Lay, Walter Charles Frederick
Corporal Walter Charles Frederick (Wally) Lay
Family/Last name:
LayForename(s) and initial(s):
Walter Charles Frederick (Wally)Place of birth:
OxfordDate of birth:
5/8/1908Nationality:
Service number:
5384156Military Unit:
Rank when captured:
Place of capture:
CassellPOW number:
10599Data sources
The National Archives (UK)Other Sources (WO416 records transcribed by and held at the UK National Archives. Data processed and prepared by Rick Catt and Brian Cooper + Relative's report)From Ray Read. 09/05/2024
Wally was my father-in-law. He was definitely Walter CHARLES Frederick Lay (not Clarence as originally recorded by TNA). Apparently he substituted Clarence for Charles in order to deceive his German captors. He didn’t know that he also confused his own side!
Wally died in November 1984. Like many of his generation, he spoke little of his time in captivity, but he bore no grudges, and even went to spend an evening once a week with a German neighbour to improve his German!
Alfred William James Lay was his brother.
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