Private William Jay and fellow patients at Kamptee hospital, 1915

Photograph, World War One (1914-1918), 1915 (c).

Jay enlisted with 1/5th Battalion The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) in August 1914 at Ashford in Kent. Following mobilisation, his battalion was sent to India. Initially posted to 5th (Mhow) Division, Jay was briefly hospitalised with illness at Kamptee. In November 1915 it transferred to 35th Brigade in 7th (Meerut) Division after landing at Basra in Mesopotamia. Jay was wounded at the Battle of Shaik Saad in January 1915 and on recovering served in Mesopotamia until he was killed in action at Dahra Bend on 15 February 1917.

One of 17 photographs taken or collected by Private William Pryor Jay.