Memorials & Monuments
on the Isle of Wight
- Biography -
- Findon Brothers of Sandown -

... Mr. W.H. Findon, on behalf of Messrs. W.H. Findon and Co., applied for an exemption for Archie Harold Gray, printer's overseer, stone hand, maker-up and machine man. It was explained that Gray was the only man of military age left in the business, excepting the proprietor, that five men had left for the Services and much had already been done in the introduction of female labour. It was, however, impossible for females to lift the heavy forms of type used in the business, and Gray was competent to take control of the plant. He had been mainly in charge of the machinery for the past six years. Gray had been passed for home service only. - The military representatives assented to the application conditional on the man continuing to be employed as at present. - In reply to the Chairman applicant said it was impossible to get other men. He had been advertising, but in addition to the men of military age who had joined up, others had gone out of the trade into munition works. Further, older married men could not be persuaded to make the move to the Island. - Conditional exemption.
Mr. W.H. Findon made application for an exemption on his own behalf. He pointed out that he was solely responsible for the conduct of the business, doing the whole of the journalistic work in connection with the newspaper and managing the business himself. He had a family of six very young children dependant on the business, the eldest being only nine. - The military assented to a conditional exemption which was granted.

At a meeting of the Sandown Tribunal an application was made through the Military for a review of the case in which a conditional exemption had been granted to Mr. W.H. Findon (38), married, 5, High Street, described as working journalist. No new facts were advanced, and in reply to questions by members of the tribunal, Mr, Findon, who is editor-proprietor of the I.W. Chronicle, and manager of the printing business associated therewith, stated that there had been practically no change to his circumstances since he was granted exemption in May last. Asked what course of action he would adopt if he had to go, Mr. Findon said he could see no alternative but to realise what he could. He had been before the Medical Board and was classified C1 - for service at home or in provisional units. - The tribunal upheld conditional exemption.

We read with the utmost regret of the sudden death last week of Mr. Walter Harry Charles Findon, third son of Mr. W.H. Findon, C.C. and Mrs. Findon, of Sandown. Mr. Walter Findon, who was only 23 years of age, was married as recently as Jan. 20th last, and his young widow and parents will have the deep sympathy of their many friends in their sad bereavement. His father is, of course, well known as editor of the I.W. Chronicle.
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On leaving Sandown Secondary School, Mr. W.H.C. Findon became a pupil under Mr. R.S. Falkner, manager of the Sandown Gas and Coke Company, Ltd., and on the latter's departure for Ilfracombe, continued under his successor, Mr. J.P. Hall. This was prior to the local amalgamation in the industry which resulted in the East Wight Gas Company. Later he took a post on the technical side of the industry with the Hampton Court Gas Company and had been in their employ ever since. Of late he had been working very hard in connection with precautions against air raids. He had been working all through the previous night because of the war-time emergency, and collapsed at home in the course of the next afternoon.

Mr. John Findon, son of Mr. W.H. Findon, C.C., of Sandown, who was war correspondent of the "Daily Express" in Java, from which he sent several vivid despatches before the Japanese captured its main military centre, is missing. Nothing has been heard of him since he sent a long despatch on March 7th saying that the invaders were threatening to cut the Island in two, and were about to attack Bandoeng, the military headquarters where he was then staying.
Saturday's "Daily Express" stated ; "One brilliant member of our foreign staff has been missing since the Japanese invasion of Java. He is John Findon, who left London to cover the Pacific war and stayed at his post after all other visiting correspondents had left. Findon may turn up in Australia with one of the great stories of the war one of these days."
Mr. John Findon was, as a young journalist, our representative at Ryde for a time. Later, for 12 years, he was a member of the reporting staff of the "News Chronicle," and 18 months ago transferred to the staff of the "Daily Express." His wife and daughter reside at Pettswood, Kent. He made the journey to the Far East by air and at Cairo met his brother, Staff-Sergt. Kenneth Findon, R.A.S.C., who has been serving in Egypt for two years. Before he joined up Staff-Sergt. Findon was a reporter on his father's paper, the "I.W. Chronicle," and assisted him as the Sandown-Shanklin correspondent of the "County Press."

FINDON. - Mar. 3, at 5 High Street, Sandown, Walter Harry Findon, aged 69 years. - Cremation privately at Southampton to-day (Saturday). Memorial and committal services at Christ Church, Sandown, on Monday, 3 p.m. Flowers to the church on Monday.

The Late Mr. W.H. Findon. - At a meeting of the Wessex Region of the Guild of British Newspaper Editors at Christchurch on Saturday the members stood in silent tribute to the memory of Mr. W.H. Findon (late proprietor and editor of the "I.W. Chronicle"), who was one of the earliest members of the guild, and reference to his distinguished career in journalism was made by the Chairman (Mr. H.W. Ingleton, editor of the "Bournemouth Times").

(Funeral report Isle of Wight County Press, March, 13, 1948, page 8, not transcribed)