Wing Commander Brendan Finucane, D.S.O., D.F.C. & 2 Bars

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Paddy Finucane

 

15 July 1942

154 Squadron ?

Spitfire Vb BM308

Mass Rhubarb noon (Low level fighter sweep seeking targets of opportunity) Hit by ground fire, ditched and sank in the English Channel with aircraft.


RAF Fighter Command Losses - Franks.

Franks gives 154 Squadron needs to be confirmed.

Regards
Peter.

 

15 July 1942

154 Squadron ?

Spitfire Vb BM308

Mass Rhubarb noon (Low level fighter sweep seeking targets of opportunity) Hit by ground fire, ditched and sank in the English Channel with aircraft.


RAF Fighter Command Losses - Franks.

Franks gives 154 Squadron needs to be confirmed.

Regards
Peter.

Peter

According to Wynn's Men of the Battle of Britain, Finucane had been appointed Hornchurch Wing Leader on June 21st 1942. Therefore I believe he would not have been attached to any particular Sqn. It may be that on the day he was shot down he was flying as part of the 154 Sqn formation.

Finucane was appointed Wing Commander Flying at Hornchurch June 21 1942.After attacking ships at Ostend and strafing a German airfield on July 15, the Wing reformed to return to Homchurch. As it passed at low level over the beach at Pointe du Touquet, Finucane's Spitfire was hit by machine gun fire from the ground and his radiator was damaged. His engine began to overheat and Finucane apparently prepared to bale out but was too low. The engine stopped and he crashed into the sea, never to be seen again.
Finucane's last words over the R/T before hitting the water were 'This is it chaps'. He is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 64. His portrait was done by Cuthbert Orde in October 1941
Regards

Nick

 

Peter

According to Wynn's Men of the Battle of Britain, Finucane had been appointed Hornchurch Wing Leader on June 21st 1942. Therefore I believe he would not have been attached to any particular Sqn. It may be that on the day he was shot down he was flying as part of the 154 Sqn formation.

Regards

Nick

Cheers Nick,

I did think that was the explanation, just wanted it confirmed.

Regards
Peter.

 

A superb pilot and leader.

Here is a photo of him from 'The Battle of Britain by John Frayn Turner'.

Brendan "Paddy" Finucane, RAF #2 Ace.... - Aircraft of World War II - Warbird Forums

Paddy Finucane - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Regards
Tom

 

Just added so you can see his Irish Connection-I assume the 'B' is for Brendan.

 

I've just finished listening to an interesting radio show that followed Kevin Finucane on his return to Dublin in which he remembers his brother W/C B Finucane. There are stories from his school friends as well as pilots that he served with.

RTÉ.ie Radio1: Documentary on One

You will need Realplayer to listen to the show.

Nick

 

Regarding Paddy Finucane

When I passed through Hornchurch, a long time ago,his pet dog was still living and looked after by the RAF Police at the gatehouse.It was allowed the freedom of the station.Its particular modus operandi was to chase everyone who walked through the gates continually yapping at their feet.

 

Just to confirm that W/C Finucane was flying with No154 Squadron when he was lost.

Pilot Officer Alan Frederick Aikman, RCAF, a member of No.154 Squadron since January 1942, was wingman to W/C Paddy Finucane when the latter killed in action.

 

I came across the following in Battle of Britain by Norman Franks and thought it was worth adding here.

No 65 Squadron used Rochford during one period. The conditions were some what primitive. Their Spitfires were parked into the wind while the pilots used an old civilian clubhouse as flight hut, restroom and eating place. There they would wait for the call for action. Parked outside the clubhouse was a 15-hundredweight Bedford truck and a motorbike which was used to get to the aircraft in a hurry when the call came.
In the clubhouse was a single telephone which was answered by whoever was sitting nearest to it, while everyone else made for the door at top speed, aiming for the truck. 'Thumbs up and away they went, leaving the chap on the phone to get the whole message then follow on the motorbike and pass on the message as they climbed away on takeoff. 'Thumbs down' stopped the panic and everyone settled down again.
One morning a young pilot named Paddy Finucane was nearest the phone and his sign sent everyone aboard the truck and away. As the pilots took to the air they looked down to see Finucane get onto the bike, fall off and try to climb back from the other side. With obvious signs of panic he jumped up and down as the others flew off without him. Upon landing it was discovered that Finucane could not ride a motorbike nor drive a car. They never let Finucane sit by the telephone after that.

Nick

 

Of all the Irishmen who fought in the second World War, none was better known in their time than Brendan "Paddy" Finucane.
Finucane was just 21 when he died 70 years ago tomorrow. At the time of his death, he was the RAF’s top operational pilot and its youngest wing commander.
His record of 32 victories (downed enemy planes) was achieved in just two short years.

Read more

Celebrated Irish RAF pilot recalled - The Irish Times - Sat, Jul 14, 2012

 

Peter,

Thank you for this reminder.

A quite remarkable man - I hadn't realised he was so young. Churchill invoked Paddy Finucane's name regularly during the 1941/42 period.

I should go up to Englefield Green to see the memorial...

best

 

As soon as I saw the heading-'Irish RAF Ace remembered'--I knew that it had to be Finucane. What an amazing record for such a young man.

 

A remarkable young man.
Thanks for the link Peter.

 

Good link - hidden away on the Irish Times site is a further link to a RTE radio doc.

Worth listening to, I would think as it is narrated by his younger brother Kevin.

Update - now listed to it. It includes some very evocative recollections from Kevin Finucane about their family background (eg their mother had been engaged twice during WWI and both men had died before meeting Mr Finucane, who was in England in 1918/19 - he had taken part in the 1916 Easter rising), and also some of Brendan's comrades recalling the details of RAF's actions during 1942.

RTÉ.ie Radio 1: Documentary on One - In Search of 'Paddy' Finucane.

 

I do recall this name, read about his exploits as a youngster. Pilot supreme RIP Paddy

 

RIP Paddy Finucane.

Per Ardua Ad Astra