Private David Kay
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PRIVATE 5776375 DAVID ALFRED KAY
Royal Norfolk Regiment 2nd Battalion
Died 15th May, 1940, Aged 21.
Buried at Wavre Communal Cemetery, Belgium
On 15th May, 1940, Lieutenant Willeson reported to Captain Long that a Bren Gunner on an AA mounting had successfully shot down a Messerschmidt (other documents record a Stuka) which had then dived onto the men of Barratt's Platoon which was working on the defences.
On the same day and during the same action, Private David Kay was killed while trying to rescue a colleague from a weapons' pit who had been injured by a shell. Another shell came in the same place, wounding two more men including Private Kay. Private Kay was injured so severely that he died within a few minutes. He was the first Second Battalion Royal Norfolk soldier to fall following Hitler's Radio Code Danzig to start the invasion of the Low Countries on 10th May, 1940.
Private Kay was buried close to where he fell before being re-interred at Wavre Communal Cemetery (pictured below).
The following details are taken from the records of Captain Charles Long and used with the kind permission of the Long family and re-written by John Head.
Prior to reinternment in Wavre Communal Cemetery, Private David Kay was buried on the fringes of a wood known as Bois de Beaumont. The service was attended by Capt. Charles Long, the Commanding Officer of ‘C’ Company (later to become Adjutant during the Campaign) and the whole of the platoon Private Kay was assigned to.
Captain Long led a shortened service and his platoon came to attention giving Private Kay a final salute. To afford Private Kay a volley of shots or a bugle would have given away the Battalion's position to the enemy which would have also been the last thing Private Kay would have wanted.
Private Kay was the son of Gordon F. and Nora O. R. Kay of Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich. The personal grave inscription reads: "Age Shall Not Weary nor the Years Condemn."
Royal Norfolk Regiment 2nd Battalion
Died 15th May, 1940, Aged 21.
Buried at Wavre Communal Cemetery, Belgium
On 15th May, 1940, Lieutenant Willeson reported to Captain Long that a Bren Gunner on an AA mounting had successfully shot down a Messerschmidt (other documents record a Stuka) which had then dived onto the men of Barratt's Platoon which was working on the defences.
On the same day and during the same action, Private David Kay was killed while trying to rescue a colleague from a weapons' pit who had been injured by a shell. Another shell came in the same place, wounding two more men including Private Kay. Private Kay was injured so severely that he died within a few minutes. He was the first Second Battalion Royal Norfolk soldier to fall following Hitler's Radio Code Danzig to start the invasion of the Low Countries on 10th May, 1940.
Private Kay was buried close to where he fell before being re-interred at Wavre Communal Cemetery (pictured below).
The following details are taken from the records of Captain Charles Long and used with the kind permission of the Long family and re-written by John Head.
Prior to reinternment in Wavre Communal Cemetery, Private David Kay was buried on the fringes of a wood known as Bois de Beaumont. The service was attended by Capt. Charles Long, the Commanding Officer of ‘C’ Company (later to become Adjutant during the Campaign) and the whole of the platoon Private Kay was assigned to.
Captain Long led a shortened service and his platoon came to attention giving Private Kay a final salute. To afford Private Kay a volley of shots or a bugle would have given away the Battalion's position to the enemy which would have also been the last thing Private Kay would have wanted.
Private Kay was the son of Gordon F. and Nora O. R. Kay of Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich. The personal grave inscription reads: "Age Shall Not Weary nor the Years Condemn."
Photograph by John Head