Robert Ewan “Ewan” Hay

Sergeant · NZ #15302 · T1 Patrol

What this roll records

ONE TRUCK CREW, THREE MEN OF THIS ROLL, PHOTOGRAPHED TOGETHER ON THE WAY HOME. The Evening Star of 19 August 1944 printed them at Dunedin railway station under the caption: “TROOPER T. A. MILBURN (Dunedin), CORPORAL M. CRAW, M.M. (Palmerston North), TROOPER R. E. HAY (Dunedin). - These three members of a truck crew in the Long Range Desert Group were all taken prisoners of war when their truck overturned during a raid on an aerodrome at Barce in September, 1942. The two Dunedin men were placed in the same prison camp and Corporal Craw was sent to a camp further north. When Italy withdrew from the war, all three escaped, and were reunited in Cairo and came back to New Zealand in the second furlough draft.” Milburn NZ #17850, Craw NZ #37112 and Hay NZ #15302. Source: Evening Star, 19 August 1944, via Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand).

Cenotaph record linked. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

March 1942 roll (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy): Sergeant

Barce Raid, Sept 1942 (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy): Gunner — POW

Captured in North Africa: T1 Patrol, 14 Sep 1942, Barce. escaped Italy 1943. Source: "Names of LRDG NZ personnel captured in North African campaign" (per Brendan O’Carroll).

Aged 60 at death. Buried/commemorated: Andersons Bay RSA Cemetery, Dunedin (Block 13A, Plot 10). POW at P.G. 78, Sulmona, Italy. Painter in civilian life. Embarked/served with 2nd NZ Divisional Cavalry Regiment. Also recorded as Robert Ewen. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

The Kiwi Scorpions (Brendan O'Carroll): Sgt R. E. Hay — painter, Dunedin; born Dunedin, 11 Dec 1913; prisoner of war 14 Sep 1942; escaped Sep 1943.

At Barce (13–14 September 1942) stopped to pull the badly wounded Trooper Yealands from Craw’s burning truck and was himself taken prisoner; he escaped a year later. Source: ‘The Barce Raid’, Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (NZ official war history).

Painter, of Dunedin; born Dunedin, 11 Dec 1913. Prisoner of war 14 Sep 1942, escaped Sep 1943. Source: Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (biographical notes).

Took part in the Barce Raid with T1 Patrol, 13/14 September 1942. Source: Brendan O’Carroll, ‘The Kiwi Scorpions’ (Appendix VIII, T1 Patrol members who took part in the Barce Raid, September 1942).

See him in the full roll →

Where this comes from

• Missing info added from the LRDG Preservation Society’s Troopers roll.
• AKA added from the LRDG Preservation Society’s Troopers roll (missing information).
• Additional sources (AWMM Online Cenotaph). Nominal Roll 2NZEF No. 4, p.153; No. 14, p.42. Unit history: Loughnan, R. (1963). Divisional Cavalry; Mason, W.W. (1954). Prisoners of war. External links: Italy imperial POW list, section 4 (Zenodo): https://zenodo.org/records/4560909 Also cited: Record partially compiled from Allan Steel Cemetery Project (2020).

In collaboration withThe Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) Preservation SocietyTo add information about this man, or note a correction, please post in the Society’s Facebook Group →

This page is part of the Long Range Desert Group roll of members at lrdgarchive.org. If you hold rights to anything on it and would like it credited differently, or taken down, please see Sources and Copyright. It will be dealt with promptly.

Not By Strength But By Guile