Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

William Harold Hay, known as Harold, was the only son and youngest of the family of William and Agnes Watson (née Stout) Hay, of Wai-iti Road. He was born on 25 November 1888 at the family home “Te Pukera” on the Levels Estate, as were his four older sisters. He was educated at Totara Valley, Gleniti (briefly) and Waimataitai schools, and at Timaru Boys’ High School. At Waimataitai he gained Proficiency, coming 6th equal in class. In the 1904 University examinations (matriculation and solicitors’ general knowledge) both Harold and his youngest sister Beryl were successful. By 1910 he was engaged in sheep farming, following in his father’s footsteps, and acquired an interest in land through the transfer of a small grazing run of 1740 acres, No. 64, Hunter's Hills, from John C. Rolleston. In 1911 he was residing on his property, “Viewhill” at St Andrews. Harold farmed at Bluecliffs. For health reasons, however, he abandoned farming, sold out, and became Temuka agent for the National Mortgage and Agency Company. His father, William Hay, who had retired to Timaru from farming at Totara Valley in the early 1900s, died at his Timaru residence, Kinnoull, Wai-iti Road, on 6 August 1910.

When Harold enlisted on 12 August 1914 at Timaru, he was residing with his mother at the family home “Kinnoull” in Wai-iti Road, this property named after their former estate near Mount Horrible. Harold enrolled and passed the examination on 12 August 1914, in a very lively and busy Drill Shed; he was not one of those rejected because they were over age or under-age, insufficiently developed, had no experience, or were overweight (the regulation weight was 12 stone). He was 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighed 148½ pounds, and had a chest measurement of 33-36 inches, a complexion that was between dark & fair, grey eyes and light brown hair. His sight, hearing, colour vision and teeth were all good, his limbs and chest well formed, and his heart and lungs normal. He was free from diseases, vaccinated and in good bodily and mental health. He had a scar on his right little finger. He had served with the Boys’ High School Cadets and been discharged on leaving school. A farmer, single and Presbyterian, he named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs Agnes W. Hay, Wai-iti Road, Timaru.

The South Canterbury Mounted Contingent was required to muster at the Show Grounds at 11 o’clock on 15 August for final inspection before entraining. A few days later the second draft of B Squadron (South Canterbury mounted men) of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles arrived at Addington camp. The Eighth (South Canterbury) Mounted Rifles Squadron was under the command of Major Wain. Serving in the 8th (South Canterbury) Mounted Rifles, Trooper W. H. Hay was one of ten South Canterbury men promoted to the rank of acting Lance-Corporal in September at the Sockburn camp. 17 September 1914 was a quiet day at the Sockburn camp. The Mounted Rifles were exercised in dismounted drill. A great part of the day was devoted by the men to the washing of their clothes, and a great number of them were given the opportunity of washing themselves also in the municipal baths, the Tramway Board providing cars for the carriage of the troops to and from the baths. On 18 September some went through a course of mounted drill while others checked their equipment. The benefit of training was beginning to tell. Just a month later Lance-Corporal W. H. Hay was on his way to Egypt, embarking with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, Main Body, on 16 October 1914 at Lyttelton, for Suez, Egypt, and disembarking at Alexandria on 3 December 1914.

His rank was reduced to that of Trooper in February 1915. In Egypt he served as orderly for the day to General Sir Ian Hamilton at the review of troops. This dapper young man, one of the first to volunteer, in the prime of life and prospering, was struck down on the night of 14 May 1915 at Walkers Ridge, Dardanelles, aged 26 years. He had been missing since 7 May. “He was a young man of much promise, and was very popular and highly esteemed by all with whom he came in contact.” (Timaru Herald, 1 June 1915).

