Robert Gordon-Finlayson

General Sir Robert Gordon-Finlayson, (15 April 1881 – 23 May 1956) was a senior British military officer who was appointed Adjutant-General to the Forces in 1939.

Military career Finlayson entered the British Army from the Suffolk Militia and was commissioned into the Royal Artillery as second lieutenant on 17 March 1900. He was promoted to lieutenant on 3 April 1901, and was attached to 131 Battery of the Royal Artillery, stationed at Chatham. Seconded to serve with the Imperial Yeomanry during the Second Boer War in South Africa from 25 April 1902, he received the temporary rank of captain serving in the 24th battalion, Imperial Yeomanry. He vacated his appointment with the Imperial Yeomanry on 1 August 1902, and returned to the Royal Artillery.

Finlayson served during the First World War, initially as a Royal Artillery officer with 7th Division from 1914 and transferring to 3rd Division in 1915. and made commander Rawalpindi District in India in 1931. He was also responsible for the Army Council introducing a colour bar, whereby only those of pure European ancestry could be commissioned as officers. He became General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command in 1940, from which post retired in 1941. He was also Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery from 1936 to 1946 and Colonel Commandant of the Royal Horse Artillery from 1937 to 1947.

Family Finlayson was married to Mary Leslie Richmond and together they had two sons, Air Vice Marshal James Richmond Gordon-Finlayson, Major-General Robert Gordon-Finlayson and a daughter, Mary Leslie, who married to become Mary Boyle, Countess of Cork.