Andrew Scott Duncan Clark

At that time his father was the Postmaster at Uddingston, where the family lived at ‘Clydeview’ on Main Street, though he later returned to the east coast to be postmaster at Bo’ness. He was a member of the University of Glasgow Officers' Training Corps and was perhaps already distracted from study by unfolding events, though he made the effort to pass his exams in the October resits before applying for a commission. He was planning to return.

However, he did not return for the 1915-16 semester and instead chose to enlist in the Army. By October of 1915 he had been commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the 9th Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers. Duncan’s medal index card, held at the National Archives, states that, he was first sent to France on the 31st May 1916. By April 1917 he had been attached to the 1/4th Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers in Egypt.

From April 17th-19th 1917, Duncan took part in the attacks of the 52nd (Lowland) Division during the 2nd Battle of Gaza. The ancient city of Gaza was heavily defended by the Ottoman Army and stood in way of the British advance into Palestine and the capture of Jerusalem. The initial attempt to capture it at the First Battle of Gaza in March 1917 was in fact unsuccessful but was regarded by the British commander Sir Archibald Murray as near enough to success to encourage a second attempt in April. He was over optimistic. The Second Battle of Gaza, fought over three bloody days from 17th to 19th April was a defeat and casualties were heavy, much heavier than the British public was told. Murray was ordered back to London but a higher price was paid by men of all ranks.

Duncan was badly wounded in the fighting on the 19th April he was evacuated to the hospital base at Al Qantara on the east-bank of the Suez Canal. It was here, five days later the 22nd of April 1917, that he finally succumbed to his wounds. He was only 20 years old. Duncan is buried in Kantara War Memorial Cemetery in Al Qantara, Egypt. His name appears on the Montrose War Memorial and he is also commemorated on his father’s gravestone in Rosehill Cemetery in Montrose.