FINN, Charles Arthur
| Service Number: | 6289 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 October 1915, Gilgandra, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 13th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Mount McDonald, New South Wales, Australia, 1888 |
| Home Town: | Gilgandra, Gilgandra, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | St Joseph's Catholic Convent School Peak Hill |
| Occupation: | Blacksmith |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Noreuil, France, 7 April 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
H.A.C. Cemetery, Ecoust-St. Mein, France II E 6 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Gilgandra Coo-ee March Gallery, Gilgandra District Roll of Honor, Gilgandra NSW 100th Anniversary of The Cooee March, Gilgandra War Memorial |
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Dennis and Eliza Jane FINN, Everton, Gilgandra, New South Wales
IN MEMORY OF THE DEARLY LOVED SON OF MR.& MRS. FINN OF GILGANDRA
Charles enlisted with the Gilgandra Coo-ees and marched to Sydney to train at Moore Park with the 13th Field Company Engineers unit. On March 21, 1916 he embarked for Alexandria on the HMAT Armadale. After further training at Tel-el-Kabir, Egypt and Etaples, France, Charles was taken on strength with the 13th Field Company Engineers in August 1916.
Other than a three month stay in hospital for influenza, Charles remained with his unit in the Somme until he was killed in action on April 7, 1917.
According to the Red Cross Missing and Wounded Report, Charles was killed with Lance Corporal Shepherd. They were removing detonators from German mines when a shell came over, killing them both. In 1920 Charles’ mother was notified that he would be exhumed from the original isolated grave and reinterred in the Commonwealth War Grave, HAC Cemetery, St Mein, France.
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