Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The C.M.G. Bestowal Document and other ephemera relating to Surgeon Rear Admiral E. J. Finch, Royal Navy, the C.M.G. document named to ‘Ernest James Finch, Esquire, Fleet Surgeon, and dated ‘6 September 1916, the document slightly torn in parts and lightly stained to the reverse, therefore reasonable condition £60-£80

C.M.G. London Gazette 6 September 1916.

Ernest James Finch was born in 1864 and entered the Royal Navy as a Surgeon in February 1891. As surgeon of H.M.S. Alecto, he served in West Africa in the Benin expedition under Rear-Admiral Bedford in 1894, was present at the reduction of Brohemie, and received the East and West Africa Medal with a clasp for Benin. Advanced Staff Surgeon in 1899 and Fleet Surgeon in 1907, he served with the Royal Naval Division during the Great War in Belgium from August 1914, and was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 5 November 1915); he subsequently served in Gallipoli as A.D.M.S. of the division, and was appointed a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George.

Finch accompanied the division to France in 1917, and was present at the battle of Beaumont-Hamel. In November 1917 he was appointed medical officer of H.M.S. Valiant and was promoted to Surgeon Captain in June 1920, being posted to Portsmouth. He retired with the rank of Surgeon Rear-Admiral on 1 October 1923, and died at Yelverton on 22 December 1934.

Sold with copied research including a photographic image of the recipient.