1914/15 Star to 13898 Pte H Kay SCO RIF / KIA 1st day of Loos

13898 Private Hurbert Kay, 10th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). Aged 21, born & enlisted Burnley. Killed in Action 25th September 1915 (first day of the Battle of Loos). Son of James & Emma Kay, 30 Tennis Street, his brother Ernest James also fell Before the war Hubert was employed as a weaver at Messrs. Althams Shed. He enlisted in August 1914 and was a well-known member of the Burnley Lads Club, and served for a long time on the football committee. He was also well known as a student of chemistry at the Technical School, Ormerod Road, where he had attended for many years. BURNLEY “SCOTTIE” KILLED IN BIG ADVANCE (Burnley Express 4/12/15)
In our issue of October 23rd we announced that Miss Mary E Wilkinson, of 27 Abbey Street, Burnley had received a letter from Private J Hanley, of the 2nd Munster Fusiliers, intimating that he had found four photographs on the battlefield after the advance on Loos, and as they bore Miss Wilkinson’s address he forwarded them, and sympathized with her in the misfortune that had befallen her. This letter was as follows; “I wish to let you know that I found these photos on the battlefield after the battle of Loos. You can let me know if you receive them and you are the proper owner. I feel very much for you as I write this, for I know when you get them you will be fretting. When I found these photos, I saw that the boy was buried by the stretcher bearers of the Munster Fusiliers. So don’t fret, he is all right, and I hope he is better off. I felt very sorry when I saw the photos. He was a grand looking man. I hope you have heard this news before, for I would not like to have to send the first news to you. I have a lot more photos which I found on some of my comrades. I am sending them to a paper for publication. Let me no if you are sister or sweetheart. I hope you will get them all right. Good-bye from a friend.” The photographs belonged to Private Hubert Kay, of “C” Company of the 10th Scottish Rifles, whose home was 30 Tennis Street, and who was the finance of Miss Wilkinson. The young lady at the time accepted the letter as authentic news that Private Kay had been killed in the big fight, but the soldier’s parents refused to recognize it, believing that a mistake had arisen and that the photos might have been lost by their son. The photographs were unsoiled, and as the advance was made in bad weather they must have been found on the dead soldier. The parents wrote to Private Hanley, who replied he was unable to identify the photographs with the soldier whom they were found, as it was early morning when they buried him. Three of the photographs, it may be explained, were of Private Kay, and the other of Miss Wilkinson.

Medal = GVF+