Ensiklopedia Dunia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

David Finlay

Born	29 January 1893 Guardbridge, Fife
Died	21 January 1916 (aged 22) Iraq
Buried	Remembered on the Basra Memorial
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1910 - 1916 †
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	Black Watch
Battles / wars	World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross

David Finlay VC (29 January 1893^[1] – 21 January 1916) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

Finlay was the son of a shepherd named George Finlay and his wife Susan Small. He was 22 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 2nd Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 9 May 1915 near Rue du Bois, France, Lance-Corporal Finlay led a bombing party of 12 men in the attack until 10 of them had fallen. He then ordered the two survivors to crawl back and he himself went to the assistance of a wounded man and carried him over a distance of 100 yards of fire-swept ground into cover, quite regardless of his own safety.^[2]

Finlay was later promoted to the rank of sergeant. He was killed in action in Mesopotamia on 21 January 1916 and is remembered on the Basra Memorial.^[3]

Further information

Finlay is commemorated on the war memorial in Moonzie Kirkyard in Fife. There is now a memorial stone in the children's play park in the north end of Guardbridge his home village. The village also has a recently added street named after him.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Black Watch Museum, Balhousie Castle, Perth, Scotland.

References

^ Births (CR) Scotland. Guardbridge, Leuchars, Fife. FINLAY, David. 29 January 1893. 445/00 0014. Scotlands' People web site : accessed 21 December 2014.
^ "No. 29210". The London Gazette. 29 June 1915. pp. 6269–6270.
^ CWGC entry

External links

Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)
Batchelor, Peter; Matson, Christopher (2011). The Western Front 1915. VCs of the First World War. Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-6057-4.
Buzzell, Nora, ed. (1997). The Register of the Victoria Cross. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: This England Alma House. ISBN 0-906324-27-0.
David Finlay at Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Archives catalogue for the David Finlay Collection, The Black Watch Castle & Museum, Perth, Scotland.

Royal Regiment of Scotland

Battalions

Current	RHF (2 SCOTS) BW (3 SCOTS) HLDRS (4 SCOTS) 52 LOWLAND (6 SCOTS) 51 HIGHLAND (7 SCOTS)
Former	RSB (1 SCOTS) ASH (5 SCOTS)

Predecessors

1st generation	Royal Scots (1633–2006) 42nd Regiment of Foot ( 1661–1881) Royal Scots Fusiliers (1678–1959) King's Own Scottish Borderers (1689–2006) 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot (1756–1881) 71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot (1758–1881) 91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot (1759–1881) 74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot (1787–1881) 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot (1787–1881) 72nd Regiment, Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders (1788–1881) Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (1793–1961) 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot (1793–1881) 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot (1794–1881) 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot (1799–1881)
2nd generation	Highland Light Infantry (1881–1959) Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) (1881–2006) Seaforth Highlanders (1881–1961) Gordon Highlanders (1881–1994) Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (1881–2006)
3rd generation	Royal Highland Fusiliers (1959–2006) Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) (1961–1994) Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) (1994–2006)

Victoria Cross