Lieut. George Guy Finlay. Attd. 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment. Previously unpublished diary May-June 1915

[depaor01]

 

Lieut. Finlay died on 14th of July 1916 at the battle of Bazentin Ridge aged 26. His brother Robert A. Finlay precedeased him. Among some family papers I've been given, as a donation to our library archive, is a transcribed letter of his that I've scanned.

 

It is of interest as there are many 2nd Batt. RIR names. If anyone knows the full names I can add keywords both to this post and to our library archive on which it's hosted to aid in searching. Additional info will appear in bold below:

 

Galwey William Charles Vernon Galwey OBE MC & Bar
Col. Monteith (C.O.)
Capt. Blake (Adjutant)
Maloney (Quartermaster)
Fitzpatrick (Adjutant) Gassed
2/Lieut. C. MacKay
Capt. O'Callaghan (KIA) GERARD ARTHUR O'CALLAGHAN Captain 2nd Bn. Royal Irish Regiment Died 24 May 1915
Christie (KIA) JAMES HUGH CHRISTIE Major 2nd Bn. Royal Irish Regiment Died 24 May 1915 
Capt. MacSwiney (KIA)
Lieut. Lockatt Simpson (KIA)
McLaughlin (KIA) 
Pargiter (Wounded)
Fairbourne (Missing, later found to be a POW)
Shee
Hegarty
Taylor
Delaney
General (redacted) who has just taken over the command of the new 6th Army Corps
Capt. Mockler (1st Batt.)
Sgt. Delaney

It also has accounts of: "Irish Farm", Poperinghe, an account of German killing of Dublin Fusiliers POWs, Gas helmet testing, new model hand grenade testing and Ypres destruction. He mentions the Cloth Hall destruction as being reminiscent of this Irish recruitment poster:

 

 

If anyone has any insights as to the names mentioned, or the happenings described in the letter I'd love to add to his story and credit contributors:

 

http://source.southdublinlibraries.ie/bitstream/10599/12409/33/GGFinlayDiary_s.pdf

 

Thanks,

 

Dave

[IPT]

I guess that Galwey might have been William Charles Vernon Galwey OBE MC & Bar, as he was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Edward Galwey?

[depaor01]

Thanks IPT,

 

While composing the original post I did note all of the names in a separate document and promptly shut down my PC without saving it!!! 

 

I'll do this again tomorrow and edit the post to include names. 

 

Dave