In Memory of Chaplain 4th Class The Rev. WILLIAM JOSEPH FINN Army Chaplains' Department who died on 25 April 1915 Remembered with honour V BEACH CEMETERY The Rev. William Joseph Finn was the first priest to be killed in the First World War - ironically on a Sunday ....... "Helles Landing-Gallipoli", (Barnsley-2003), Huw & Jill Rodge, p. 134 And just to add a little extra on Father Finn - this is from Myles Dungan's book "They Shall Not Grow Old" There were many brave men at V Beach (and all over Gallipoli) that day, but you can't help but be struck by the bravery of a man that didn't have to actually be there. Fr. Finn's father and mother came from a place called Aghamore, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo. It was said that he was shot in the chest as he was leaving the boat taking the soldiers to the beach - he was also shot in arm and leg as he administered sacraments to wounded soldiers and then shrapnel took away most his head shortly afterwards. The Church of England minister, the Rev H. C. Foster, MA, wrote of his WWI experiences in a book titled ‘At Antwerp and in the Dardanelles’ published by Mills & Boon in 1918 - despite being from different backgrounds the Rev Foster and Father Finn developed a firm friendship while serving together. As a token of this friendship Finn presented Foster with a medallion of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Foster himself wrote “Father Finn’s death was a great grief to me and a great blow to his men who well nigh worshipped him.”
Father Finn is remembered with honour and pride at Mayo Memorial Peace Park http://www.mayomemorialpeacepark.org/Gallery/PeaceParkSep/gallery.html Annie
