Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Waterloo 1815 (Capt. J. Finucane, 2nd Batt. 30th Reg. Foot) contact wear to the obverse, otherwise very fine £2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals formed by the late John Darwent.

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James Finucane was commissioned as an Ensign in the 70th Foot on 18 May 1796, became a Lieutenant in the 4th Foot on 8 May 1801, and a Captain in the 97th Foot on 15 October 1803. Because of a personal financial embarrassment in 1807, Finucane was compelled to sell his Captain’s commission, but soon re-joined the Army as an Ensign in the New South Wales Corps on 15 October 1807, becoming Lieutenant in the regiment on 17 December 1807. He joined his regiment, soon to become numbered as the 102nd Foot, in New South Wales where he served from 29 July 1808, until his regiment was re-called to the United Kingdom in 1811 consequent to its involvement with deposing the Governor, William Bligh. Finucane purchased a Captaincy in the 102nd Foot on 15 August 1811, and exchanged into the 30th Foot on 2 March 1815. Being on holiday in France during the peace, Finucane nearly became a prisoner on the return of Napoleon. Finding it impossible to reach his regiment by crossing the frontier into Belgium, he was lucky enough to find a ship at Bordeaux sailing for Ostend and by this means was able to rejoin his regiment on the 17th of May and take part in the battle of Waterloo. Captain James Finucane was placed on half pay in 1817 on the disbandment of the 2nd Battalion. Sold with extensive research including extracts from The Traitors by Vivian Stuart which makes several mentions of Finucane.