Colonel Robert Alastair Hay R.E. 1897 - 1984

In 1983 the Scottish Amateur Fencing Union celebrated its Diamond Jubilee, and a number of stalwarts who had been involved in its birth and others who had given it long and faithful service were present on that memorable occasion. But amongst those absent was one who would have dearly loved to have been there, and whom all present would have been delighted to see - Colonel Hay.

Until into his eighties the Colonel had been taking lessons regularly in epee from Professor Bracewell, but then a stroke laid him low. He ended his days in a Wiltshire nursing home where I visited him on my way home from the 1982 Commonwealth Fencing Federation Championships at Barnstaple. It was sad to see such a one-time vigorous, energetic man forced to support his tottering steps by a stout stick when his mind and memory were still active and alert.

As we talked, he recalled some of the great personalities of Scottish Fencing - Colonel Usher, for example, Tommy Hope, Christine Tolland, the Crosniers - but he also wanted to know how the Scottish team had done at Barnstaple and of the Union’s plans to commemorate our 60th anniversary. He was always as interested in the future as he was in the past.

And he had a past worth remembering. He started fencing at Harrow School shortly before World War l, then went to the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich and was commissioned in the Royal Engineers. Part of his military career he served in Gibraltar, and before World War II he was Military Attache in Berlin and able to speak disparagingly of the leading Nazis from personal acquaintance.

By the time he retired, he was entitled to the honorary rank of Brigadier, but as the highest substantive rank he attained was full Colonel, he used that title, a typically modest attitude. After his retirement he served for some years as Military Assistant to the Governor of Tanganyika.

His favourite weapon was the epee and he reached a commendably high standard in it, coming 9th in the Grande Semaine in Paris in 1925 and, towards the end of his competitive career, winning the Scottish Epee Championship in 1951. He captained the Scottish team at the Triangular Match in 1949, the first of the Home Internationals to be revived after the War. Fencing epee then and again next year when it was once more a Quad. He managed its teams in 1958 and 1959.

During the last decade of his life he was President of the Epee Club, an honour he greatly appreciated. Even when living in Edinburgh. He would go down to London to spectate at the major epee competitions in order that the Club might be represented by its President.

During the sixties when he was regularly in Edinburgh he was of great assistance to the university club as a coach. During the seventies he was often to be seen supporting fencing events in the capital. For several years he represented the Scottish Amateur Fencing Union on the AFA Committee.

One of his great enthusiasms was singlestick, and I have in my possession a pamphlet written by him explaining its rules and conventions. Does anyone still fence this weapon? He wrote a couple of articles about it in The Sword (1949-50), and from one of these it is clear that Hay fenced Singlestick at Gibraltar and helped to formulate the rules set forth in pamphlet. Just after the War quite a lot of singlestick was fenced in Edinburgh. I remember sampling it once, but one had no protection except a mask - not even a glove, much less a jacket - and the experience was fairly painful because I never was much of a sabreur. The great point about the weapon was that there was no jury or president: each man was in honour bound to acknowledge his opponent's hits, and if there was no cry of “Touché” there was no hit scored.

Those of us who knew him well will not quickly forget that tall distinguished figure with the surprisingly soft high-pitched voice. Always he followed the example of Chaucer’s parfait gentil knight, and dignity and authority informed his every word and action. I have warm recollections of his kindness and consideration. For instance, at that Triangular Match in 1949 which was held in the old AFA headquarters at Tenterden Street, two of us having no friends or relatives in London, stayed at an hotel. Colonel Hay, learning of this, invited us to be his guests for dinner at his London club the night before the match.

So it was with sadness that I learned of his passing. A link with the early days had been broken by relentless time. There can be few who have given so much encouragement to our sport throughout their whole lifetime, and who have derived so much enjoyment from it. It is with gratitude that we salute his memory - a Grand Salute to honour a Grand Old Man.

John M. M. Fleck

Past President of SAFU

(I am particularly indebted for information about Colonel Hay to his cousin Mr Charles Hay, to Mr Emrys Lloyd, and to Mr Neil L’Amie)