George McLay


George McLay MM was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Scottish League for Raith Rovers as a wing half.

Personal life

McLay served as a sergeant in McCrae's Battalion of the Royal Scots during the First World War and saw action at the Battle of the Somme. As McLay advanced near Poelcappelle during the Battle of Passchendaele on 22 October 1917, he became trapped in barbed wire and was shot multiple times, before being shot through the head. He was posthumously awarded the Military Medal for his actions. McLay is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Honours