William Harold Hay was buried in the No. 2 Outpost Cemetery, Anzac, Turkey. In January 1919, at Gallipoli, his burial details were established. The Graves Registration Commission worked at Gallipoli to locate and preserve all graves. In February 1920, Mrs A. W. Hay was advised of the burial of her son in No. 2 Outpost Cemetery which was in the care of the Imperial War Graves Commission. [See attachment.] Harold is remembered on his parents’ headstone in the Timaru Cemetery, and his name is inscribed on the Timaru War Memorial, the Timaru Boys High School Memorial, the Waimataitai School Memorial, and the Gleniti School Memorial. Harold’s father predeceased him; his mother lived on for 13 more years. Harold’s mother sold “Kinnoull” in March 1915 and moved to “Cadogan” in Sefton Street. It was to Mrs A. W. Hay at the Sefton Street address that Harold’s Scroll, Plaque and medals – 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal – were sent. William Harold Hay’s estate was valued at £5365. His Will was signed on 14 August 1914, the date on which he enlisted. He bequeathed to his mother all moneys payable under life insurance policies; to Airini Elizabeth Rhodes of Bluecliffs, his collection of postage and other stamps; to his cousin James Hay Paterson of Winchester, £250; and to his sisters, in trust, the residue of his real and personal estate and property.

Annexed to his Will are two letters written to his mother. One from Roy Bruce, Lieutenant in the Canterbury Mounted Rifles Division, tells how Harold met his death – “On the night of the 14th May volunteers were asked for to go out & bury some of our dead which were lying on the beach about ½ a mile away from our bivies, and Harold was one of the first to send his name in. It was a somewhat risky business owing to there being several enemy snipers in the vicinity. During the operation Harold was shot through the head, death being instantaneous. He was buried properly. It must be a consolation to you to know that he died well on a voluntary service towards his dead comrades. He was a fine fellow & a fine soldier, and his loss is very deeply deplored by everyone who knew him”.

The second is from Neil Guthrie (Dr Robert Neil Guthrie), Medical Practitioner attached to the Canterbury Mounted Rifles Division, and a cousin of Harold. “Let me tell you” he wrote, “that Harold had . . . . . shown himself to have such metal that he was a man marked to take responsibility and step forward. He was put in charge of a volunteer party to carry out risky work and in doing it he met his death instantaneously. I saw him just before he started and gave him some imp...... inf …… (for their work was not pleasant). That was the last I saw of him. He did what he was detailed to do but he was shot dead almost immediately afterwards. Next morning another volunteer party went out to look for his body (at a great risk) and they found him still grasping his rifle. He was buried and his effects that he had with him were brought in and handed to headquarters. I can see the spot where he was buried with my glasses and when opportunity offers I shall strive to do something to his grave that will mark the spot permanently where a man died doing the greatest duty that he can do – serving his country. Need I tell you of my sorrow and [indeed] the sorrow of all his comrades. It is little but it is much that all know of his grit and pluck. . . . . . It is cruel work this but it has to be done. . . . . . To you Auntie & my Cousins I express my sorrow. But with you we have cause to be proud of Harold for he has done well and paid the price. He went out to bury a comrade and found his own grave alongside him.”

At the June 1915 meeting of the Waimataitai School Committee, a resolution of sympathy was passed with the widowed mother of Harold, an ex-pupil of the school. At the July 1915 meeting, it was decided to add to the schools roll of honour the name of Harold Hay, whose name had been inadvertently omitted from the published list though it had been read out in public at the recent function in the Bay rotunda. On 14 July 1915, a letter was published in the Timaru Herald written from the Dardanelles by Trooper S. E. Williams, of St. Andrews, South Canterbury, recounting recent action and commenting tenderly on the death of Harold Hay. “So far our regiment has only lost two men, and both of these were outside the lines at the time. One was wounded while coming in from a sniping trip, while the other, Harold Hay (of Timaru), was killed while assisting in a very plucky deed. He and four others volunteered to go out and bury some dead who had been lying on the beach half a mile away for the last three weeks. They got there all right, and had buried one man when the enemy opened a hot fire upon them, and they had to retreat. Poor Harold was shot dead, the rest getting in safely. The next morning, Swannie Overton and another crawled out to his body, under fire most of the time, and buried it, bringing back his belongings with them. It was awfully sad, but he died like a man, which will be some comfort for his family, anyway.”

