William Kay

William is listed as 3rd BATTALION HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY on the Coatbridge Memorial. William was formerly with the Highland Light Infantry (32556). He joined the Seaforth Highlanders Labour Company (18974) before being transferred to the 13th Company Labour Corps (7394). William and 40 other men from the 13th Company were Killed in Action on the morning of the 9th of January 1918 when a German aircraft flying behind the British lines, dropped a bomb that landed on an ammunition truck, causing a massive explosion in the vicinity where all the men were working. The 13th Labour Company was engaged in salvaging ammunition when they came under air attack. The blast was so severe and destructive it resulted in the death of 41 men from the 13th Company Labour Corps. All of these men are buried in a mass grave in Duhallow A. D. S. (Advanced Dressing Station) Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, in Plot II. Row F. Graves 1 to 41. A further 15 men from the Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Engineer Field Companies, Royal Field Artillery and II Corps HQ were also killed in the blast that morning. 10 of them are buried in Plot III. Row E. Graves 10 - 13, 15 - 19 and Plot III Row F. Grave 1. The other 5 of those men are commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial for the Missing on Panel 160, their bodies were never recovered. William's headstone does not mention he was a member of the Labour Corps. In 1919 it was decided that the headstone of a member of the Labour Corps, who previously served in any other unit, should record his connection with his previous Regiment. See photos for William's Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration, the CWGC Grave Registration for the first 12 men of the 13th Company who fell, the CWGC Grave Registration for William and 28 other men of the 13th Company who fell, the Headstone Report listing the first 12 men of the 13th Company who fell, the Headstone Report listing the 20 men (including William) of the 13th Company who fell, the Headstone Report listing the 9 men of the 13th Company who fell, William's Pension Records x 3, another photo of William's headstone, Duhallow A.D.S. Cemetery, The 41 men buried in Duhallow A.D.S. Cemetery, men of the 13th Company in Duhallow A.D.S. Cemetery, his former Regiment the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge, the Seaforth Highlanders Cap Badge, the Labour Corps Cap Badge and Newspaper clippings x 3 (Coatbridge Express x 1 and the Coatbridge Leader x 1).