This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who served in, and survived, The Great War. If anyone has further information on the men concerned, I’d be most grateful if it could be added to the thread. Gareth Finch, Ernest JP played for Wales Internationals: 7: 1924 F+ (1t) NZ- ; 1925 F+ (2t) I- ; 1926 F+ ; 1927 NSW (1t); 1928 I- Ernest Finch was born on 16 July 1899 at Pembroke Dock. Played as a Wing for: Pembroke Dock Comprehensive School, Monmouthshire Training College, Pembroke Dock Harlequins, Llanelli Profession: Schoolmaster Remarks: Played Association Football prior to taking up Rugby. War service: 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers, 3rd Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division. He died on 1 October 1983 at Haverfordwest.
Full Name - Ernest Finch Date Of Birth - 16/07/1899 Place Of Birth - Pembroke Dock (Wales) Clubs - Caerleon / Pembroke Dock Quins / Llanelli Education - Monmouth Training College (Wales) / Pembroke Dock County School (Wales) Others - Western Counties Wales Ernie Finch (16 July 1899 - 1 October 1983) was a Welsh international rugby union wing and played club rugby for Llanelli and county rugby for the Western Counties. Finch is most notable as the player who scored an excellent solo try against the 1924 touring New Zealand 'Invincibles' in their match against Llanelli. Born Ernest Finch in Pembroke Dock to Abram and Emily Finch. His father was a retired police officer who upon moving to Wales and marrying Emily, his second wife, became a school board attendance monitor. Finch first played senior rugby for local team Pembroke Dock Harlequins before moving to first class team Llanelli in 1922. Finch was first selected for Wales in the late game of the 1924 Five Nations Championship in an away game to France. Although Wales won, it was a messy Welsh performance caused by the decision of the Welsh Rugby Union officials to suspend Welsh player Ossie Male on the trip to Paris. The squad was thrown into turmoil, with several players being forced into unfamiliar positions. Finch managed to get his name on the scoreboard during the game when he scored one of two Welsh tries. Finch was re-selected for the next Welsh international, this time against the touring New Zealand team. Wales were completely outclassed and lost the game 19-0, and Finch would face the All Blacks just four days later as his Llanelli team played host to the tourists. The New Zealanders faced far stiffer opposition as Llanelli went on the offensive. The forwards tackled with ferocity and Llanelli may have won with better kicking accuracy. In the match, Finch scored Llanelli's only points with a memorable solo try. Finch took a quick line-out, took the returning ball and left Hart flat-footed as he sped past him. With the try line in sight the only All Black defender was George Nepia. As Nepia closed in, Finch stopped dead, Nepia paused and then threw a tackle which Finch dodged, leaving him a clear try line to score over. Finch was back in the Welsh squad in 1925 when he again faced France in the Five Nations Championship, this time in Wales at the Cardiff Arms Park. It was a more convincing Welsh performance and Finch scored two tries in an 11-5 victory. Finch held onto his place for the season's final Welsh international against Ireland, but found himself on the losing side against an impressive Irish team. In 1926 he played just one match, as part of Bobby Delahay's Welsh team to France, which Wales were narrow victors. Finch missed off the 1927 Championship for Wales, but was selected to face the touring Waratahs towards the end of the season; and although Wales lost, Finch managed his fourth and final international try for his country. Finch's final game for his country was in 1928 in Paris and it saw the first Welsh defeat by the French team. Five players from the game never represented their country again, and Finch was one of them.
I can't find an MIC I'm afraid ! The Royal Irish Lancers were one of three cavalry regiments that made up 3rd Cavalry Brigade, who in turn were part of 2nd Cavalry Division. 2nd Cavalry Divison (also known as Gough's Command) were part of the inital British Expeditionary Force which landed in France in September 1914. 3rd Cavalry Brigade consisted of three regiments of cavalry which were as follows: 4th (Queen's Own) Hussars 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers 16th (The Queen's) Lancers Later in February 1916 a newly formed squadron was attached to the brigade which was designated 3rd Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron. http://www.1914-1918.net/2cavdiv.htm The 5 Lancers, as part of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, were heavily involved and played a major role in the initial mobile actions fought by the BEF. They gained the distinction of being the last cavalry regiment to withdraw from Mons during the retreat; they also had the privilege to be the first British regiment to re-enter Mons after the pursuit in November 1918. Generally the First World War is described as a war of trench deadlock primarily fought by the infantry, gunners and engineers, this assessment is correct. It must however be remembered that cavalry regiments were expected to take their place in the line from time to time and did share the privations of trench warfare suffered by the infantry. On a number of occasions 5 L particularly distinguished themselves: in the defence of Guillemont Farm, June 1917, one DSO, 2 MCs, and 4 MMs were won and during the defence of Bourlon Wood in 1918 Private George Clare won a posthumous VC. While the main focus of the First World War remained with the armies fighting on the western front it was by no means the only theatre of war. In 1918 Allenby, a 5th Lancer and later a Field Marshal, reorganised British forces in the Middle East pushing his lines forward into northern Palestine. Allenby's Army broke through at Megiddo resulting in the collapse of Turkish resistance.
