DONALD E. FINCH
Electrician’s Mate First Class · Plankowner, USS Silversides (SS-236)
| Born / Died | 27 Sep 1910 / 12 Jan 1999 |
| Service no. | 385-60-63 |
| Commissioning rate | EM1c (15 Dec 1941) |
| Silversides tenure | From 15 Dec 1941; departure not yet recorded |
| Patrols aboard | Not yet established |
| Rate on appointment | Ensign (T), 17 Sep 1942 |
| Service | 1 Aug 1931 – 10 Mar 1953 (BIRLS) |
Prewar (1910–1941)
Donald Finch was born on 27 September 1910. In 1930 the family owned a multifamily home at 805 Puget in Sedro-Woolley, Washington, valued at $2,500, with two families renting. The house had a radio. His father Oscar (46) was a railroad agent, and Donald (19) worked as a laborer. His brother Douglass (23) was an orchestra musician, and the household included Raymond (17), Genieve (14) and his mother Nina (47). He enlisted in the Navy on 1 August 1931, at twenty. In August 1941 he left for the Snapper flag allowance of CSD 22 on the same date as the Sailfish group.
On Silversides (Dec 1941 – Sep 1942)
Finch commissioned aboard *Silversides* on 15 December 1941 as EM1c. He was a CEM(AA) by September 1942, and on 17 September he was appointed Ensign (T) on orders dated 15 August 1942, the same day Alvin R. Mumme was appointed Electrician (T). He then leaves the enlisted records as a mustang, and it is unclear how many patrols he made with the boat.
Patrol table pending: departure date and patrols aboard not yet established.
Later War (1942–1945)
His service after the appointment has not yet been traced.
Postwar (1945–1999)
BIRLS gives his discharge as 10 March 1953. He died on 12 January 1999.
Research Notes
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Sailfish group: Duckworth’s and De Muth’s notes place Finch in the Sailfish group that moved to the CSD 22 flag allowance on 21 Aug 1941, with Lester J. De Muth and James F. Duckworth. His own file does not show Sailfish.
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Open: OMPF, departure date, patrols made, postwar life.
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Source notes (carried over, verbatim):
1930 Census Oscar D. Finch (46) and Nina C (47). $2500 multifamily owned home with 2 families renting at 805 Puget in Sedro Woolley WA. Radio in the home. Douglass (23), Donald (19) Raymond (17) and Genieve (14). Oscar was a railroad agent and Douglass was an orchestra musician. Donald was a laborer.
CEM(AA) by September 1942, appointed Ensign 17 Sep 1942, orders dated 15 Aug 42. Leaves the dataset at this point as a mustang. Unclear where he served after Silversides, or for that matter how many patrols he went on with Silversides after this.
Sources: 1930 census; BIRLS; Silversides muster and ROC.