Arthur William Gay
Memorial: South Gloucestershire war dead not on a local memorial
Regiment: Royal Navy
Medals: British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Leading Seaman 208877
Parents: Abraham Isaac and Tamar Gay
Home address: North Common, Warmley, Bristol
Date of birth: 15/10/1883
Place of birth: Bitton, Bristol
Date of death: 24/04/1917
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Not commemorated on a local memorial.
Age: 33
Further information:
Arthur was born in Bitton, the son of a journeyman/mason and the eldest child of eight children with five sisters and two brothers.
Arthur enlisted in the Navy in October 1901 at the age of 18 when he was described as 5' 2" tall with dark brown hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion. He gave his former occupation as colliery boy. By 1913 Arthur had grown in height to 5'8 ½ ". Arthur served in both peacetime and wartime and his first ship was HMS Impregnable. He joined his last ship the HMS Monmouth when it was stationed in North America and the West Indies from December 1916 to the end of 1918. During that time the vessel did not take part in any military engagements and Arthur died as the result of accidental drowning on the 24th April 1917.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
https://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-05-HMS_Devonshire.htm