Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas Young and Ellen Hay.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday June 15th, 1917

Mr T. Y. Hay, of Forest Road, Coalville, manager of the Whitwick Colliery, and a member of the Coalville Urban Council, on Wednesday received a telegram from the War Office stating that his son, Lieutenant R. Hay, of the Royal North Lancashire Regiment, was wounded on June 8th. A second telegram stated that the officer had been admitted to the General Hospital at Rouen, on June 10th, suffering from gunshot wounds in the left leg, and finger (slight).

Coalville Times article - Friday January 17th, 1919

LIEUT. R. HAY ACCIDENTALLY KILLED

SAD OCCURRENCE IN BELGIUM

Much sympathy is felt for Mr T. Y. Hay (manager of the Whitwick Colliery) and Mrs Hay, of Forest Road, Coalville, on having received news that their younger son, Lieut. Robert Hay, of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, was accidentally killed in Belgium on Tuesday last week.

A telegram was received on Wednesday stating that the young officer was in a dangerous condition, and this was followed by another the following day informing his parents that he had passed away.

Since then, Mr and Mrs Hay have received a letter from the Commanding Officer of the deceased’s regiment who, writing on January 7th, says:

“I very much regret to inform you of the fatal accident of your son, Lieut. Robert Hay. He was out riding this afternoon along a road with a brother officer when, about 3.45 pm both he and the horse he was riding were apparently knocked down by a motor lorry and your son was run over, breaking his spine, and completely paralysing him. This, I am glad to think, prevented him from feeling any pain. A doctor was passing at the time, and Lieut. Hay was taken by motor ambulance to the casualty clearing station at Namur, where he died at 6.45 pm today. On behalf of all ranks of the battalion I desire to express our deepest sympathy with you in your great loss. We all feel we have lost a very great friend and a very fine soldier. We propose to conduct the funeral service ourselves and probably the interment will take place at 2 pm on the 9th at the village cemetery here in Malonne, four miles S.W. of Namur.”

Mr Hay also received a letter from the Brigadier-General, who writes as follows, “I cannot tell you how much I regret to write to you on the sad occasion of your son’s death. Unhappily, in the last few years I have had to write many letters to bereaved parents, but I have written few with a heavier heart than I am writing this. Your son has done brilliant work in the war. I knew and liked him immensely, as well as recognising his sterling worth. I know too well how useless letters must be on these occasions, but I cannot refrain from trying to express to you a little of sympathy I feel for you in your sad loss. I will not weary you with a longer letter. Please once more accept my very deepest and most sincere sympathy.”

Lieutenant Hay was 23 years of age. He joined the army early in December, 1915, and was in much of the fighting in France, being wounded at the Messines Ridge in June, 1917. He was at home on leave in July last, and crossed again to France on July 31st. Of fine physique – he stood 6ft 3in – he had decided to adopt the army as his profession. He was formerly a clerk in the United Counties Bank at Nottingham. The day on which he was killed was the anniversary of his brother George’s wedding.

Coalville Times article - Friday February 7th, 1919

COALVILLE URBAN COUNCIL

Prior to the commencement of the business, the chairman (Mr Hale) referred to the death of Lieutenant R. Hay and moved that the sympathy and condolence of the Council be conveyed to Mr and Mrs Hay and family on their sad bereavement.

A letter was read from Mr and Mrs Hay thanking the Council for their vote of sympathy on the death of their son, Lieutenant R. Hay. The Council were asked to allow a Flag Day for the memorial to Lord Roberts, which, it was stated, was to be in the form of workshops for training wounded soldiers.

Research undertaken and submitted (including photograph from Coalville Times) by Andy Murby 16/11/2017