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KAY, Joseph Dawson
 | Rank: Private Year of death: 1915 Date of birth: 21/7/1896 Date of death: 6/11/1915 Place of death: Service number: 19500 Regiment: 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment Medals: Cemetery location: Manor Road, Section V Where remembered?: |
Biographical Information
Joseph was born in Scarborough, son of Joseph Dawson, a sailor, and Emma Kay., who were married at the Jubilee Chapel in Scarborough on 24/12/1895. At the time of Joseph’s birth the family was living at 21 Seamer Street, Scarborough. Joseph was the oldest of ten children and attended Friarage Board School. It was reported in the Scarborough Mercury dated Friday 19/11/1915 that “News reached his parents at 15 Spreightholme Steps, today (Tuesday) that Private Joseph Kay, 2nd Yorks, had been killed in France on the 6th of November. He had recently sent an emblematic postcard to his mother, on which were the words “To Victory”. The card is of artistic design and will be treasured as a memento of the dead soldier. Private Joseph Kay, who is the son of Mr George Dawson Kay, well known in seafaring circles, was about nineteen years of age. Before joining the forces he had been employed at the brickyard, Seamer Road” A subsequent issue of the paper said that he had died of wounds when a mine was exploded by the enemy.
Joseph’s mother never accepted that her son had been killed. A gypsy fortune teller had told her that Joseph had been taken prisoner and sent to the “salt mines of Prussia” to work.