Pilot Officer Solomon Kay, 1920-1944

Pilot Officer Solomon Kay, R.C.A.F., of Toronto, died on February 24, 1944, after he failed to return from air operations.  He was listed missing in R.C.A.F. Casualty List No. 844 on March 30, 1944. 

Pilot Officer Kay was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Kay of 3 Major Street, and was born in Poland in 1920  He attended Lansdowne Central Technical and Harbord Collegiate Schools, where he was prominent in athletics.  Pilot Officer Kay enlisted in the air force in July 1942, and trained at Lachine, Fingal and Mont Joli.  He went overseas in May, 1943, and made 32 operational flights over Germany and other parts of Europe.  He was a member of the crew of a Lancaster bomber which had strayed from its course over France.  The pilot, who was flying the bomber without the aid of a compass, suddenly discovered that they were way off course flying over Kiel Canal, deep in the heart of enemy territory.  They managed to right their course, but not before daylight approached.  They were forced to pass through dangerous enemy fighter belts, and on six occasions before they reached England they were attacked by German fighter planes.  Each time they evaded the enemy fighters, but they ran into further complications later when the fuel supply almost ran out.  It was entirely exhausted by the time their plane landed on its home field.  On another occasion, Pilot Officer Kay was a member of a crew that attacked Kessel in Germany.  The pilot flew the homeward journey blinded by his own blood.  Pilot Officer Kay was almost struck by this shrapnel burst, the pieces of flying metal having passed clean through his trousers and parachute.  After completing his tour of operations, he transferred to a Pathfinder squadron, and had completed three missions before being posted as missing. In 1948, his grave was located in the village cemetery of Bermeringen, 53 miles northwest of Strassburg.

Pilot Officer Kay's brothers, Ralph and Joe, also served with the Canadian Army, as did his cousin Hyman. 

*The majority of this text was taken from the volume Canadian Jews in World War II, Part II, Casualties. Montreal: Canadian Jewish Congress, 1948.

Picture and Document Gallery

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Thanks to the generosity of Messrs. Ralph and Joe Kay, the brothers of Solomon Kay, we have had the honor of viewing a fascinating variety of photos, letters, and other documents relating to the service of their brother Solomon. They have kindly given us permission to display some of them on this site.