Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

Captain Leonard George Duncan

Age: 43
From: Southampton
Regiment: ROYAL ENGINEERS
Died on Thursday 16th June 1921
Commemorated at: Delhi Memorial
Panel Ref: Face 1

Leonard George Duncan was born in Southampton on 17th August 1877 the son of David and Mary Duncan (née Ferguson) who were married in 1865 in Southampton in 1865 and had eleven children. Leonard had older siblings John, David, Arthur, James, Eleanor, and Charles, and younger siblings Edwin (died in infancy), Mary Laura, Florence, and Gordon, all born in Southampton.

In 1881 the family is found at 17 Hanover Buildings, with eight children and two servants. His father is a draper, Leonard is 4. The family remained at this address for over 20 years, his father employed as a draper.

In 1891 they have seven children and two servants. Leonard is 14, at school.

In 1901 his parents, both 58, are still at 17 Hanover Buildings, with daughters Eleanor and Florence. Leonard is living at 18 Elm Tree Road, Marylebone, London, with his brothers David, James, and Charles, and younger sister Mary L. Leonard is 24, employed as an architect and surveyor. They have two domestic servants. Also in the household is Eva F. Hill, a friend from Southampton. H

When he was 26 Leonard married Eva Florence Hill, on 1st January 1904 in St. Paul’s, Southampton. The report of the marriage in the Hampshire Chronicle gives Leonard’s qualifications as C.E. (possibly Chartered Engineer?). They had two daughters: Dorothy Irene born in December that year, followed by Eva Margaret (known as Margaret or Peggy) in 1907.

His mother died in 1909, aged 66.

L. G. Duncan is found as a passenger, travelling alone, on the Araguaya, (Royal Mail Steam Packet Co.), departing Southampton for Buenos Aires on 9th December 1910, his occupation listed as architect.

In 1911 Eva is found in Hampstead, London, as the manageress at 11 Belsize Park Gardens, with 39 boarders and employees. She is 31, has been married seven years, and has two children. Daughters Dorothy 6, and Margaret 4, are living with their uncle and aunt David and Jennie Duncan in Chislehurst, Kent.

It appears that Leonard arranged passage home from Argentina after the outbreak of war. Leonard George Duncan arrived in Liverpool on 14th October 1914 on the Araguaya from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is 38, and gives his U.K. address as Glenallen, Hightown, Liverpool. Perhaps this explains why Leonard enlisted in the King’s Liverpool Regiment.

He joined the 19th Bn of the Kings Liverpool Regiment with the service number of 21697 He arrived in France on 15th November 1915. He reached the rank of Serjeant before he earned a commission and transferred to the Royal Engineers on 12th January 1917.

Newspaper dated 20th Feb 1917.

He was made a Temporary 2/Lt in Royal Engineers on 13th Jan 1917

Leonard survived the Great War but sadly died of heat stroke on 16th June 1921 aged 43 whilst serving with the 136th Railway Construction Company.

In the Hampshire Independent on 1st July 1921:

“On June 16th, at Peshawar, India, suddenly, of heat stroke, Leonard George (Capt. R.E.), the beloved husband of Eva Duncan of Bridell Lodge, Regent’s Park, Southampton.”

Hampshire Advertiser 9th July 1921

The death has taken place at Peshawar, suddenly, from heatstroke, of Captain Leonard Duncan, R.E. He was the son of the late Mr David Duncan, who for many years resided at Thornleigh and was well known in this village. He leaves a widow and two young children, for whom much sympathy is felt.

His widow Eva received his Army effects of £130-4s-11d. Probate of his personal estate, giving his address as The Pines, Hoe (Road), Bishops Waltham, Hampshire, was granted to Eva, in the amount of £709-18s-11d.

CWGC show he was buried at Peshawar British Cemetery in grave XXX.15 though he is also commemorated on the Delhi Memorial.

Of the 13,300 Commonwealth servicemen commemorated by name on the memorial, just over 1,000 lie in cemeteries to the west of the River Indus, where maintenance was not possible. The remainder died in fighting on or beyond the North West Frontier and during the Third Afghan War, and have no known grave.

The Delhi Memorial also acts as a national memorial to all the 70,000 soldiers of undivided India who died during the years 1914-1921, the majority of whom are commemorated by name outside the confines of India.

The memorial was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. It was unveiled by Lord Irwin on 12 February 1931.

His brother James enlisted in 1895, fought in the Boer War, and later reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Field Artillery. His youngest brother Gordon became a Hollywood actor.

His father died in April 1921, just weeks before Leonard.

Eva never remarried. In 1939 she is living with Hill relatives, including her father and brother, at 188 Regents Park Road, Southampton. His daughter Dorothy is a teacher/form mistress at Overstone School in Northamptonshire. It is not known what became of his daughter Margaret.

Eva died in 1967, aged 87.

Leonard is commemorated on the Southampton Cenotaph and on his parents’ gravestone in St. Peter’s Churchyard, Curdridge, Hampshire.

We currently have no further information on Leonard George Duncan. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.

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