Grandpa Duncan’s eldest brother was James Tullis Duncan.
His war story appears a little different again.
JT was born in 1876 and, like most of the male family members, became a gardener. He seems to have moved around a fair amount but he married Annie Roy in 1905. They had a family consisting of Mary, Willie, Cathie, James (Jim) and Robert (Bob). Willie and Cathie were born in Lancashire (still to discover what took the family there) but Jim was born in Monymusk and Bob in Elgin, where, sadly, in 1913 young Cathie died of appendicitis.
Bob’s birth certificate in 1915 records JT as a domestic gardener so it’s clear that his war effort did not begin with the declaration of war. Given his age, 38, at the onset of war this seems reasonable.
Unfortunately I’ve not found many of his papers so some of this is assumption. He enlisted with the Seaforth Highlanders (hence the uniform above), regimental number 15828, but was then transferred to the Labour Corps (regimental number 611205). His Medal Index Card does survive and shows his entitlement to the British War Medal and Victory Medal which indicates he did serve overseas at some point.
Records suggest that many older men were first posted to frontline regiments and later transferred to the Labour Corps, where their work was vital to the wider war effort. The Labour Corp undertook road building, forestry work, rail work, dock work, salvage and repair.
It’s not clear whether JT did any of this in the UK or overseas, behind the front line or under shellfire. Whichever, he left a young family to wait for his, thankfully, safe return.
Craigachan 