Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Great War Posthumous D.C.M. group of four to Sapper A. W. Kay, 57th Field Company, Royal Engineers, who was decorated for endeavouring to rescue a wounded man under very heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, at Kemmel, near Ypres on 12 March 1915; Sapper Kay was killed in the attempt and so was the wounded man he went out to save

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (23921 Sapr. A. W. Kay. 57/F. Co. R.E.); 1914 Star, with clasp (23921 Sapr: A. W. Kay. R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (23921 Sapr. A. W. Kay. R.E.) together with Memorial Plaque (Arthur William Kay) in its card envelope with Buckingham Palace enclosure and outer O.H.M.S. transmission envelope addressed to his father, and named Memorial Scroll (Sapr. Arthur William Kay, D.C.M. Royal Engineers) extremely fine (4) £2,000-£3,000

D.C.M. London Gazette 3 June 1915:
‘For conspicuous gallantry in endeavouring to rescue a wounded man under very heavy machine-gun and rifle fire. Sapper Kay was killed in the attempt and so was the wounded man he went out to save.’

Arthur William Kay was born in Birmingham and joined the army before the war. He landed in France on 16 August 1914, with the 57th Field Company, Royal Engineers, as part of the original British Expeditionary Force. He was killed in action on 12 March 1915, whilst attempting to rescue a wounded comrade, 23356 Sapper H. S. Regan, who unfortunately also died.

The War Diary for 57th Field Company R.E. indicates that from March 7th to March 13th the unit involved in laying out and supervising the digging of new trenches near Kemmel. During that period five other men were reported as being wounded but Kay and Regan were the only two fatalities. Both men are commemorated in Wytschaete Military Cemetery, their graves originally known to have been in the R.E. (Beaver) Farm cemetery but could not be found when these small cemeteries were amalgamated after the armistice. The cemetery is located about 7k south of Ypres. Kay was aged about 20 when he died and was the son of Mr & Mrs A. E. Kay of 49 Cartland Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham.

Sold with copied research including photographs of the headstones of both men buried close to each other.