Maj-Gen. Lord Edward Hay

Lt.-Col. Lord Edward Douglas John Hay was born on 2 November 1888. He was the son of William Montagu Hay, 10th Marquess of Tweeddale and Candida Louise Bartolucci.

He married, firstly, Violet Florence Catherine Barclay, daughter of Major Cameron Barclay and Hon. Charlotte Ernestine Beresford, on 18 October 1917.

He married, secondly, Audrey Clara Lilian Latham, daughter of Sir Thomas Paul Latham, 1st Bt. and Florence Clara Walley, on 5 July 1928.

He died on 18 June 1944 at age 55 at Wellington Barracks, Westminster, London, England, killed by enemy action.

Children of Lt.-Col. Lord Edward Douglas John Hay and Violet Florence Catherine Barclay

Maryoth Christina Hay b. 1 Sep 1918

David George Montagu Hay, 12th Marquess of Tweeddale+ b. 25 Oct 1921

Child of Lt.-Col. Lord Edward Douglas John Hay and Audrey Clara Lilian Latham

Caroline Susan Elizabeth Hay+ b. 16 Apr 1930

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Account of the bombing of Wellington Barracks

If the Luftwaffe could have chosen a target none would have been better than the Guards Chapel. It stood in Bird Cage Walk, St James and was the home of the Royal Guardsmen based at the Wellington Barracks.

The church was packed that morning with Guardsmen, their families and friends. Just past 11.00 a.m. not long after the service started, the congregation heard a distant buzzing. It gradually grew louder and turned into a roar overhead which drowned out the hymn singing. The engine cut out and the V1 glided down and hit the roof of the chapel. This was made of concrete, having been rebuilt after damage by incendiary bombs in the blitz. The V1 exploded on impact and the whole roof collapsed on the congregation. Rubble was piled up to 10 foot deep in parts.

121 military and civilians were killed and 141 seriously injured. Only the Bishop of Maidstone, who was conducting the service was totally unhurt. The altar from which he was conducting the service was covered by a portico which sheltered him from the blast.

Legend has it that after the explosion the alter candles were still burning.

It took 2 days to dig the dead and injured out of the devastation. News of this awful tragedy was suppressed at the time although rumours of the disaster soon spread across London. It was a graphic illustration at an early stage of the attacks what a V1 could do and ,in terms of lives lost was the worst V1 disaster.

You can visit the poignant guards chapel today which was re-built in the 1960's to a 1950's design. The portico which sheltered the Bishop of Maidstone survived and forms part of the re-built structure.