Alastair Duncan (army officer)

Major General Alastair David Arton Duncan (22 October 1952 – 24 July 2016) was a British army officer. He served as Commanding Officer of the 19th Mechanised Brigade, Director of Land Warfare at the Ministry of Defence, Chief of Staff of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone, and Director-General of Training Support.[1]

Early life and education

Duncan was born on 22 October 1952 in Toft Monks, Norfolk, England.[1][2] From 1961 to 1970, he was educated at Gresham's School, an independent boarding school in Holt, Norfolk.[3]

Military career

On 10 March 1973, having attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Duncan was commissioned into The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire, British Army, as a second lieutenant with seniority from 8 March 1973.[4]

Later life

From 2005 to 2009, he was Managing Director of Services Sound and Vision Corporation, a British charity that runs entertainment services for the British Armed Forces including the British Forces Broadcasting Service and the Combined Services Entertainment.[1][5]

In 2013, Duncan was "sectioned under the Mental Health Act and confined in a secure mental facility".[6] He died on 24 July 2016, aged 63, having suffered a perforated ulcer.[6]

Personal life

Duncan was married three times and had three children.[1] His first wife was Anita Keily, and together they had two sons; Thomas and Edward.[6] They divorced in 1993.[6] In 1995, he married Avril Walker, and together they had a daughter, Arabella.[6] They divorced in 2008.[6] In September 2013, he married for a third time to Ellen Le Brun,[7] and she survives him.[1]

Health

In 1993, during his posting to Bosnia, Ducan suffered a brain injury when the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle he was travelling in was damaged by a roadside bomb.[6] He subsequently developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in relation to the incident.[1] In 1999, he took mefloquine, an anti-malarial drug, for six months in preparation for his deployment to Sierra Leone.[7] This drug was blamed for his later metal health problems and the woring of his PTSD.[1][6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Major General Alastair Duncan – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Norfolk-born and educated Maj Gen Alastair Duncan dies - Obituaries - Eastern Daily Press Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  3. ↑ "Old Greshamians - Military". Gresham’s School. 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45956. pp. 4932–4934. 16 April 1973. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Major-General Alastair Duncan Dies". forces.tv. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Major-General Alastair Duncan". The Times. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  7. 1 2 Hardy, Frances (23 November 2015). "Has this highly decorated hero been driven mentally ill by an anti-malaria drug tourists are still given?". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
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