Orders, Decorations and Medals

An evader’s D.F.M. group of four awarded to Flight Sergeant D. D. Finlay, Nos. 429 (Bison) and 405 (Vancouver) Squadrons, Royal Canadian Air Force

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1390619 F/Sgt. D. D. Finlay, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal, together with the recipient’s original Navigator’s, Air Bomber’s and Air gunner’s Flying Log Book for the period January 1943 to September 1953, Certificate of Award of Path Finder Force Badge, letter confirming membership of the Caterpillar Club and Membership Card, forwarding letter for D.F.M. and the King’s letter, extremely fine (4)

D.F.M. London Gazette 23 March 1945. Flight Sergeant Donald David Finlay, 429 (R.C.A.F.) Squadron. The following recommendation was extracted from official records: ‘Flight Sergeant Finlay has participated in sixteen attacks on enemy territory, including two attacks on Berlin and attacks on Frankfurt, Leipzig and the Ruhr. He has at all times proved himself to be a conscientious and valuable member of his crew, never lacking in courage, fortitude and cheerfulness. During his sixteenth sortie which was against Nuremberg on the 30th of March, 1944, his aircraft was shot down over enemy territory, but Flight Sergeant Finlay evaded capture and on his return to this country six months later requested to be sent back to his old squadron to finish his tour of duty.’

Donald Finlay attended 7 Air Gunnery Course, 3 Air Gunnery School, during March and April 1943. He was at 1664CU in August and September, before being posted to No. 429 Squadron on 26 September 1943. On his sixteenth sortie with 429 Squadron, against Nuremberg on the night of 30 March, 1944, he was shot down and baled out 10 km south east of Flaxweiler. At the village of Stuppich he was taken in by a family who later moved him to Altlinster, where he remained hidden in a stable until the 14th September. After a visit to the American Embassy in Luxembourg where he obtained the neccessary travel permit, he hitched his way to Paris. There, he again went to the American Embassy who put him in contact with the R.A.F. Military Police on September 17th for his homeward journey.

After a course at Warboys NTU in November 1944, on Lancaster III bombers, Finlay was posted to No. 405 Squadron at the end of that month. This Squadron formed part of No. 8 Pathfinder Group and Finlay completed a further 26 operational sorties with it, including daylight raids on the Urft Dam, Essen, Cologne, and Hamburg. His final sortie was a night raid against Schwarndorf on 16 April 1945, which brought his total number of operations to 42.