The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (411763) Pilot Officer Vincent Bernard Joseph Finn, No. 455 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Second World War

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Troy Clayton, the story for this day was on (411763) Pilot Officer Vincent Bernard Joseph Finn, No. 455 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Second World War.

Pilot Officer Vincent Bernard Joseph Finn, No. 455 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force
KIA 15 August 1943
Photograph: P10388.001

Story delivered 5 December 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Pilot Officer Vincent Finn, whose photograph is displayed today beside the Pool of Reflection.

Born in Sydney in 1912, Vincent Finn was working as a jackaroo when he enlisted with the Royal Australian Air Force in May 1941 at the age of 28. He became part of the Empire Air Training Scheme, which encompassed almost 27,500 RAAF pilots, navigators, wireless operators, gunners, and engineers destined for service in Europe with Britain’s Royal Air Force.

Finn undertook training in Australia and Canada, and received his pilot’s badge in February 1942. In October 1942 he was sent to Britain, where he joined No. 455 Squadron. He was appointed flying officer in May 1943.
The squadron was originally part of the RAF’s Bomber Command, but by the time Finn began flying with it No. 455 had been transferred to Coastal Command. Coastal command had a triple task: “find the enemy, strike the enemy, protect our ships”.

Finn flew Handley Page Hampden medium bombers, nicknamed “the flying tadpoles”.

On 15 August 1943 Finn and his crew of three left their base at RAF station Leuchars, on the east coast of Scotland, to carry out shipping reconnaissance on the Norwegian coast. The squadron history notes:

Pilot Officer Finn and crew were not heard of after take-off and are posted as “missing”. Aircraft B saw what appeared to be the wreckage of a blazing aircraft in Rommel Fjord.
All other crews out that night returned safely to base. Later Finn and his crew were officially presumed killed in a flying battle. No trace of the missing aircraft or crew was ever found.

Finn had been engaged to Miss D. McCaffery of Newcastle when he died.

Finn’s name is listed on the Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede in England, alongside the names of over 20,000 airmen with no known graves who died in the Second World War during operations from bases in the United Kingdom and in northern and western Europe.

The name of Pilot Officer Vincent Finn is also listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with around 40,000 others from the Second World War. His photograph is displayed beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Pilot Officer Vincent Finn and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.

Emma Campbell
Writer, Military History Section