W. C. FINNIS

William Charles Finnis

1872 - 1962

William C. Finnis was born in 1872 to George E. Finnis and Helen S. Beck, in the town of Ballarat, Victoria. In c.1888 William joined his local rifle corps, the Ballarat rangers within the 3rd battalion of Victorian Volunteers. Whilst with the regiment he rose to the rank of Sergeant. In 1896 William immigrated to New Zealand to take up work with Wrigglesworth and Binns, a photography company. Almost immediately upon arrival he joined the NZ Volunteers, enlisting into the Christchurch Cycle Corps. On the 28th of December 1899, William married Sarah A. E. Spinster and on the 21st of April 1902 the couple had a daughter.

Lieutenant Finnis

1st North Canterbury Cycle Corps

On the 3rd of May 1910, whilst holding the rank of captain in the South Canterbury Regiment, William was awarded the Volunteer service medal. On the 17th of March 1911, the Cycle Corps was transferred to the 1st North Canterbury Regiment.

With the outbreak of WW1 William initially worked on the home front with the NZ Army general headquarters in Wellington. However, on the 1st of April 1917, he was assigned to the 23rd reinforcements of the NZ Service Corp and deployed to France where he worked at army headquarters, now the rank of major. In total he spent 1 year and 355 days with the NZ Expeditionary forces, with 1year 323 of those being overseas service. He returned to New Zealand on the 21st of March 1919, where he was discharged from the Expeditionary forces.

He continued to work within the military and retired during the early 1940's. From the mid-1920s until his death him and his wife would reside in Auckland, NZ. William would pass away in 1962.