James Webster MacLay

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Category: 1915-16
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James Webster MacLay

Scottish Rifles

1/7th Batt. Scottish Rifles
He is remembered with honour on the Kilmacolm Roll of Honour, St Columba’s Roll of Honour, and Helensburgh War Memorial, Column 1 Line 25.

The family home was at Brantwoode, 4, Munro Drive, Helensburgh and Eastwood, Kilmacolm.
The son of William Paton and Mary Jane Fraser Webster MacLay.

James MacLay was born in Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire and grew up between his family homes in Kilmacolm and Helensburgh. He was educated at Rossall School, Fleetwood, Lancashire where he served in the cadet corps for four years. He later attended The Glasgow Academy before enlisting in the army.

His uncle, Joseph Paton Maclay was Minister for Shipping and two of his cousins also served and died; William MacLay at Gallipoli in 1915 and Ebenezer Maclay at Arras in 1918.

James died in February serving with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, but his death was not registered until June 1915. He was 18 years old and the youngest officer in his regiment.

The inscription on his headstone simply reads: 'Native of Kilmacolm, Scotland'.