Henry Finch, Bugler 28^th Foot

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Henry Finch, Bugler 28^th Foot

Henry Finch, by trade a labourer, was born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, UK about 1893.  He attested for the 28^th Foot on 19^th August 1809 at the age of 16.  His rank on the MGSM is that of Bugler (he would have been too small to be a Drummer, the rank given on his Waterloo medal).

In his service he served for 1 year and 4 months in Gibraltar and served for 3 years where he fought in the Peninsular wars of the early 19^th century.
His seven clasps are as follows: Barrosa, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes and Toulouse.  He was slightly wounded in the right breast at Bayonne.  He then served in France for 4 months before returning to Ireland.  He was back on the Continent to fight at Waterloo, where he was wounded, this time slightly, across the right eye.  He then served for a further 12 years in the Mediterranean, before returning to Ireland where he was discharged.

He served a total of 21 years 112 days with the colours when he finally retired to pension on the 8^th December 1830.  His Regimental Board gave his character on discharge, that in the opinion of the board "That his general conduct has been indifferent arising totally from drunkenness".

The following extract is from the book Wellington's Regiments The Men and Their Battles 1808-1815 by Ian Fletcher

In March 1810, Pte. Henry Finch had sailed to Gibraltar with the remainder of his battalion and at the battle Of Barrosa on March 5^th the following year the battalion fought and sustained 195 casualties.  During the battle Lieutenant Colonel John Frederick Browne, who had joined the regiment in 1781, commanded the 1/28th.  As Browne led his men against overwhelming French numbers he broke into his favourite song 'Hearts of Oak.'

1812 saw the 28^th play a minor role in Wellington's operations before it caught up with the main Allied army at Burgos in September of that year.  At Vittoria on June 21^st 1813 the 28^th led the attack on the 2^nd Division and during the day's fighting 200 of the 818 men of the 28^th became casualties.  During the fight at the pass of Maya on July 25^th 1813 a piquet of the 28^th, under Major Bradby, was surrounded by a French force of ten times their number and fell back up the hill, fighting to the last until every man was either killed or wounded.  At the same battle Ensign Hill, seizing the Colours shouting, "The Slashers shall never want a man to display their Colours to the enemy."  Hill was shot soon afterwards, but by the time the bullet passed through the folds of his handkerchief it had lost its force and he survived.  The 28^th's last action in the Peninsula came at Toulouse on April 10^th 1814 where it lost 31 men.

At the end of the War the 28^th left for Ireland but was back on the Continent in May 1815 at the start of the Waterloo campaign.  The regiment covered itself in glory first at Quatre Bras on June 16^th, where it lost 75 men and at Waterloo on the 18^th where the regiment lost 177 men.  On July 10^th the regiment entered Paris and returned home four months later.