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Wing Commander Brendan Eamonn Fergus Finucane DSO, DFC & Two Bars (16 October 1920 – 15 July 1942), known as Paddy Finucane amongst his colleagues, was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilot and flying ace—defined as an aviator credited with five or more enemy aircraft destroyed in aerial combat. Finucane claimed, and was credited with, 28 aerial victories, five probably destroyed, six shared destroyed, one shared probable victory, and eight damaged. Included in his total were 23 Messerschmitt Bf 109s, four Focke-Wulf Fw 190s and one Messerschmitt Bf 110.〔Stokes 1983, pp. 191–194.〕 Official records differ over the exact total. After the war, two of Finucane's victories that were credited as probables had, in fact, been destroyed, but were not officially included. His total victory count could be as high as 32.〔Stokes 1983, p. 16.〕 Some sources credit him this figure.〔Reynolds 1942, p. 73.〕 Born into a Catholic family in Ireland of Irish and English heritage, Finucane grew up during the "early troubles", and the Irish Civil War. In 1936 the family moved to England where he developed an interest in aviation. Keen to fly, Finucane applied to join the RAF and in August 1938, was accepted for flight training as a pilot. After a shaky training career, in which he crash–landed on one occasion, he received news that he had successfully completed flight training. In June–July 1940, he began conversion training on the Supermarine Spitfire. On 13 July, Finucane was posted to No. 65 Squadron at RAF Hornchurch. Finucane's first victory was scored on 12 August 1940 during the Battle of Britain. During the campaign, he was credited with two enemies destroyed, two probably destroyed and one damaged.〔Stokes 1983, p. 191.〕 Promoted to acting flight lieutenant in April 1941, he joined No. 452 Squadron flying offensive patrols over France—known as the Circus offensive. During this period, Finucane had his most successful period of operations, destroying 20 German aircraft, sharing in the destruction of three, with two damaged and another two probably destroyed from 4 January–13 October 1941.〔Stokes 1983, pp. 191–192.〕 In January 1942, Finucane was promoted to the rank of squadron leader in No. 602 Squadron. Within six months, he was credited a further six individual victories bringing his tally to 28. Four more were damaged, four were shared destroyed and two credited as individual probable victories and one shared probable. In June 1942, he became the RAF's youngest wing commander in its history.〔Stokes 1983, pp. 193–194.〕 On 15 July 1942, Finucane took off with his flight for a mission over France. His Spitfire was damaged by ground–fire. Finucane attempted to fly back to England across the English Channel but was forced to ditch into the sea. Finucane vanished. After his death, Finucane's brother Raymond served as a bomber pilot in No. 101 Squadron RAF, and survived the war.〔Reynolds 1942, p. 72.〕 ==Early life== Brendan Finucane was born on 16 October 1920, the first child of Thomas and Florence Finucane of 13 Rathmines Road, Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland. His mother was English, originally from Leicester.〔Stokes 1983, p. 21.〕 Florence was not a strict Catholic and upon arriving in Dublin often refused to curtsy to priests as was customary. She was musical and attended the local church to participate in the choir. She bought a piano. Her decision to move to Ireland and seek adventure was inspired by her mother, who had travelled across Canada. Florence accepted the danger that came with living in Dublin at that time.〔 In 1919, she met Thomas Andrew Finucane, who had been involved in the Irish Rebellion. He had been taught mathematics at college by Éamon de Valera, leader of the Irish opposition. As a member of the Irish Volunteers, he served under de Valera's command in the 1916 Rising in Dublin. His allegiance was in contrast to Thomas' father—Brendan Finucane's grandfather—an Englishman who had served in the King's Own Scottish Borderers on the North-West Frontier Province. Thomas Finucane had ceased his political activism shortly before, and the couple married in October 1919, after Florence had converted to Catholicism.〔〔Byrne 2006, p. 28〕 The couple moved to Drumcondra in October 1919, where Thomas found a job as a bank cashier. The job did not pay well, but the two managed on his meagre wages. In early 1920, they moved to Grove Road in the Rathmines district, and Brendan was born in October. Soon afterwards, Brendan and his mother were nearly killed when caught in the cross-fire between the Irish volunteers employed by the British—Black and Tans and the Irish Republican Army (IRA).〔Stokes 1983, p. 22.〕 In 1921, Brendan's brother Raymond was born, followed by sisters Clare and Monica, and a brother, Kevin. The household was somewhat split over religious and political issues. Their father was a teetotaller and a strict Catholic who was rigid in his views. Their mother, however, encouraged the elder brothers to adopt a more liberal leaning in life. Brendan was educated at Synge Street and Marlborough Street. At 10, Brendan showed a keen interest in sport, particularly rugby.〔〔Baker 1962, p. 80.〕 In summer 1932, the Finucane brothers were taken to an air show at Baldonnel and had a 10-minute flight. Brendan expressed his desire to become a pilot, an ambition which strengthened during holiday visits to air shows at Swaythling and Eastleigh airfields. In August 1933, the family moved to New Grange Road, Cabra and Brendan started school at the Christian Brothers O'Connell School, a distinguished Roman Catholic school in North Richmond Street. There he became a successful rugby player, rower and a champion boxer. Among his classmates were future Gaelic football stars Michael O'Hehir and Philip Greene.〔Byrne 2006, p. 29.〕〔Stokes 1983, pp. 22–24.〕〔Reynolds 1942, p. 46.〕 After visiting England in July 1936, Thomas Finucane, then a company director, decided to set up an office in the West End of London on Regent Street. In November 1936, the family moved to England permanently and bought a house at 26 Castle Gate Road, Richmond in the London suburbs. Brendan was sent to Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School.〔〔 Brendan completed his schooling with good qualifications. He started in an office job as an accountant which he loathed. In 1938, the RAF began offering short-service commissions (SSC) to lower-class persons who met the academic standards of the time. It ensured four years as a junior rank on squadron service with flying lessons. A further six years would be spent on the reserve list. In November 1937, Brendan first approached his father about joining the British Armed Forces, considering a future war likely. Despite his Republican past, the senior Finucane agreed believing a military career would provide him a sense of direction lacking in his own youth. His parents cashed in their insurance policies, even though they needed the money and Thomas Andrew Finucane had been made unemployed.〔Stokes 1983, p. 24.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Brendan Finucane」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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