b. 20/08/1889 Cardross, Scotland. d. 26/06/1967 Helensburgh, Scotland.
George De Cardonnel Elmsall Findlay (1889-1967) was born on 20th August 1889 at Leabank House, Cardross, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. His father, Robert Elmsall Findlay DL JP was born in Manila, Philippines, and was educated at Harrow and Balliol College, Oxford (BA 1877, MA 1878). He served in the Queen’s Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry from 1st July 1881 until 1892, retiring as a major. He served again in the Lanarkshire Yeomanry as a lieutenant from 11th April 1900 until 1908. He was a director of Findlay, Richardson & Co, a Glasgow firm of East India Merchants trading with Manila and Japan. He was also a director of the Scottish Amicable Life Assurance Society and a director of the Union Bank of Scotland. He married Jane Cecilia Louise nee Scott on 10th August 1882 at St Mary’s Church, Birnam, Perthshire. George had four siblings: Charles, Jane, Robert and James.
George C E Findlay
VC MC*
George was educated at St Ninian’s Preparatory School, Moffat, Dumfrieshire, where was the captain of the Football XI and Rugby XV, and Harrow School, Middlesex from 1903-08. At Harrow, he won the Spencer Cup for the best schoolboy shot at Bisley in 1907 and was captain of the winning eight at Bisley in 1908.
George entered the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in 1908 and won the revolver shooting competitions in 1909. He was commissioned with the Royal Engineers on 30th January 1910, serving initially with 5th Field Troop. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1912 and was appointed Assistant Adjutant for Musketry at Chatham. He broke both legs in a riding accident and was granted sick leave for ten months. As he was still recovering when the Great War broke out, he trained recruits before proceeding to operational service with 24th Field Company RE on 5th March 1915. He was promoted to captain on 30th January 1916, and was staff officer to Chief Royal Engineer V Corps from April – June 1917. He was appointed acting major from 27th June 1917 to 23rd September 1919 and commanded 409th (1/1st Lowland) Field Company RE from June 1917 to September 1919.
He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions on 10th November 1917 at Passchendaele, when he worked for hours in heavily shelled areas and deep mud to establish communications and undertook successful night reconnaissances over difficult ground. He went forward to carry out a reconnaissance and tape extensions to a new track and No.6 Track forward of Source Farm. The positions in this area were very obscure and he had to inform the infantry holding the farm of their positions.
He would then be awarded a Bar to his Military Cross for his actions between 17th – 19th October 1918 in the area of Vaux Andigny and Vallee Mulatre. He carried out personal reconnaissances prior to and during the fighting under heavy shell and machine gun fire to effectively ensure the maintenance of lateral communications across a river, a task given to his company.
He was then awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Sambre-Oise Canal on 4th November 1918, a week before the Armistice. He was initially awarded the DSO but this was upgraded to the VC and the DSO was cancelled. He was also Mentioned in Despatches four times. He represented the Western Division RE at the Paris Victory Parade on 14th July 1919. The VC and MC & Bar were presented by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 27th November 1919.
A modest man, he was always very reluctant to describe the incident, which took place on the first day of the second battle of Sambre, which was part of the final offensive of the war. But he did speak about it in an interview with the Helensburgh Advertiser in 1964.
“I was acting Major commanding the 409 (Lowland) Company at the time. Many of the company were miners, and I have kept in touch with them ever since,” he said.
His engineers built a bridge across the Sambre-Oise Canal near Catillon despite intense enemy opposition. The canal was the first barrier to be encountered by troops in the northern attack, and the British XIII and IX Corps reached the canal first.
German guns quickly ranged the attackers and bodies piled up before the temporary bridges were properly emplaced under heavy fire. When the infantry tried to cross the bridge, they were driven back and their officers killed. Colonel Findlay rallied the infantrymen and led them across the bridge.
He said: “Our division had to force two crossings and by dawn both were successful. I led one crossing. But the French did not get over until seven that night, and there were a lot of casualties.”
He married Dorothy Bertha Gordon on 8th September 1921. They had no children, and the marriage was annulled in around 1933. George had been appointed Adjutant 52nd (Lowland) Divisional Engineers (TA) between March 1920 and March 1924. He commanded 59th Field Company RE in 1924 and was later appointed Deputy Chief Royal Engineer (Works) in Liverpool. He took up works appointments at Dehra Dun, North-West Frontier Province, India and Karachi (now Pakistan). He returned to regimental duty as Assistant Commandant, Queen Victoria’s Own Madras Sappers & Miners at Bangalore, India. He later commanded the training battalion there. Promoted to major in 1926 and lieutenant colonel in 1933. He returned to England on sick leave in 1934 and was appointed Chief Royal Engineer, Highland Area, Perth that October. He retired on ill health on 1st August 1939.
He was recalled in September 1939 and appointed temporary colonel on 3rd March 1940. He was appointed Chief Royal Engineer, Northern Ireland District on 14th July but retired due to ill health on 27th January 1941 as a honorary colonel. He served in 2nd Dunbarton Battalion, Home Guard as a major from 25th March 1942 and transferred to Z Battery, 136th Anti-Aircraft, part of the Clyde Heavy Anti-Aircraft Group. He served in Italy with the Allied Military Government 1943-46.
George married Nellie Constance “Connie” Clark on 3rd June 1959 at St Bride’s Episcopal Church, Glasgow. George attended a number of VC reunions – the VC Garden Party in 1920, the VC Centenary Celebrations in Hyde Park in 1956 and the 1st and 3rd VC & GC Association Reunions at the Cafe Royal, London in 1958 and 1962. He was a keen sportsman, particularly game shooting, rifle shooting and horse riding. He was also an excellent pianist.
George died at Drumfork House, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire on 26th June 1967 and was given a private funeral at his own request at Kilmaranock. He was buried in the family plot at Kilmaranock Churchyard, Gartocharn, near Loch Lomond. He is commemorated with a British Legion bench in Hermitage Park Garden of Remembrance, Helensburgh, on the Harrow School Speech Room VC memorial, on the Royal Military Academy Woolwich VC Honour Board, on the For Valour Board at the Royal Engineers Museum, Gillingham, Kent, on the memorial at Glasgow Central Station, and with a VC commemorative stone placed at Drumfork House, Helensburgh on 4th November 2018.
In addition to his VC and MC and Bar he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19 with Mentioned in Despatches oakleaf, 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, War Medal 1939-45, George V Silver Jubilee Medal 1935, George VI Coronation Medal 1937 and Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953. The medal group is held by the Royal Engineers Museum, Gillingham, Kent.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: ROYAL ENGINEERS MUSEUM, CHATHAM, KENT.
BURIAL PLACE: KILMARANOCK CHURCHYARD, GARTOCHARN, SCOTLAND.
