11802
FINLAY, James
| Service Numbers: | 2606, S212027 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 September 1939, Adelaide, SA |
| Last Rank: | Warrant Officer Class 2 |
| Last Unit: | 70th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Hyde Park, South Australia, Australia, 1 January 1895 |
| Home Town: | Hyde Park, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clicker |
| Died: | 7 June 1953, aged 58 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 2606, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sep 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2606, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Anchises, Adelaide | |
| 1 Mar 1916: | Promoted Australian Army (Post WW2), Corporal, Promoted before wounded | |
| 20 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Corporal, 2606, 10th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières | |
| 4 Apr 1917: | Transferred 70th Infantry Battalion, Transferred to 70th battalion (England 4-4-17) | |
| 28 Jun 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 2606, 10th Infantry Battalion, Merris (France) | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Sergeant, 2606, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 6 May 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, 2606, 70th Infantry Battalion, 4th Military district RANK: Sgt. Unit: 10th Btn Date of Attestation: 19/4/15 Date of Embarkation: 26/8/15 Date of Disembarkation: 14-3-19 Reason for discharge: cessations of hostilities (fighting and getting wounded) Date of discharge: 6-5-19 His total service 4 years and 18 days Service aboard 3 years 201 days |
World War 2 Service
| 27 Sep 1939: | Involvement Warrant Officer Class 2, S212027 | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 1939: | Enlisted Adelaide, SA | |
| 27 Sep 1939: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Warrant Officer Class 2, S212027 | |
| 16 Nov 1945: | Discharged |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by St Ignatius' College
James Finlay joined the AIF at the age of 23 years and 3 months old. He was single and had no children, so he lived with his mother Florence Finlay in Adelaide. He was born in Australia. His occupation before the war was a clicker, which is a job in shoemaking. He had two years of prior experience with the Cadets. From his service record, when enlisting his height was 5 feet and 9 ½ inches, which is 1.5 meters. We were 159 Ibs, which is 72 KG. His body measures were chest - 84cm, skin colour- dark, eyes- brown, and hair – dark. He was a Methodist and had no tattoos or distinctive marks. He had full vision, meant that he was able to see normally, and he was vaccinated when young.
Finlay embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A68 Anchises on 2 September 1915. He reached Mudros in late November but probably didn't reach Gallipoli. In March 1916 he was promoted to Corporal and sailed with the 10th Battalion from Egypt to France. He was badly wounded in action on 20 August 1916 at Pozières, in his head, legs and arms. After recovering in England he rejoijed the 10th Battalion on Christmas Day 1916. Finlay was promoted to Lance Sergeant on 1 March 1917 and in April was transferred to training units. He rejoined the 10th Battalion on 22 November 1917 and was wounded for the second time on 26 June 1918, this time in the left leg. He returned to Australia in early 1919 and was discharged from the AIF on 6 May. For his service he received the 1914/15 Star, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.
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