Anthony David Wall (born 29 May 1975) is an English professional golfer. Career Wall was born in London. He turned professional in 1995 and has played on the European Tour since 1998. He has made the top 100 on the Order of Merit every season ...

, Ernest Moore, and William Winkler in the shooting down of an

Albatros D.III The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service () during World War I. A modified licensed version was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service (''Luftfahrtruppen''). The D.III was flown ...

over

Vimy Vimy lemish: Wimi or ; ) is a commune in the French department of Pas-de-Calais. Located west of Vimy is the Canadian National Vimy Memorial dedicated to the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the Canadian soldiers who were killed during the First Wor ...

on the 23rd, and another over

Cagnicourt Cagnicourt () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais ''département'' in the Hauts-de-France region of France southeast of Arras. Population See also Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department The following is a list of the 887 communes of the ...

the following day. On 27 April, he shared the destruction of a reconnaissance aircraft over Vitry with

Maurice Benjamin Captain Maurice Arthur Benjamin MC was a London born South African flying ace active during World War I. He was credited with eight aerial victories while serving as an observer/gunner in two-seater fighters. Early life Maurice Arthur Benjamin ...

and William Price. Hay had two further solo victories, destroying another D.III over Etaing on 15 June, and driving down a fourth over

Gistel Gistel () is a municipality and city located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. Following local government boundary reforms in 1971 and 1977, the municipality has comprised not only Gistel, but also the towns of Moere, Snaaskerke and Z ...

on 12 July. His final total was two aircraft destroyed and three driven down out of control. Hay was reported

missing in action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty (person), casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoner of war, prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been ...

on 17 July, and it was later reported that he died as a result of wounds while a prisoner of the Germans the same day. He had been 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 ...

in June, which was

gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

posthumously on 24 July. His citation read: :Lieutenant Roger Bolton Hay, West Yorkshire Regiment, Special Reserve and Royal Flying Corps. ::For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. On several occasions he has shown the utmost courage and dash in attacking and dispersing hostile aircraft in superior numbers. His willingness to undertake the most hazardous duties has at all times set a fine example to other pilots and observers of his squadron. Hay is buried in the New Communal Cemetery at

Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...

, Belgium.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hay, Roger 1895 births 1917 deaths Military personnel from Wiltshire West Yorkshire Regiment officers Royal Flying Corps officers British World War I flying aces Recipients of the Military Cross British military personnel killed in World War I People educated at Blundell's School Missing in action of World War I Aerial disappearances of military personnel in action British Army personnel of World War I British World War I prisoners of war World War I prisoners of war held by Germany British Militia officers