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The family seat, one can see from the MIC, was Duns Castle. Built around a pele tower given in the 14th century by King Robert the Bruce to the Earl of Moray, the castle has been the seat of the Hay family since 1696. This is a historic six hundred year old Border fighting tower which has been added to over the centuries by the three major Scottish families who have lived there. The present owner Alexander Hay of Duns, married to Aline, descends from the first Earl of Tweeddale who bought the estates of Duns and Drummelzier in Peebleshire in 1696 for his first son by his second marriage, William Hay, who married the Lady Elizabeth Seton, related by ancestry to Mary Seton, the lady-in-waiting to Mary Queen of Scots.
He was born in Canada and must have inherited the castle at some point. His father died in 1920, so at the time of the ambush as "the late", but I doubt that he was ever in the Irish Guards, William Hope Hay was born in 1862, and the Irish Guards were not founded till 1900. I cannot find him as having held a British Army commission) However there was a Lord Arthur Vincent Hay, son of 10th Earl of Tweeddale , who was a Capt in Irish Guards, and was killed in action in 1914, with no male heirs, and I suspect that this is where the story from Cpl Roberts comes. The common root is with earlier Earls of Tweeddale)
Duns Castle, Berwickshire
1893 Aug 30 Born son of William Hope Hay and Emma Elizabeth (nee Bates) in Ontario, Canada.
He was educated at Highland School, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
1909 Sep 2. Arrives in Canada on SS Megantic with his brother William Francis who is a year older.
1911 census at 147 Markland, Hamilton West, Ontario
1913 Jul 26. R Scots. Gentleman Cadet George Harold Hay, from the Royal Military College, Kingston, Canada, to be Second Lieutenant.
1914 Apr 13. Promoted Lt
1916 Apr 17. R. Scots.—Lt. (temp. Capt.) G. H. Hay to be Capt.
1917 Apr 9. For an action East of Arras award DSO. Gazetted DSO Jul 26.. Capt. (temp. Maj.) George Harold Hay, R. Scots. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Commanding the battalion he led his men with great skill and courage. At each successive phase of the attack he reformed and led the men on again with such ability that all objectives were gained with comparatively small casualties
1918 Feb 28. Royal Scots . Capt G H Hay DSO to be acting Major while serving as Major on Headquarters of Battalion
1918 Apr 23. R. Scots.—Capt. G. H. Hay, D.S.O., relinquishes the actg. rank of Maj. 23rd Apr.
1919 May 19. R Scots. The undermentioned Capts. relinquish the actg. rank of Maj. G. H. Hay, D.S.O.
1920 POW in Russia. The entry on his MIC must refer to the debrief of POW officers, who had to be exhonourated for surrendering.
Details of Commander Boyce’s Military Intelligence interview with Captain Hay at the Hyde Park Hotel on 25 May 1920 can be found in the NA. It’s reference is WO 106/1279. In an article titled Back From Russia, The Times of Saturday April 17 1920 lists all the prisoners who were released on April 14 and 15 as part of the Litvinov-O’Grady Copenhagen Treaty. The names include Major Hay as well as Captain McCullagh and Lieutenant Colonel Andrews who were also interviewed by Boyce on 25/26 May (in the Savoy Adelphi and RAC Pall Mall). From these interviews, Boyce reports that: “British officers were not treated as PoW, but as Brigands by the Soviet Authority” and that the treatment of British rank and file was “far superior to that accorded to officers”. He continues: “France is the most hated; Italy is the most favoured; Japan is hated and feared…The Soviet Government is extremely anxious to secure recognition by England and the USA”.
1920 Dec 18. Cpl Roberts driving the lead lorry recalled in a statement written on 11 Dec 1954 “ On the morning of 18th December, 1920 at about 6.30, a convoy of three Tenders [lorries] left Ennistymon for Ennis; I was driving the first tender which carried nine soldiers with myself; the second and third Tenders carried all RIC and Black and Tans. The officer in charge of the convoy, Captain Hay, DSO Royal Scots regiment and son of the late Lord May, Irish Guards, sat beside me and in my lorry also was a Sergeant Clarke. (O Ruairc's book Blood on the Banner has him incorrectly as "May" however the original document says Capt Hay DSO and there is a George Harold Hay DSO in Royal Scots, whilst there is not a Capt May DSO.
1929 Dec 1. Capt G H Hay DSO, Royal Scots to be Major
1929 May 19 Arrives in Canada from UK on SS Empress of Australia. He is an Army Officer and is visiting his mother at Hamilton Ontario
1932 Nov 6. Represents the Royal Scots at a ceremony in Sweden.
1935 Jul 20 Marries Patricia Mary Hugonin
1937 Jun 1. Promoted to command 1 Royal Scots and raised to Lt. Col
1940 Jun 1. R. Scots. Lt.-Col. G. H. Hay, D.S.O., on completion of period of serv. in commd., remains on full pay (supernumerary)
1944 Aug 11. A daughter, Caroline Mary, born. They had 4 children.
1945 Jan 8. R. Scots. Lt.-Col. G. H. Hay, D.S.O. (5542) retires on ret. pay
1947 Jan 5. a second child Barbara Elizabeth born
1948 Aug 2. A third child Alexander Douglas.
1948 Aug 30. R Scots Lt -Col G H Hay , D S O (5542), having attained the age limit of liability to recall ceases to belong to the Res of Offrs
1948 Jun 4. To be Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Berwick. Lieutenant-Colonel George Harold Hay, D.S.O., of Duns Castle, Duns.
1950 Sep 13. The forth child born Philip Antony.
1967 Dec 13. Died
