2nd Lieutenant
Alexander Bell DUNCAN
Cavalry
Died: 5th August 1916 - Age: 31

Commemorated:

1. Memorial:Tehran War CemeterySp. Mem. No. 5.
2. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.121
3. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour43B GQS
    

Awards & Titles:

Mentioned in Despatches
 

Family :

Son of Charles Duncan. Advocate in Aberdeen, Procurator Fiscal for the County.

Education & Career :

Educated Cargilfield Prep School before going up to to Worcester College in 1903 as a Classical Exhibitioner and achieved third class honours in Literae Humaniores in 1907.

Following his graduation he entered the Indian Civil Service and at an early stage of the First World War he obtained a commission in the Indian Cavalry.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: 28th Indian Light Cavalry 

Action : India & Imperial Policing 

At the start of the war it was important to bring Regular Battalions back from their 'Imperial Policing' role in India and the FarEast. These troops were replaced by Territorial and other Garisson troops.

Second Lieutenant Alexander Duncan died on 5th August, 1916 of wounds received on the border with Baluchistan.

His death was reported in The Scotsman 10th August, 1916 - "SEC. LT. A.B. DUNCAN, INDIAN LIGHT CAVALRY. Sec Lieut. Alexander Bell Duncan, Indian Light Cavalry, has died of wounds. He was 31 years of age, and the youngest son of the late Mr Charles Duncan, advocate, Procurator-Fiscal of Aberdeenshire. Educated at Cargilfield and at Fettes College, he secured a scholarship at Worcester College, Oxford, where he took honours in Greats, and graduated B.A. with distinction in history. Lieut. Duncan then passed into the Indian Civil Service, and, joining the Indian Army Reserve, has been attached to the Light Cavalry since April 1915. Two of his brothers are Lieut.-Colonel M.M. Duncan, C.M.G., Commanding the 1st Highland Brigade, and Major J. Matthews Duncan, R.A.M.C."

Aberdeen Journal - 5th November 1917, p2: "THE LATE MR A. B. DUNCAN.
The late Mr Alexander Bell Duncan, who is mentioned in the Indian despatch of July last, published in the "London Gazette" of 1st November, was a won of the late Mr Duncan, procurator-fiscal for Aberdeenshire. He was educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh, foundation scholar, and Worcester College, Oxford. He graduated B.A honours in mods, and history, and joined the Indian Civil Service. In January, 1915, he was gazetted to the Indian cavalry, and saw service for 18 months in Eastern Persia. He severely wounded in a cavalry skirmish in Baluchistan in July, 1916 and died there."

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : True Blue No. 2704 E.C.Unknown

Initiated
Passed
Raised
21st October 1911
-
-
 

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2020-06-04 16:29:12