Full medal write up
Norman Augustus Finch (1890-1966) was born at 42 Nineveh Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, on Boxing Day 1890, the son of John Finch, a postman, and his wife Emma Amelia. He attended Benson Road Board School and Norton Street Council School and worked as a tool machinist for the Birmingham firm H.W. Ward & Co, before joining the Royal Marine Artillery on 15th January 1908. He was described on his papers as standing 5ft 11, with brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion.
On 22nd/23rd April 1918 at Zeebrugge, Belgium, Sergeant Finch was second in command of the pompoms and Lewis gun in the foretop of HMS Vindictive. At one period Vindictive was being hit every few seconds, but Sergeant Finch and the officer in command kept up a continuous fire, until two heavy shells made direct hits on the foretop killing or disabling everyone except Sergeant Finch who was, however, severely wounded. Nevertheless, he remained in his battered and exposed position, harassing the enemy on the Mole until the foretop received another direct hit, putting the remainder of the armament completely out of action…………..
Postcard sized Approx 13.7 x 8.6 cm. The above taken from the fine vconline website:
http://www.vconline.org.uk/norman-a-finch-vc/4586699276.html
A scarce original period VC recipient VC photo postcard.