Duncan Glasfurd

Duncan John Glasfurd
Duncan John Glasfurd
	First World War Gallipoli Campaign; Battle of the Somme;
Awards	Mention in Despatches (4)

Anzac Cove. He was mortally wounded by a German shell at Flers

.

Early life and career

Duncan John Glasfurd was born in Matheran, India on 23 November 1873, the second son of Major General Charles Lamont Glasfurd (d.1887) of the Bombay Staff Corps. He was educated in Edinburgh, Scotland and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, England.

Glasfurd was commissioned as a

captain on 11 January 1900,^[2] he saw action in the Orange Free State; the battle of Paardeberg (February 1900), where he was wounded;^[3] the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony

where he was seriously wounded near Rustenburg in October 1900.

From April to November 1901, Glasfurd participated in operations against the

mentioned in despatches

.

After another tour in India, Glasfurd returned to Scotland in June 1908, where he became staff captain for coast defences, Scottish Command. Later that year he was selected to attend the staff college at Camberley, England. Graduating in 1909, he rejoined his regiment in Malta in May 1910. In November, he was appointed brigade major of the Lothian Infantry Brigade.

On 24 June 1912, Glasfurd was seconded to the Australian Army as Director of Military Training, with the rank of captain. He was responsible for the program of compulsory training of cadets. Glasfurd was enthusiastic about the task, but dissatisfied with the quality of training being carried out by some of the area officers, whom he regarded as unsuitable for this particular task. He was also concerned about the volume of clerical work that the area officers were burdened with. On 20 September 1913, Glasfurd was promoted to major in the British and Australian armies.

First World War

When war was declared, Glasfurd immediately requested permission to rejoin his regiment. Permission was not forthcoming; Major General

Bridges needed a staff college graduate for his 1st Division Headquarters, and Glasfurd was chosen. On 15 August 1914 he was appointed to the Australian Imperial Force as General Staff Officer (2nd Grade) (GSO2), with the rank of major. As such he was particularly responsible for training, and he supervised the training of the 1st Division at Mena Camp

in Egypt.

Glasfurd landed at

E. G. Sinclair-MacLagan's headquarters, where he was informed that the 2nd Brigade, instead of coming in on the left, would, owing to the 3rd Brigade having landed too far north, be diverted towards Lone Pine on the right. He returned to the beach where he found the senior officer ashore of that brigade, Lieutenant Colonel H. Elliott. In the original plan, Glasfurd was supposed to meet the 2nd Brigade and guide it ashore. In fact, Glasfurd had come ashore a few minutes later than Elliott and the rest of the brigade was not yet ashore. Glasfurd decided to form up units in Shrapnel Gully

as they arrived, and started with Elliott's battalion, which he directed to Lone Pine.

Glasfurd did not always get along with his superior, Lieutenant Colonel C White, who gathered all the staff functions to himself, leaving Glasfurd with little to do. When White became sick, Glasfurd took over as GSO1 of the 1st Division. White did not return, instead becoming Brigadier General General Staff (BGGS) of

Anzac Cove, Glasfurd represented the 1st Division on the Rear Party staff of A. Russell, which controlled operations at Anzac Cove until Russell handed over to Colonel J. Paton. For his services at Anzac Cove, Glasfurd was mentioned in dispatches and made a brevet lieutenant colonel in the British Army

in January 1916.

On 1 March 1916, Glasfurd was appointed commander of the newly formed

Sinai Desert

. By the simple expedient of resting his men from 8:50 am to 3:25 pm he managed to avoid the hottest hours of the day and still make good time. Although many men fell out, the brigade reached its bivouac in good order.

The 12th Brigade moved to France in June 1916 and on 4 July entered the line in the "nursery" sector near

mentioned in despatches

.

References

^ Hart's Army list, 1901
^ "No. 27168". The London Gazette. 23 February 1900. p. 1260.
^ "Casualties in the War". The Times. No. 36078. London. 1 March 1900. p. 6.
^ Omar, Mohamed (2001). The Scramble in the Horn of Africa. p. 402. This letter is sent by all the Dervishes, the Amir, and all the Dolbahanta to the Ruler of Berbera ... We are a Government, we have a Sultan, an Amir, and Chiefs, and subjects ... (reply) In his last letter the Mullah pretends to speak in the name of the Dervishes, their Amir (himself), and the Dolbahanta tribes. This letter shows his object is to establish himself as the Ruler of the Dolbahanta

Duncan John Glasfurd Biography at General Officers of the First AIF

[1] Hart's Army list, 1901

[2] "No. 27168". The London Gazette. 23 February 1900. p. 1260.

[3] "Casualties in the War". The Times. No. 36078. London. 1 March 1900. p. 6.

[scr-4] Omar, Mohamed (2001). The Scramble in the Horn of Africa. p. 402. This letter is sent by all the Dervishes, the Amir, and all the Dolbahanta to the Ruler of Berbera ... We are a Government, we have a Sultan, an Amir, and Chiefs, and subjects ... (reply) In his last letter the Mullah pretends to speak in the name of the Dervishes, their Amir (himself), and the Dolbahanta tribes. This letter shows his object is to establish himself as the Ruler of the Dolbahanta

[2]

[3]

Early life and career

First World War

See also

References