Orders, Decorations and Medals

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

DISTINGUISHED FLYING MEDAL, G.VI.R. (1390619 F/Sgt., R.A.F.); 1939-45 STAR; AIR CREW EUROPE STAR; WAR MEDAL, together with the recipient's 'Navigator's, Air Bomber's and Air Gunner's Flying Log Book', 'Path Finder Force Badge' certificate, 'Caterpillar Club' membership card, and several original letters, good very fine (4)

D.F.M., London Gazette, 23 March, 1945, Flight Sergeant Donald David Finlay, R.A.F.V.R., No. 429 Squadron, Wireless Operator.

Sergeant Finlay joined No. 429 Squadron, R.C.A.F., in September 1943, and flew in Halifax bombers as Wireless Operator. His aircraft was posted missing on the night of 30 March 1944, during operations to Nuremburg, Finlay's sixteenth operation. The following account of his is taken from M19 records:

'I baled out 10km S.E. of Flaxwseiler at 0320 hrs and proceeded to walk N.W. until 1200 hrs when I reached Stuppich by Weves. The village Stuppich consisted of one house. After watching the house for two hours and seeing only one girl and her mother, I approached them and asked them for food and water which they gave me. The son then came in from the fields with another man who was just a labourer - the father was already deceased, how I don't know. I slept in the stable till evening when the girls fiancee came along and after I had eaten again he took me to his home and left me in a stable adjoining his house. This was Altlinster and I remained here till 14 Sep 44 when I visited the American Embassy in Luxembourg to inquire for transport and ways and means of returning to England. No transport was available but I obtained a Laisses Passer to go to Paris, which I reached by asking for lifts on the road. I arrived in Paris at 2100 hrs 16 Sep 44, but owing to confused directions was unable to find the necessary authorities, so I went to the American Embassy who found me a bed to sleep for the night and contacted R.A.F. Military Police at 0900 hrs 17 Sep44.'

After a few days at Warboys N.T.U., Finlay was posted to No. 405 (Vancouver) Squadron, R.C.A.F., on 29 November 1944. Now in Lancasters and part of No. 8 (Pathfinder) Group, he flew a further 26 bombing missions. No. 405 was the only R.C.A.F. Squadron to be chosen as part of the elite Path Finder Force.