W. H. Hay (Timaru) had been a member of the Christchurch Philatelic Society. At the annual meeting of the society in August 1915, it was noted that seven members had gone on active service, Mr Hay having met his death at the Dardanelles. All the members of the society on active service had been elected honorary members. On 13 November 1919, the congregation of Trinity Church, Timaru, accorded a welcome-home social to the young men of the congregation who had seen service abroad or at home, in the recent war. The chairman extended a hearty welcome to the returned men present and stated that recently a number had left the district. The Rev. T. Stinson referred to the creditable record the congregation had, between 50 and 60 of the men having joined up. He also spoke of the readiness with which the eligible members of the congregation had enlisted, and stated that long before compulsory service was instituted every eligible single man in the congregation had offered his services. He paid a fitting tribute to the services of the men who had been fortunate to return, and also referred eloquently to those who would always be remembered amongst “the unreturning brave.” He thought it was only right that at such a function as that they should remember those who made the supreme sacrifice for liberty and right, and he asked all present to be upstanding in affectionate remembrance of Harold Hay and seven comrades. They who had not been able to take an active part in the field could never repay their indebtedness to the young men who had helped to bring about such a great and glorious victory to our Arms. It was at an impressive service on 1 May 1921 that the Trinity Memorial to the Fallen - members and adherents of the congregation who made the supreme sacrifice in the war - was unveiled. “This is a memorial day,” said the Rev. J. D. Wilson, of Waimate, Chaplain-Captain to the forces, “and yet for a little while you will perhaps pardon me if I speak of the spirit of your brothers and what sacrifice they made, especially in death. One of the revelations was the heroic spirit of the commonplace, average, everyday man. It was a cause for great wonderment the hardship and sufferings he endured. . . . . . The Dominion has the second highest proportion of casualties amongst the Allies —16,000 of the flower of our Dominion manhood laid down their lives. The memorial takes the form of a mural tablet, inscribed as follows: - In memory of the men of this church who fell in action in the Great War, 1914-1918. Ten names follow, including W. H. Hay. “Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Harold Hay is remembered on the Gleniti War Memorial, erected between the two main doors of the Gleniti School and unveiled on 27 December 1919. The unveiling ceremony commenced with the singing of the National Anthem and closed with all singing "God Save the King". Archdeacon Jacob, who had come out from Timaru with the Rev. Father Bartley, spoke of the great object lesson of duty which had been taught to future generations by those who had made such great sacrifices in the war. The schoolchildren, whenever they looked at the tablet, would remember and be proud of those who had fought to keep their country free from the horrors of invasion. The greatest heroes were those who had made the supreme sacrifice and who were now sleeping in the distant fields of Gallipoli, Egypt and France. His brother Denis is remembered as also served. His name was recalled in July 1939 at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Gleniti School.

At the Waimataitai School on 31 January 1922, a marble tablet which had been erected on the facade of the school in a commanding position was unveiled by the Mayor of Timaru in the presence of a large assemblage of past and present pupils, relatives of ex-pupils of the school who gave their lives in the war, and others. The tablet which was veiled by a large Union Jack, had been erected in memory of noble ex-boys of the school who had responded to the call of duty. The hymn, “O God Our Help”, was sung, after which Mr Armitage “told the boys and girls that the soldiers had died in order that others might live; they had made the greatest sacrifice that it was possible to make in giving their lives for humanity and they would always be remembered with pride. In their school the foundation of good character had been laid and laid so well that when their country told them that it needed them they were quick to respond without thought of what it might mean to them. Little had they thought when they were pupils at the school that they would ever be called upon to play such a dramatic part in the world’s history as they had played.” The inscription on the tablet reads: “For King and Country. In memory of ex-pupils of the Waimataitai School who gave their lives in the great war 1914—1918.” Some 45 names follow, one of them H. W. Hay. A tribute was paid to the fallen, “The Last Post” was played, the impressive ceremony closed with a verse of the National Anthem.

His Excellency the Governor-General, Viscount Jellicoe, opened the Timaru Boys’ High School Memorial Library on 20 March 1924. Included in the names on the roll of honour above the inscription “Their name liveth for evermore.” is W. H. Hay. After the formal opening, the “Last Post” and “Reveille” and one minute’s silence followed, and the hymn, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”, was sung. Three hundred boys went from the school and 52 did not return. From that date boys have looked with pride at the tablets housed in such a fine building. It was believed to be the only memorial of its kind in the country. Harold’s sister arranged for a Token of Remembrance to be placed on his grave during a visit of a contingent from New Zealand to the Peninsular in April 1965. This would have been Nelly Beatrice Thompson (née Hay).

