BORN HULL 1875. SON OF AUSTIN FINN, A STEVEDORE, AND CATHERINE CONLY, FROM DRYPOOL, HULL. ONE OF NINE CHILDREN. WILLIAM WAS A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST FROM SANCTON, NEAR MARKET WEIGHTON. HE SERVED WITH THE DUBLIN & MUNSTER FUSILIERS AND LANDED ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE GALLIPOLI LANDINGS, ON 15TH APRIL 1915. THE REGIMENT LOST 21 OFFICERS AND 560 MEN, WITHIN THE FIRST 15 MINUTES OF THE LANDINGS. HE WAS WOUNDED IN THE CHEST, WHILE GIVING ABSOLUTION TO A DYING SOLDIER ON THE BEACH AND DIED ON 25TH APRIL 1915. HIS DEATH & PHOTOGRAPH WERE REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL ON 8TH MAY 1915.* HE LEFT £2,212 IN HIS WILL TO HIS BROTHER, FRANCIS PATRICK FINN, A MASTER STEVEDORE.
HIS BROTHER, BECAME COUNCILLOR, FRANK FINN, KCSG, AND LORD MAYOR OF HULL. FRANK PAID FOR A NEW ‘CHURCH OF THE SCARED HEARTS’, TO BE BUILT IN 1927, AT 280 SOUTHCOATES LANE, HULL AND DEDICATED THE CHURCH TO HIS BROTHER, WILLIAM FINN, KILLED AT GALLIPOLI, IN HEROIC CIRCUMSTANCES. THE PHOTOGRAPH, IS FATHER FINN’S GRAVE MARKER, FROM THE IMPERIAL WAR COLLECTION.
1. http://hullcatholics.weebly.com/sacred-heart-hull.html
2. http://www.dublin-fusiliers.com/battaliions/1-batt/campaigns/1915-gallipoli.html
