| Lionel Finch | |
| Birth Date: | 5 July 1888 |
| Birth Place: | Murree, Punjab British India |
| Death Date: | 23 October 1982 (aged 94) |
| Death Place: | Petworth, Chichester, Sussex, England[1] |
| Allegiance: |  United Kingdom |
| Serviceyears: | 1908–1943 |
| Servicenumber: | 6925 |
| Rank: | Major General |
| Commands: | 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers 18th Infantry Division |
| Unit: | Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) Cheshire Regiment Lancashire Fusiliers |
| Battles: | First World War Second World War |
| Awards: | Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Major General Lionel Hugh Knightley Finch (5 July 1888 – 23 October 1982) was a senior British Army officer.
After being educated at Cheltenham College,[2] Finch was commissioned into the 3rd Battalion, the Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment on 1 July 1908. He served in the 2nd Battalion the Cheshire Regiment in the First World War and his capture and subsequent detention as a prisoner of war was recognised by his appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. He was appointed a companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in the 1917 New Year Honours In September 1917 he was awarded a bar to his DSO, and later earned a second bar, with the second bar's citation reading:
He went on to command the 13th (Service) Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment in the later stages of the war.[3]
After attending the Staff College, Camberley, from 1924 to 1925.[2] Finch became commanding officer of 1st Battalion the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1934.[4] He went on to be Assistant Adjutant-General at the War Office in 1936, Deputy Director of Recruiting and Organisation at the War Office in 1939, and along with it came a promotion to the rank of major general, and Deputy Adjutant-General at the War Office in 1940.[4] After that he briefly became General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 18th Infantry Division in June 1940 before retiring in July.[4]
Finch was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 1 July 1941. He retired to Sussex, where he died on 23 October 1982, at the age of 94.[1]