Alastair Duncan (British Army officer)

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Alastair Duncan
Born22 October 1952
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Other workManaging Director of Services Sound and Vision Corporation

The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire whilst in the Balkans, Chief of Staff of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, and Director-General of Training Support.[2]

Early life and education

Duncan was born on 22 October 1952 in Toft Monks, Norfolk, England.[2][3] From 1961 to 1970, he was educated at Gresham's School, a private boarding school in Holt, Norfolk.[4]

Military career

On 10 March 1973, having attended

19th Mechanised Brigade
in Germany and Catterick, where he commanded 19th Mechanized Brigade and Catterick Garrison. He then took up a position in the Ministry of Defence as Director of Land Warfare.

In 2000 he was appointed Chief of Staff of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). UNAMSIL would eventually result in the disarming of more than 75,000 fighters. It rebuilt the country's police force and paved the way to democratic elections.[6] Though stepping down from this position in 2001 to take up his final role in the military as Director-General of Training Support, the United Nations mission was completed in 2005, and Duncan was invested as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his efforts.[2] In 2005, Major-General Duncan retired from the army after 33 years of service.

Later life

From 2005 to 2009, he was Managing Director of

Combined Services Entertainment.[2][7]

In 2013, Duncan was "

sectioned under the Mental Health Act and confined in a secure mental facility".[8] He died on 24 July 2016, aged 63, having suffered a perforated ulcer.[8]

Personal life

Duncan was married three times and had three children.[2] His first wife was Anita Keily, and together they had two sons; Thomas and Edward.[8] They divorced in 1993.[8] In 1995, he married Avril Walker, and together they had a daughter, Arabella.[8] They divorced in 2008.[8] In September 2013, he married for a third time to Ellen Le Brun, and she survives him.[2]

Health

In 1993, during his posting to Bosnia, Duncan suffered a brain injury when the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle he was travelling in was damaged by a roadside bomb.[8] He subsequently developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in relation to the incident.[2]

References

  1. ^ "A Soldier's Tribute: Major General Alastair Duncan CBE DSO". Forces TV. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Major General Alastair Duncan – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  3. ^ Norfolk-born and educated Maj Gen Alastair Duncan dies - Obituaries - Eastern Daily Press Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  4. ^ "Old Greshamians - Military". Gresham’s School. 2016. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  5. ^ "No. 45956". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 April 1973. pp. 4932–4934.
  6. ^ "UNAMSIL: A Success Story in Peacekeeping" (PDF). UN Peacekeeping. United Nations. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Major-General Alastair Duncan Dies". forces.tv. 26 July 2016. Archived from the original on 30 July 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "Major-General Alastair Duncan". The Times. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
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