Herbert Cecil Duncan

Brigadier Herbert Cecil Duncan (19 August 1895 – 20 January 1942) was a British Indian Army officer who commanded the 45th Indian Infantry Brigade during the Battle of Malaya prior to the Fall of Singapore.

Herbert Cecil Duncan
Brigadier Herbert Cecil Duncan
Born	(1895-08-19)19 August 1895 Lanarkshire, Scotland
Died	20 January 1942(1942-01-20) (aged 46) Singapore
Buried	Kranji War Cemetery
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Indian Army
Years of service	1914–1942
Rank	Brigadier
Unit	The Seaforth Highlanders 13th Frontier Force Rifles
Commands	45th Indian Infantry Brigade (1941–42)
Battles / wars	First World War Third Anglo-Afghan War Third Waziristan Campaign Second World War Malayan campaign Battle of Muar †
Awards	Mentioned in Despatches (2)

Military career

Commissioned a temporary second lieutenant in the Seaforth Highlanders in 1914, Duncan received a permanent commission in the British Indian Army as a lieutenant in 1918. His service in the First World War earned him a Mention in Despatches. Having the 13th Frontier Force Rifles as his maternal British Indian Army unit, he eventually served from 1931 onwards as a General Staff Officer in various gradations. Duncan would earn a second Mention in Despatches during the Waziristan campaign of 1936–1939. He took command of the 45th Indian Infantry Brigade in June 1941.^[1]

During the retreat from the Muar River in Malaya on 19 January 1941, Duncan was concussed during an air attack on his headquarters. The following day, during an attempt to break out of a Japanese encirclement in concert with Australian forces, he was killed while mounting a bayonet charge against a Japanese attack on the brigade's rear.^[2] Duncan is buried in the Kranji War Cemetery in Singapore.^[3]