Henry Finnis

Sir Henry Finnis
Born 21 April 1890
Died 31 May 1945
Buried at Rawalpindi War Cemetery
Allegiance United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch Indian Army
Years of service 1909 - 1945
Rank General
Commands held 3rd Bn 12th Frontier Force Regiment
Khojak Brigade
North Western Army
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Military Cross

General Sir Henry Finnis KCB, MC (21 April 1890 – 31 May 1945) was a British officer in the Indian Army.

Military career

Born the son of Colonel Henry Finnis, CSI CBE RE, Finnis was educated at Wellington and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.[1] He was commissioned on the unattached list for the Indian Army on 8 September 1909.[2] He was appointed to the Indian Army's 72nd Punjabis on 12 November 1910;[3] however he transferred to the 53rd Sikhs 22 February 1911.[4]

During World War I, he served in Egypt from 17 November 1914 to 17 July 1915, Aden from 18 July 1915 to 9 September 1915, Egypt from 10 September 1915 to 1 December 1915 and Mesopotamia from 2 December 1915 to 6 May 1916. During this time, he was wounded, was mentioned in dispatches twice, and was awarded the Military Cross.[3]

From November 1916 to May 1919, he was an Instructor at the Wellington Cadet College in India. This was followed by a posting as Brigade Major from May to October 1919 during the Afghanistan and North West Frontier Operations.[3] He transferred to the 52nd Sikhs (later 2nd Battalion of the 12th Frontier Force Regiment) in 1921. He also saw service during the Waziristan operations between 1921–24, including being a General Staff Officer 2nd grade from 17 March 1922 to 1 June 1923.[3]

He became commanding officer of the 3rd Royal Battalion of the 12th Frontier Force Regiment in November 1934.[5][6] He went on to be Instructor at Senior Officers' School in July 1936[7] and Commander of the Khojak Brigade in May 1938.[8]

He served in World War II as Military-Secretary at Army Headquarters, India from April 1940[3] and as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief North Western Army from 1943.[6] He died in May 1945, aged 55, and was buried at Rawalpindi War Cemetery in Pakistan.[9]

Family

He married Cecile Violet D'Oyly O'Malley, only daughter of Colonel A. W. D'Oyly O'Malley, CB in 1917.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes 1944
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28286. p. 6750. 7 September 1909. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Indian Army List Supplement 1941
  4. ↑ Indian Army List January 1919
  5. ↑ Indian Army List January 1935
  6. 1 2 Generals.dk
  7. ↑ Indian Army List October 1936
  8. ↑ Indian Army List January 1939
  9. ↑ The War Graves Photographic Project
Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Edward Quinan		 GOC-in-C, North Western Army, India
1943 – 1945 		Succeeded by
Cecil Toovey
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