2nd Lieut. W. D. S. Finlay, AIF Clicking on Photo will return to Page E-F-G

FINLAY 2nd Lieutenant William Dalziel Seymour 2nd Reinforcements, 24th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force Born 12th April 1880, in Albert Park, Victoria. Educated: 'Albert Park Grammar School', Victoria. Single; Accountant / clerk, of 5'Strathallan', North Road, Brighton, Victoria / 9 Cambridge Street, Auburn, Victoria. Next Of Kin: Brother; Eric Arthur Finlay, of 'Noorie', 9 Cambridge Street, Auburn, Victoria. Despite 16 years of research, no photo is known to exist of 2nd Lieutenant Finlay. Should anyone have information on where we might find one, we would be most grateful.

Appointed 2nd Lieutenant, AIF 16th May 1915, but appears to have been enlisted earlier and sent to Officer Training School (No. 4). Possibly enlisted in the ranks approximately two months earlier.

130th/131st Casualty List: Sydney Town & Country Journal 12 Jan 1916 p15. States Lieut Finlay to be of 'Auburn'. Address also appears in other source as Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria.

Father; William Seymour Finlay. Mother; Margaret Finlay (nee Hardie).
NOK also listed as Brother; Eric Arthur Finlay, 'Noorie', 9 Cambridge Street, Auburn, Victoria.

Was dux of Albert Park Grammar School, 1893.

Brother; R.G. Finlay, in 1930 lived on Ned's Corner Station, River Murray via Mildura, South Australia.

Killed in heavy Turkish shelling of Lone Pine trenches while occupied by the 23rd and 24th Battalions (Major Manning, mentioned below, was of the 24th):
'It was on Manning's sector towards the northern end of the Pine that the main force of the bombardment fell. Part of the front line was almost entirely filled in; the men in Barber's Gallery (the old Traversed Trench) were completely cut off. Manning was wounded, and the casualties numbered 130. ...In the 24th, Lieuts. A.C. Fogarty (of Kew, Vic.) and W.S. Finlay (of Hawthorn, Vic.) and some 20 men were killed...' (Bean Vol. 2 p850 and 850n).

'On the morning of the 29th the 24th Battalion was to relieve the 23rd Battalion at 9 o'clock. While the relief was in progress the enemy commenced to shell the position, and the bombardment grew in intensity until 11 a.m., during which time every conceivable form of explosive the Turks possessed was hurled at us, and it was not before the early afternoon that the strafing ceased. Armour-piercing naval shells, which plunged deep into the ground, and lifted large masses of earth into the air, were plentiful in the destructive deluge. The enemy's artillery included 12-in. guns. Communication trenches and tunnels were blown in and men and materials buried, and the wholesector plunged into chaos. 'D' Coy., holding No. 1 section, and 'B' Coy., holding No. 3 section, suffered most severely, 'B' Coy.'s front line being in places entirely obliterated. Naturally, our casualties on this day were the heaviest so far experienced. Two officers (Lieuts. Chris Fogarty and W.S. Finlay), 11 N.C.O.s and 30 men were killed, while there was a long list of wounded.' (Harvey WJ p38-39).

‘Nov. 29 Turks opened fire using every available gun and broomstick bomb they possessed. All guns were trained on LONE PINE. The parapets of 1st firing line were blown down. B5, B8 & PLATEAU SAP was knocked rotten and outside communication was cut off. Clearing parties were buried time after time. Legs arms and bodies vied with each other in their velocity through the air. How those ‘Howitzers’ did hum, they never left anything where they fell.’ (Diary, L/Cpl Thomas Reginald Part, No. 77, 24th Battalion).

See also the records for Lieut. A.C. FOGARTY and Capt. H.F. GREEN.

'FINLAY - Killed in action at Gallipoli, 29th November, Lieutenant W. S. Finlay, 24th Battalion, eldest son of the late William and Margaret Finlay, of Hawthorn.' (The Argus 3 Jan 1916 p1).

'FINLAY - Killed in action at Gallipoli, on November 29, Lieut. W. Seymour Finlay, 24th Battalion, esteemed friend of H. Jeanneret.' (The Argus 8 Jan 1916 p1).

2nd Lieut. Finlay's name appears on a plaque on the back of a chair in the Melbourne Legacy boardroon.