George Frederick Findlater | |
|---|---|
 Findlater in 1898 | |
| Born | 15 February 1872 Turriff, Aberdeenshire |
| Died | 4 March 1942 (aged 70) Turriff |
| Buried | Forglen Cemetery, near Turriff |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1888–1898 1914–1915 |
| Rank | Sergeant Piper |
| Unit | Gordon Highlanders |
| Battles / wars | Chitral Expedition Tirah Campaign World War I |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
Sergeant George Frederick Findlater VC (16 February 1872 – 4 March 1942) was a Scottish soldier in the British Army, who was awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for gallantry, for his role in the Tirah Campaign. On 20 October 1897, Findlater, then a junior piper in the Gordon Highlanders, was shot in the ankles during an advance against opposing defences at the Battle of the Dargai Heights; unable to walk, and exposed to enemy fire, he continued playing, to encourage the battalion's advance. The event was widely covered in the press, making Findlater a public hero.
After receiving the Victoria Cross, Findlater supplemented his Army pension by performing at music halls, much to the outrage of the military establishment, but after growing scandal he retired to take up farming in Banffshire in 1899. In 1914, he re-enlisted in the Gordon Highlanders for the First World War; he served as the senior piper for the 9th Battalion until the end of 1915, when he returned home because of ill health. Active in a local pipe band, he continued to farm until his death in 1942, aged 70.