FINIGAN, Richard O'Donnell
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Unit: | Australian Army Chaplains' Department |
| Born: | 9 November 1880, place not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Methodist Minister |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Jan 1916: | Involvement Australian Army Chaplains' Department, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Medic embarkation_ship_number: A7 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Jan 1916: | Embarked Australian Army Chaplains' Department, HMAT Medic, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Sharyn Roberts
Two Wars
A chaplain in two wars, Rev. R.O'Donnel Finigan, present chairman of the North Coast Methodist District Synod, was on active service with the 1st A.I.F. and rubbed shoulders in Australian camps with their sons of the second A.I.F.
It seems that among the things father and son had in common were a dislike of formal parades and a hunger for interesting information. Mr. Finigan describes the Sunday morning church parades as "one of the most elaborate bits of ceremonial in the Army. In the main it was cordially detested by the men not because they were anti-religious or anti-padre but because they had to dress for the occasion. Australian soldiers were hungry for information on any interesting theme, I have known a chaplain to lecture for two hours to a crowded audience on the ancient history of the Sinai peninsula-dry enough, in all conscience."
In his duties as censor of mail, Padre Finigan came across one young Digger who every week wrote three letters to three girls living in different parts of the world. However he ended each letter in the same way: "When the war is over and we are settled in our own little home." Mr. Finigan does not know how it all ended, but admits the possibility of the Digger becoming a Mormon or Mohammedan and marrying all three girls.
In World War 1, Mr. Finigan served with Light Horse in Sinai and Southern Palestine and with the 4th Machine Gun Battalion in France, where his C-O. was Lt. Col.Harry Murray, V.C., D.C.M., D.S.O. and bar, C.M.G. and French Croix de Guerre. In the last war he was in camp with the 1st Militia Division, which included the Byron Bay Regiment (4lst Bn.) commanded by Col. Foster.
Northern Star Tuesday 19 February 1946 page 4
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