Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment, 3rd Battalion, Service no. 18101
Born: 25th November 1877. Died: 1942.
Story
David was born in Kippax and baptised 11th December 1887. He was the son of Thomas May and Harriet Prince, and his brother Prince May, also enlisted during the War. David married Louisa Goodall in Kippax on 31st October 1904, and they lived on the High Street, with their four sons: James William, Percy, Prince and Clarence. David was a coal miner employed by Silkstone Colliery.
David volunteered for service and enlisted on the 10th February 1915. It was noted he had few remaining teeth, but was deemed fit to serve. He was 5 ft 2¼ inches tall, and after training at Whitley Bay until 29th August 1915, he served with the West Yorkshire Regiment in the Mediterranean until 3rd January 1916. David was injured, suffering a gunshot wound to his right shoulder, in which he was knocked unconscious to the floor, and exposed to the cold for some time until he was rescued and revived. David was discharged from the Army on 21st August 1916 as he was declared medically unfit for active service.
David tried to claim a pension from the Army as his injuries had left him unable to return to coal mining. However, the Army refused to pay compensation on the grounds he had been diagnosed with rheumatism in 1892, and that this was a pre-existing condition. After an examination on 29th November 1916, the medical officer wrote that David had a “stiffness in back and head. There are wounds of back and right shoulder” but these had healed, although he had scabies. The report of the medical board stated David’s ailments “would be cured by work”, and the recommendation was to “advise him to work” as he had “no disability at present”. On 17th July 1917, an appeal was made, as David still complained of pain in all his joints and muscles. This was dismissed, and in a third report on 11th March 1921, the Medical Board stated that David “greatly exaggerates his symptoms.”
David and Louisa had a further son George Thomas May in 1918, who would later serve in the Second World War, and they moved to 9 Park Avenue, where in 1939, David was still “incapacitated by illness.” He passed away three years later at the age of 64.
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