Name
Duncan Stuart Ross Macpherson
23 August 1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/11/1914
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Gurkha Rifles
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BETHUNE TOWN CEMETERY
I. A. 20.
France
Headstone Inscription
ONLY CHILD OF MAJOR GENERAL SIR W.G.MACPHERSON AND ELIZABETH ANNE MACPHERSON
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Bushey Heath memorials, Fettes College Memorial, Edinburgh, Westminster School Memorial, London
Pre War
Duncan Stuart Ross was born in Bushey Heath on 23 August 1899, the son and only child of Surgeon-General, William Grant Macpherson and his wife Elizabeth Anne (née Clunas).
On the 1891 Census the family were living at 17 Woolwich Common, where his father's occupation was recorded as Surgeon, Army Officer. Living with them at that time were two visitors, one of whom was Duncan's aunt, and two servants. By 1901 they had moved to 12 North Park, Eltham, London, and his father's occupation was described as Major, Royal Army Medical Corps.
His mother died in 1907 and was buried in Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh. Scotland. His father remarried in 1910 to Geraldine Doran in Bath, Somerset. His father was then a Colonel, living at Artillery Mansions, Westminster.
Duncan was educated at Westminster College, London, Fettes College, Edinburgh and the Royal Military College Sandhurst. He was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant on 20 January 1909 and he served his first year in India with the 2nd Black Watch. On 11 March 1910 he was appointed to the Indian Army and promoted to Lieutenant on 20 April the following year. He served in India with the 7th Gurkah Rifles at Quetta and on the Persian Frontier in 1912-1913.
Wartime Service
Duncan was on leave in England when war was declared in August 1914 and was appointed Assistant Adjutant of the 8th (Service) Battalion of the Black Watch at Aldershot. He was actively involved in the training of the battalion there. Early in November he was transferred to the 8th Gurkha Rifles in France. Having been in the trenches at Festubert until the night of the 22 November and relieved from their duties, they were ordered to return shortly afterwards following a German attack. The trenches were taken over and the battalion was ordered to counter attack. They managed to regain the lost positions but unfortunately Duncan was killed on 23 November 1914 while in command of the leading company. It is believed he would soon have been promoted to Captain, having previously passed the examination with distinction. He is buried in Bethune Town Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His father, Major Gen. Sir W. G. Macpherson of 22 Evelyn Gardens, London SW11 ordered his headstone inscription: "ONLY CHILD OF MAJOR GENERAL SIR W.G.MACPHERSON AND ELIZABETH ANNE MACPHERSON".
Father and son are said to have spoken to each other only a few hours before Duncan's death. His father continued to serve but never spoke again about the death of his only son.
Harry Edgar Lawrence, solicitor attorney of William Grant Macpherson obtained probate of Duncan's estate on 23 February 1915 in London with effects of £1859 4s.
Duncan's medals and medallion are on display at the Macpherson museum, Newtonmore, Scotland. Strangely it has not been possible to find records concerning Duncan on the Register of Soldier's Effects or Soldiers who died in the Great War.
Acknowledgments
Derry Warners, Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, firstworldwar.westminster.org.uk
