LIEUTENANT COLONEL G.R.P. FINDLATER, ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS. Seven: General Service Medal 1

THE PALESTINE, 2ND WORLD WAR CAMPAIGN GROUP AND 1953 CORONATION MEDAL AWARDED TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL G.R.P. FINDLATER, ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS, WHOSE FATHER, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL W.A.V. FINDLATER, D.S.O., ALSO SAW SERVICE WITH THE ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS, AND WHOSE GRANDFATHER, SIR WILLIAM FINDLATER, WAS MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR COUNTY MONAGHAN 1880-85. Seven: General Service Medal 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (officially named, impressed in plain block capitals: LIEUT. G.R.P. FINDLATER. R. IR. FUS.); 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, 8th Army clasp on ribbon, Italy Star, 1939-45 Defence and War Medals, Coronation Medal 1953 (latter six medals unnamed, as issued).

Mounted court style, as worn, generally Extremely Fine.

Group accompanied by a matching set of dress miniatures, mounted loose style, as worn, Lieutenant-Colonel Findlater’s original green feather hackle, and a registered package (box) addressed to Colonel Findlater at Stream Lane, Hawkhurst, Kent, which would originally have been used to forward Lieutenant-Colonel Findlater’s WW2 campaign medals.

Group accompanied by biographical details and a copy of Lieutenant-Colonel Findlater’s obituary from the Royal Irish Fusiliers regimental journal, “Quis Separabit”.

George Richard Park Findlater (1909-1963) was born on 3rd November 1909 in West Bengal, the son of William and Lelia Findlater was first commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Irish Fusiliers, 29/8/1929, and promoted Lieutenant, 29/8/1932, Captain, 1//8/1938, Acting Major, 1/10/1941 to 31/12/1941, Temporary Major, 1/1/1942 to 13/6/1942 and 12/7/1942, and Acting Lieutenant Colonel 12/5/1942 to 2/6/1942.

Findlater was Specially Employed 24/3/1939, attached Sudan Defence Force

Lieutenant-Colonel Findlater’s obituary reads as follows:

“In our last number we briefly reported the death of Dick Findlater, which occurred at East Hoathly on March 17 of this year. George Richard Park Findlater was born in November, 1909, and was the second son of the late Lt.-Col. W. A. V. Findlater, Royal Irish Fusiliers, and Mrs. Findlater, of Tenterden, Kent. He was educated at Harrow and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was granted a Regular commission as Second Lieutenant in the Regiment in 1929. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1932 and Captain in 1938. During 1936 he served with the Battalion in Palestine, and in March 1939 was seconded for duty with the Sudan Defence Force, with whom he saw active service against the Italians on the borders of Eritrea. He was appointed acting Major in 1941, and from then until the end of the war gravitated between the ranks of Major and temporary Lieutenant-Colonel. He ceased to be employed with the Sudan Defence Force in June 1942 and later served with the 8th Army in North Africa and in Sicily and Italy with the 38th (Irish) Brigade. From 1947 to 1949 he was G.S.O.2, H.Q. Canal North District in Egypt, and from 1949 to 1952 held the rank of temporary Lieutenant-Colonel. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in February 1952 and commanded the 5th Battalion (T.A.) until November 1954, when he was appointed Commandant of the Intelligence Corps Centre at Maresfield. He retired in 1957. During his service with the Regiment and elsewhere he was awarded the General Service Medal (clasp Palestine), the 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal and the 1939-45 Medal. He also qualified at the Staff College. Dick was well liked in the Regiment, and his death came as a shock to his many friends. We offer our deepest sympathy to his widow and son, and to his mother, brother and sisters.”

Lieutenant-Colonel George Findlater’s father, Lieutenant-Colonel William Alexander Victor Findlater, D.S.O. (1880-1957) was born on March 19, 1880, in Dublin, the son of Sir William Findlater. His obituary, also published in the Royal Irish Fusiliers regimental journal, reads as follows:.

William Alexander Victor Findlater was born on March 19, 1880, son of Sir William Findlater of Killiney, Co. Dublin. He was educated at Harrow. In November, 1900, he was gazetted to a regular commission in The Royal Irish Fusiliers from the Devon Militia, and joined the 2nd Battalion in South Africa in February, 1901. He returned home the following June. In June, 1902, he rejoined the Battalion in South Africa and from it he was posted to the Regimental Depot in Armagh for a tour of duty, during which time he married Miss Leila Blackwell in Dublin in 1904. By the middle of that year the 2nd Battalion had been moved to the North- West Provinces of India, and there, at the expiration of his tour of duty at the Depot, he re-joined his Battalion with his bride. The young couple quickly established themselves in the affections of all for their gay spirit and welcoming hospitality, which never failed and always meant so much wherever they went. In 1905 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and in 1911 to Captain, and transferred to the 1st Battalion in Aldershot. In October, 1912, Capt. Findlater was appointed Adjutant of the 4th Battalion (Cavan Militia), an appointment that was to prove more onerous than usual in that it involved mobilisation in 1914 and the move of the Battalion to barracks in Dublin. In 1915 he was promoted Major and in December of that year joined the 1st Battalion in France. On arrival he assumed command as the senior officer present. On January 21, 1916, he handed over to Major R. G. Shuter, D.S.O., and in March was posted to the 4th Divisional School of Instruction. At the end of May, Major Findlater was posted back to the 1st Battalion to command, and appointed temporary Lt.-Colonel. Under his command the Battalion trained for, and took part in the initial phases of the Battle of the Somme, which opened on July 1. At the end of the month the whole Division was moved to the Ypres salient to rest and recuperate. In October it returned to the Somme battle area, when the Battalion suffered very heavy casualties as the battle ground itself to a standstill in the mud. During this grim period Col. Findlater’s cheerfulness and unfailing sense of humour in the face of such devastation was an example to all and did so much to keep up the high morale of the Battalion. At the end of December he handed over command and returned to the U.K. On reorganisation after the war all temporary ranks were relinquished and Major Findlater rejoined the 2nd Battalion at Southend. In 1922, on the reduction of the Regiment to one battalion, he remained with the newly constituted Battalion until September 1923, when he was appointed to command the remnants of the Depot in Armagh; this was really a matter of packing up and handing over the buildings to The Royal Ulster Rifles. This done, he rejoined the amalgamated Battalion and sailed with it in January 1925, for Moascar in Egypt. While there, his eldest son joined the Battalion as a 2nd Lieutenant. Major Findlater retired in August 1926, and was granted the honorary rank of Lt.-Colonel. After leaving the Regiment he took up residence at Tenterden, Kent. Two years later he was elected to the Town Council and became Mayor in 1930, and was made an Alderman in 1932. He was some time President of the Tenterden Branch of the British Legion. During the Second World War he was 2IC of the local Home Guard; at the end of it he had the great satisfaction of seeing both his sons Lt.-Colonels in his old regiment. In 1947 Lt.-Col. Findlater retired from the Town Council of Tenterden. He died on March 28, 1957, having just passed his 77th birthday. The funeral took place privately at St. Mildred’s Church, Tenterden. He was a very loyal Faugh and valued friend, who will be greatly missed by all who new him.

Lieutenant-Colonel George Findlater’s grandfather, Sir William Findlater (1824-1906), a prominent merchant and politician, was the member of parliament for county Monaghan, 1880-85.