Obituary

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31139, 16 August 1966, Page 20

Obituary

MR L. FINDLAY A prominent Lyttelton citizen, Mr Leonard Findlay, who spent most of his working life at sea, died in Christchurch last Sunday. Mr Findlay was born at Dundee in 1897.

For his service in Q shins during World War I, Mr Findlay was decorated by King George V in Liverpool Cathedral with the Distinguished Service Medal. Six months later he received a bar to his medal and one month after that, another bar. In 1918 he received the Medaille Militaire from the President of France.

During his North Sea service in Q ships, Mr Findlay served under Lieutenant-Com-mander W. E. Sanders, from whom the Sanders Cup yacht race takes its name. After the end of the war, Mr Findlay spent some years in the Merchant Service and transferred his home to Lyttelton. He spent only a brief period ashore and served for many years with the Holm Shipping Company. In 1941 he joined the Royal New Zealand Navy. He served as an able seaman with gunnery rating aboard the Philomel, Monowai and Cosgrove. He also spent a short time at the Canterbury shore station. Discharged from the Navy in 1944 at the age of 46, he returned to the Merchant Service and continued to live in Lyttelton. Although Mr Findlay retired at 60, he spent some itme as a nightwatchman at the port and, at the time of his death, had been working part-time on the staff of the Canterbury Hotel, Lyttelton. Mr Findlay is survived by a married son and daughter.