William Gordon Mackay was an engineer at the Tokomaru Freezing Company in Gisborne when he became an artilleryman. He almost died of influenza in early 1917 and was transferred to the Royal Navy Reserve on his recovery.
He was posted to the HMS Industry, a stores ship launched in 1900. The Industry spent the war going from port to port and supplying various naval ships. It seems that the Industry was the first ship to be painted in a remarkable colour scheme, the misleading "dazzle" paint scheme which was designed to make assessment of a ship's speed and direction difficult.
On October 18 a U-boat torpedoed the Industry, which managed to reach port but with only four survivors from a crew of 25.
LIEUT. W. G. MACKAY, R.N.R
Advice has been received from the Minister of Defence that Engineer Sub-lieutenant William Gordon Mackay, R.N.R., eldest son of Mr N. H. Mackay, 69 Frederick street, was killed in action on October 18. He left New Zealand with the 8th Artillery Reinforcements three years ago, and saw service in Egypt and France. As he was a Chief engineer, he was transferred for service in the Navy a year ago. He was educated at the Port Chalmers D.H. School and Otago B.H.S. He served his apprenticeship to the engineering with Gardiner and Co., Port Chalmers. Mr Mackay's second son has returned from France, while his youngest son is still serving there. -Evening Star, 25/10/1918.
William Mackay has no resting place that I have been able to find. It is possible that his remains lie where the Industry was damaged, in the Irish Sea. His name is inscribed on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, which carries the names of sailors whose grave is unknown - and is also used as a navigation point for the harbour.
HMS Industry - photo from "Historical RFA"
Northern Cemetery, Dunedin.
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