John Duncan (British Army officer)

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Sir John Duncan
Born24 February 1872[1]
Died17 September 1948[1]
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branchFlag of the British Army.svg British Army
Years of service1891-1928
RankMajor-General
Commands held78th Infantry Brigade
22nd Division
54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division
Shanghai Defence Force
1st Infantry Division
Battles/warsSecond Boer War
World War I
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Distinguished Service Order
Order of the White Eagle[2]

Major-General Sir John Duncan KCB CMG CVO DSO GCStJ (24 February 1872 – 17 September 1948) was a British Army officer who commanded the Shanghai Defence Force.

Military career[]

Duncan was educated at the Royal Military College, and joined the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1891.[3] He served on the North West Frontier of the British Raj, 1897-8 before taking part in the Second Boer War (1899–1901).[4] On 31 January 1902 he was seconded for service on the Staff,[5] and appointed brigade major of the infantry brigade at Malta.[6][7]

He served in World War I at Gallipoli before being appointed commander of 78th Infantry Brigade in 1916 and then general officer commanding 22nd Division in Macedonia in 1917.[4] After the war he became major-general on the General Staff of the Army of the Black Sea from April to December 1919. He was appointed military attaché in Rome in 1920, general officer commanding 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division in 1923 and major-general commanding the Shanghai Military Force in China in 1927-8.[4] The Shanghai Defence Force was established in January 1927 amidst concerns that British lives and properties were at risk during the unrest in China at the time.[8] In practice he had to deal with a diplomatic incident when a British military plane made a forced landing on the International Race Course in Jiangwan.[9] His last appointment was as general officer commanding 1st Infantry Division at Aldershot early in 1928 before retiring later that year and receiving a knighthood.[4]

Duncan was Chief Commissioner of the St John Ambulance Brigade from 1931 to 1943.[1] He was appointed a Bailiff Grand Cross (the highest grade) of the Venerable Order of St John in 1946.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c DUNCAN, Maj.-Gen. Sir John, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2015 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2014)
  2. ^ Acović, Dragomir (2012). Slava i čast: Odlikovanja među Srbima, Srbi među odlikovanjima. Belgrade: Službeni Glasnik. p. 597.
  3. ^ "No. 26140". The London Gazette. 3 March 1891. p. 1203.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  5. ^ "No. 27418". The London Gazette. 21 March 1902. p. 1963.
  6. ^ "No. 27409". The London Gazette. 21 February 1902. p. 1120.
  7. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36658). London. 7 January 1902. p. 8.
  8. ^ Queen's Royal Surreys
  9. ^ Streets of Shanghai
  10. ^ "No. 37632". The London Gazette. 28 June 1946. p. 3288.
Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Steuart Hare 		General Officer Commanding 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division
1923–1927 		Succeeded by
Sir Torquhil Matheson
Preceded by
Cecil Romer 		General Officer Commanding the 1st Infantry Division
1928–1929 		Succeeded by
Felix Ready
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