Time for Murdoch's close-up

Click to see larger image.

J.M. Finlayson's close-up

I just scanned two images of my uncle James Murdoch Finlayson during the war years.  In this large group photo, Murdoch is on the 3rd row from the top, 4th from the left.  He's the fellow with the big smile on his face. I cropped and enlarged his image so you can see this good looking fellow a little closer. On the back of this panoramic crew shot is "Finlayson SK 2/c US Navy"...that's short for Store Keeper Second Class.  It wasn't long before Murdoch stepped up to Chief Store Keeper - Acting Appointment CSK (AA)  to Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), and served in the very same flotilla (Flotilla 18) that his brother Patillo Ainsworth Finlayson served.  Uncle Pat told me on several occasions how Murdoch was treated like royalty about the LST-312 anytime he came aboard to visit his kid brother.  Pat said that Murdoch the bookkeeper for the entire flotilla and made the payroll for every man on every ship...so I'm sure he was treated well.

J.M. Finlayson

Last night I found another image of Murdoch that I had never seen before, donning his Dixie-Cup hat.  He almost looks like he could be a movie star in this picture.  Even in his old age, he photographed well.  I wonder why our kinfolk didn't head to Hollywood with mugs like that?  They were all sharp and talented.  Perhaps is was that graceful Southern drawl of theirs (think Shelby Foote).  My dad was the only one in the family that seemed to have dropped his drawl along the way.

Anyway, these are images of Uncle Murdoch during his time in the Navy.  I thought my siblings would enjoy seeing these images, perhaps for the first time.
Note: James Murdoch Finlayson CWO, Service No. 724-08-14, Flotilla 18, LCT(5).  An earlier ship muster day has Murdoch in serving in Flotilla 9.  Records show that Murdoch enlisted in the United States Navy October 22, 1942