Two cousins of Harold Hay served in World War One – Robert Neil Guthrie (son of Marion Taylor Hay and John Guthrie) who served as a medical officer at Gallipoli and in France, and wrote the touching letter to his aunt when Harold was killed; and Thomas Errol Guthrie (son of Mary Hay and Thomas Orr Guthrie), a doctor who served as Captain with the Field Ambulance and was killed in action in July 1916 at the Somme; a third, Ebenezer Hay was drawn in the ballot and enlisted, but was in his 40s and not robust. James Hay Paterson (beneficiary of Harold’s estate) and Douglas Halbertson Paterson, who both served in World War One, were sons of Harold’s second cousin Janet Steele Dunlop Hay and James Paterson. Several nephews of Harold served in World War Two. William Bertram Honyman Smith who was born in Scotland in 1918 to Constance Mary Sterndale Hay and Frederick John Smith, served with the New Zealand Forces; his brother John Raymond Smith who was born in Scotland in 1919, also served with the New Zealand Forces, and died in a motor accident in 1949; the family was in Temuka by 1922, Mr and Mrs F. J. Smith and their two small sons arriving by the “Ionic” from England in mid-1920; Constance died in 1935; Frederick, a solicitor, who remarried in 1942 and lived in Timaru until the death of his second wife in 1970 then moved to Masterton to his son, dying there in 1977 at the age of 98. Gyneth Harris Thompson, the daughter of Nelly Beatrice Hay and Clifford Harris Thompson (who married in 1913 at Kinnoull, Wai-iti Road), served in the Middle East and Italy with the NZ Medical Corps; Clifford Harris Thompson, the younger son of Nelly and Clifford, served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, training with the Royal Canadian Air Force and being killed in an aircraft accident in Canada in 1942. William Neil Wright, the son of Beryl Gyneth Hay and Percy Clyde Wright (who had served in World War One after marrying in 1914 at Trinity Church, Timaru), who served with the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, was killed in action in Italy in 1945. Marion Agnes Hay, the second daughter of William and Agnes, was engaged to a returned serviceman in 1918 but did not marry.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [19 November 2103]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5539 0052477) [20 November 2013]; CWGC [19 November 2013]; Timaru Herald, 20 December 1901, 23 January 1905, 5 March 1910, 8 & 9 August 1910, 13 & 15 August 1914, 19 September 1914, 24 March 1915, 31 May 1915, 1, 2 & 10 June 1915, 16 September 1915, 6 April 1918, 15 November 1919, 27 December 1919, 15 May 1920, 2 May 1921, 1 February 1922, 21 March 1924, 29 July 1939, Press, 4 March 1910, 31 May 1915, 2 & 15 June 1915, 14 July 1915, 24 August 1914, 18 September 1914, 16 February 1916, 21 March 1924, Sun, 5 September 1914, Evening Star, 31 May 1915, Lyttelton Times, 1 June 1915, North Otago Times, 2 June 1915, Otago Daily Times, 14 & 18 June 1915, Oamaru Mail, 15 June 1915, Temuka Leader, 22 March 1924 (Papers Past) [18 & 19 November 2013; 30 May 2014; 03 August 2014; 01 September 2014; 07, 08 & 19 March 2015, 27 April 2015; 06 & 12 May 2015; 09 January 2017; 19 April 2018; 05 December 2022; 15 May 2025]; Timaru Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [20 November 2013]; School Admission Registers (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [2013]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [07 March 2015]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [07 March 2015; May 2025]; Probate Record (Archives NZ/FamilySearch) [16 June 2014]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• HAY William Harold - newspaper clippings (pdf, 143.2 KB updated 27-Jun-2025)
• HAY William Harold - letter (pdf, 1.0 MB updated 27-Jun-2025)
• Timaru Boys High School Roll of Honour research by Allan Hunter (SC Museum 2015/100.01) (pdf, 290.1 KB updated 05-Mar-2019)

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

TS