British Army Veterinary Corps
David HANNAY
Captain
Died 17 January 1918 · Aged 36
His story
Captain David Hannay MRCVS was the son of William and Isabelle Hannay of Portobello, Edinburgh.
He entered the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College in October 1904 and qualified MRCVS in May 1909. After qualifying he worked as an assistant to John Hutton MRCVS at Pringlebank in Kelso, Roxburghshire, and bought the practice in February 1910 on the latter’s death.
He was commissioned as a temporary Lieutenant in the Army Veterinary Corps in September 1914 and embarked for France in the same month. He served with 7th Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery, through the early war campaigns and was awarded the 1914 Star with Bar. He was promoted to temporary Captain in September 1915.
He died, aged 36, at No. 2 Red Cross Hospital, Rouen, on 17th January 1918. His entry in the Army Register of Effects gives the cause of his death as “Self-inflicted wounds”.
He is buried in St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France.
Captain Hannay’s death was reported in the Veterinary Record on 9 February 1918.
Before the war
- Nationality
- British
- Date of Birth
- 1882
- Place of Birth
- Edinburgh, Midlothian , Scotland
- Veterinary College and Date of Graduation
- Edinburgh - May 1909
Military service
- Last Rank
- Captain
- Regiment/Service
- British Army Veterinary Corps
- Secondary Regiment
- Royal Horse Artillery
- Secondary Unit
- 7th Brigade
- First Theatre of War
- France September 1914
Medals and commemoration
- Name on RCVS Honour Board
- Yes
- Name In Officers who died in Great War
- Yes
- Medals and Awards
- British War Medal 1914-1918; Victory Medal
Death and burial
- Date of Death
- 17 January 1918
- Age at Death
- 36
- Place of Death
- Rouen, France
- Cause of Death
- Self-inflicted wounds
- Cemetery
- St Sever Cemetery
- Location
- Rouen, France
- Grave Reference
- Officers B.5.14
- Commonwealth War Grave
- Yes - CWGC Headstone
- Emblem or Badge on Headstone
- British Army Veterinary Corps
Sources and further reading
- CWGC casualty and commemoration record
- Find a Grave memorial
- The Veterinary Record, 9 February 1918 — cited in the earlier biography
Cite this biography
Graham Hodgkins and Pete Matthews, “David Hannay”, Veterinary Virtual War Memorial, https://vetsremembered.org/people/david_hannay/.
Contribute information
Can you add a letter, family photograph or document that tells us more about his life before service? Please give its source and any permission needed for display.