Catalogue description David Finlay Collection

Photographs, Poetry, Newspaper Cuttings, Ancestry

Catalogue prepared to International Standard of Archival Description (General), 2nd edition.

Finlay, David (1893-1916) VC

Open access, by appointment.

Reproduction or publication of records is subject to the written permission of The Black Watch Castle & Museum.

Catalogue available on request

David Finlay was born on the 29th January 1893 in Guardbridge, Fife to parents George and Susan (nee Small) Finlay. His father was a shepherd who worked for George Dun at Woodmill, Falkland, Fife and his mother was a paper mill worker. George and Susan married on the 25th November 1892 in Guardbridge and went on to have a large family of ten children with David as the eldest. As a shepherd, his father moved frequently and consequently David attended a number of schools. It is known he attended Forgan, Gauldry and Balmullo Schools and possibly Glenfarg before he left education at the age of 14 and gained employment as a ploughman.
On the 5th February 1910, David enlisted in The Black Watch giving his age as 18.
He held the service number 1780, serving in Britain for two years and then travelling to India with the 2nd Battalion.
The Battalion departed Karachi and arrived at Marseilles, France on the 12th October 1914 in the early months of the war.
On the 9th May 1915 near Rue du Bois, France, Lance-Corporal David 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.
David was promoted to corporal less than a month after his actions at Rue du Bois, and on the 27th June 1915, he was promoted to Sergeant.
David married Christina Cunningham on the 27th July 1915 at 34 Crossgate, Cupar, Fife by declaration. He was presented with the Victoria Cross for his immense bravery at Rue du Bois three days after his wedding at Windsor Castle by King George V.
Later that year, on the 31st December, David was back with the 2nd Battalion, The Black Watch and posted to Basra, Mesopotamia where they were involved in the first attack on Hanna during the fighting to relieve Kut.
On the 20th January 1916, Sergeant Finlay along with Sergeant Mitchell found good positions and dug in about 300m from the Turkish line at Hanna.
However on the morning of the 21st, the Battalion launched a bayonet charge on the enemy after an artillery bombardment and David Finlay was killed during this attack.
He was one of 163 casualties suffered by the 2nd Battalion and his body was never recovered but he is commemorated on the Basra Memorial in Iraq.