Harry Finn

Major General Henry Finn, CB, DCM (6 December 1852 – 24 June 1924) was a senior officer in the British Army who served as General Officer Commanding Australian Military Forces from 1904 to 1905.

Harry Finn
Major General Harry Finn c. 1906
Born(1852-12-06)6 December 1852
Tenterden, England
Died24 June 1924(1924-06-24) (aged 71)
Sydney, Australia
Buried
South Head Cemetery, Sydney
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1871–1907
RankMajor General
Commands heldAustralian Military Forces (1904–05)
New South Wales Military District (1902–05)
Queensland Defence Force (1899–01)
Battles/warsSecond Anglo-Afghan War
Mahdist War
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Conduct Medal
Mentioned in Despatches (2)

Military career

Finn joined the British Army as a private in the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers in 1871.[1] He served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War of 1878 for which he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and mentioned in despatches.[1] He was commissioned into the 21st Lancers in 1881 becoming Inspector of Musketry for that Regiment in 1882 and Adjutant of the Regiment in 1884.[1]

In 1887 he was transferred to India and in 1898 he went to Sudan, fought in the Battle of Omdurman and was mentioned in despatches.[1]

Finn was placed on half-pay from his regiment, and was promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant-colonel on 2 March 1900.[2] Selected for the appointment in Australia as Commandant of the Queensland Defence Force,[3] he was granted the local rank of colonel whilst so employed from 2 March 1900.[2] He became Commandant of the New South Wales military area in 1902.[1] In 1904 he became General Officer Commanding Australian Military Forces and in 1905 he was made Inspector-General of the Australian Military Forces.[1] He was a keen horseman and rode to and from his residence at Dawes Point Battery every day.[4]

An inkwell made from the hoof of the horse Finn used in 1898 can still be seen at Victoria Barracks in Sydney.[5]

Family

In 1886, he married Catherine Scott and they went on to have two daughters and one son.[1]

gollark: You can just mute them *when* discomforting things happen, or possibly mute <#348702212110680064> if you mostly care about esolangs.
gollark: See, I was halfway through writing about why that wasn't a good solution.
gollark: I think it is somewhat more valuable to be able to have reasonable discussion about controversial topics than to make some people able to not mute things at some points.
gollark: The lines are arbitrary but not having one would not work well.
gollark: Broadly speaking, inability of children to consent to things.

References
  1. Harry Finn at Australian Dictionary of Biography
  2. "No. 27170". The London Gazette. 2 March 1900. p. 1436.
  3. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36080). London. 3 March 1900. p. 9.
  4. The Barracks Guard Sydney Morning Herald, 24 December 1946
  5. A Look at the History of Officers Mess Victoria Barracks 1848 – 2001 by John Kreckler
Military offices
Preceded by
Major General Sir Edward Hutton		 General Officer Commanding Australian Military Forces
1904–1905		 Succeeded by
Major General William Bridges
as Chief of the General Staff in 1909
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