Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A post-War O.B.E. group of nine attributed to Colonel A. A. Duncan, Welsh Guards; a keen sportsman, he played First Class cricket for Glamorgan, and captained the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup golf team in 1953

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt; 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Coronation 1953, unnamed as issued; Jubilee 1977, unnamed as issued; Belgium, Kingdom, Order of Leopold II, Chevalier’s breast badge, silver and enamel, French motto, with bronze palm on riband; Croix de Guerre, L.III.R., bronze, with bronze palm on riband, mounted as worn, enamel damage to motto on Leopold II, otherwise good very fine (9) £400-£500

O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1959.

Belgian Order of Leopold II and Croix de Guerre London Gazette 25 September 1947.
The original Recommendation states: ‘Major A. A. Duncan was Brigade Major, 231 Infantry Brigade, from July 1944 to February 1945 during which time he had to issue many orders and instructions for important, fast, and long advances in face of enemy opposition which necessitated him being under fire for long periods.
On 2 September 1944, the Brigade arrived at Arras, having advanced from Amiens on the same day. On arrival orders had to be got out for the advance of the Brigade Group (mechanised) to Brussels, a distance of 90 miles. This entailed a great deal of work and organisation to get all units rested and re-fulled and tactically disposed. Hardly had this been planned when the 1st Belgian Brigade Group came under command. Late at night very strenuous efforts had to be made to get sufficient supplies of all kinds (petrol, food, and ammunition) in order that the Brigade Group could carry out its task early the next morning so that both British and Belgian Groups were able to reach the outskirts of Brussels the next evening despite heavy fighting. This great triumph was greatly due to the magnificent staff-work, tack, drive, and courage of Major Duncan, who later became Brigade Major, 6th Guards, Armoured Brigade, and completed the victorious advance of this Brigade to its final objective in Germany.’

Anthony Arthur ‘Tony’ Duncan was born in Cardiff on 10 December 1914, the son of Newspaper Proprietor, John Duncan. Educated at Rugby and Balliol College, Oxford, he was a successful schoolboy batsman, scoring 58 and 94 against Marlborough at Lord’s in 1933, and played three First Class matches, two for Glamorgan, and one for Oxford University. However, it was as an amateur golfer that he made his name, and was awarded a Blue in each of his three years at Oxford, later winning the Army Golf Championship at Princes in 1937 and Muirfield in 1938. The Welsh Amateur Championships came his way, as well as a place in the international team for the annual amateur home nations championship. In May 1939 he reached the final of the British Amateur Championship at Hoylake, Liverpool, losing to Alexander Kyle of Scotland.

Whilst at Oxford, Duncan joined the Officer Training Corps and at the end of his studies proceeded to Sandhurst, from where he was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Welsh Guards in 1936. Initially on the outbreak of war, Duncan found himself on home duties. In 1941 he was appointed adjutant to the 2nd Armoured Brigade, Welsh Guards, later joining the 231 (Malta) Infantry Brigade in Normandy in June 1944 as a Brigade Major. In July of 1944 he was part of Operation Market Garden as part of XXX Corps, which struck from Belgium through Holland towards the bridge at Arnhem. His organisational work during the period July 1944 to February 1945 came to the notice of the Belgian allies and he was made a Chevalier of the Order of Leopold II (with palm) and awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre with palm.

Duncan was in the thick of most of the actions as Brussels was retaken, then into 1945 with actions at Haversum, Kassel and Hassum amongst others before returning to the UK in March. Duncan later became Brigade Major to 116 Royal Marine Brigade, then after the war to 6/Guards Tank Brigade. Between 1947-50 he was regimental adjutant, Welsh Guards. In 1947 he commanded a parade at Windsor Castle with the 2/Welsh Guards and was advanced to Major in 1948.

Duncan continued to play top-level amateur golf through the post war years and in 1953 was chosen as the captain of the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Golf team to play the United States of America in Massachusetts. He later acted as a judge in many major golf tournaments around his home area of Surrey, and on one occasion incurred the wrath of Jack Nicklaus.

Between 1950-53 Duncan was an instructor at the Staff College, Camberley, then later became non-NATO staff officer to the chairman of the British defence staffs in Washington DC, including being secretary of the British delegation to the Military Staff Committee of the United Nations. During 1956-58 he was manager for the rebuilding of the new Guards Chapel at Wellington Barracks, as well as Chelsea and Knightsbridge Barracks. He also fulfilled the role of Assistant Quarter Master General for the London District between 1957-1960, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year’s Honours’ List of 1959.

Advanced Colonel in June 1960, Duncan was later Army representative to the RAF Staff college at Bracknell, and between 1968-1970 he was commandant of the Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Warfare School. He retired in 1970, but remained at the Staff College in Camberley until 1979. He died in Farnham, Surrey, on 3 January 1998.

Sold together with the recipient’s Bestowal Document for the O.B.E.; Central Chancery enclosure for the O.B.E.; named Certificates for the Coronation and Jubilee Medals; the recipient’s Officers Training Corps Certificate; a group photograph and a photographic image of the recipient; a gold Staff Officer’s Baton, E.II.R.; the recipient’s riband bar and various buttons and rank insignia; various newspaper obituaries; and a large quantity of copied research, the majority dealing with his golfing exploits.

For the recipient’s brother’s medals, see Lot 418.