John Finlayson (1898-1965) was a son of Alexander Finlayson and Flora Campbell, 10 Calbost.

On January 4, 19196 he enrolled in the Royal Naval Reserve Service Number A8844 and re-enrolled under B6136 and C5677. His records indicate that he was 5 ft 7½ in tall with blue/grey eyes and a fresh complexion. John was immediately Mobilised and was based at HMS Pembroke and served aboard HMS Ark Royal in the First World War. He is mentioned Loyal Lewis: Roll of Honour 1914-1918.

His mother died in 1920 and John had an Angel and Tombstone tattoo inscribed "in memory of my dear mother". After the War he was employed for a spell doing inshore fishing and aboard FV Penguin.  In 1922 he joined the Merchant Navy travelled to Australia and  North Brazil on unknown boats, to New  Zealand on SS Maimoam and to West Africa on the SS Bendu.

John served with the Merchant Navy during the Second World War.

He married and settled in Inverness.