FINCHER John

Appears on the Army casualties list for Worcestershire.

John Fincher and his twin sister Janet were born in Crowle on 14th June 1925, the children of George William and Annie May (nee Morgan) Fincher.  He enlisted in the army at Worcester on 15th July 1943.  At the time of his enlistment he was 5 feet 1¼ inches tall with blue eyes and fair hair.  He was employed as a gardener.  John served at home from 15th July 1943 to 23rd June 1944, during which time he was transferred to the Kings Regiment on 13th January 1944.  On 4th April 1944 he was attached to the East Lancashire Regiment, posted overseas on 24th June 1944 and was transferred to the Royal Scots on 27th June 1944.  Just 2 days later and only 5 days after landing in France, John was posted missing on 29th June 1944.  In August he was ‘now reported killed in action 29th June 1944.’

His effects consisting of wallet, letters, photos, greeting cards and flints were sent to his father, George William Fincher, Commandry Cottage, Lower Crowle, nr Worcester.  815 French francs were forwarded to the Paymaster, Glasgow to be credited to John’s account.

As told by Betty Aldridge nee Fincher, the sister of John Fincher, in the 1990s:
During some of our genealogy chats, my grandmother (Betty Aldridge), stated that a letter had been sent home to her mother at Lower Crowle, by a priest from Pershore, and that it was he who found John’s body. My grandmother clearly remembered the contents of the letter all of her life, in which the priest had stated that John did not suffer. John was killed in or near some woods, along with several others, close to the cemetery site where he is buried. John’s body was wrapped in the very blanket which he had carried on his back, and he was then buried in it nearby. The priest saw to many of the burials, and had notified all of the families as to what had happened.
John Fincher loved horses; he had just acquired his first job, and planned to get a horse of his own – but his call up papers arrived instead.