More about Finlay Montgomery

Finlay was aboard the S.S. Harrow when she was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by German Submarine UB-41, on 08.09.1917.

Finlay’s father was Headmaster of Achiltibuie School, Coigach.

Finlay Montgomery was the son of Mr Roderick and Mrs Catherine Montgomery of Habost, Lochs, Stornoway and trained as a Teacher in Dundee. He was the Headmaster of Achiltibuie School, Coigach but volunteered to join the Royal Naval Reserve in Stornoway in July 1916. After training at Chatham he was drafted to HMS President III, the administrative base for men trained to man the gun in Defensive Armed Merchant Ships (DAMS). On completion of this course he was drafted to HMS Glory, the Flagship of the British North Russia Squadron based in Murmansk. In April 1917 it is probable that he returned to DAMS duties. In September he was serving onboard the SS Harrow which was sunk on 8 September 1917 by torpedo fired by the German submarine UB-41 approximately 4 miles South East of Whitby. She was en route from Granton to London with a cargo of coal. Two men died in the sinking. Finlay Montgomery’s body was washed ashore at Whitby and he was buried in the Lacasaidh Cemetery at Lochs, Isle of Lewis.