Captain Duncan Charles GRAHAM
A Company, 7th (Service) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment

Date of birth: 12th February 1882
Date of death: 28th April 1917

Killed in action aged 35
Commemorated on the Arras Memorial Bay 3
He was born in London on the 13th of February 1882 the son of William Graham, merchant, and Marion Frances of The Croft, East Sheen, Surrey later of Red House, Kilverstone, Thetford, Norfolk. He was christened at St Paulinus’ Church, Crayford on the 20th of June 1882.

He was educated at the King's School Canterbury from May 1896 to April 1899.

He enlisted in London as a Trooper 4282 in the Imperial Yeomanry on the 16th of February 1900. At a medical examination, which took place on the same day, it was recorded that he was five feet nine and three quarter inches tall and that he weighed 147lbs. It was also recorded that he had a fair complexion, blue eyes and light auburn hair. He was posted to the 62nd Company, 11th (Middlesex) Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry and embarked for service in South Africa on the 14th of April 1900. He was promoted to Corporal in the field on the 29th of April 1901 for his gallantry during an attack at Relief Nek on the same day. He left the Imperial Yeomanry in London on the 25th of July 1901 and rejoined in the 116th Company, 25th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry in September 1901. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant on the Unattached List for the Imperial Yeomanry on the 19th of October 1901, serving with his new unit until September 1902. He was awarded the King's medal with four clasps and saw action in the Cape Colony and in the Transvaal.

After the war, he worked for the Government Building Program in Nigeria from 1909 to 1910 during the construction of the Baso to Kano railway line, before returning to London where he worked as a clerk at the Colonial Office.

Following the outbreak of war, he applied for a commission in the infantry on the 1st of September 1914 in an application which was supported by Mr. Edward Graham, a senior assistant master at Harrow School. At a medical examination, which took place at Norwich on the 11th of September 1914, he was passed as being fit for general service, was commissioned and was posted to the 9th (Service) Battalion Norfolk Regiment.

He embarked for service in France with his battalion on the 30th of August 1915 and landed at Boulogne later the same day. On the 25th of September 1915 the British made a major attack at Loos and at 3am that morning the battalion arrived at Bethune where they slept in the buildings of a large school in the town. Later that day they marched to Lonely Tree Hill where they were formed up for an attack in support of the 11th Battalion Essex Regiment but they were not required. At 3.30am on the morning of the 26th of September 1915 they received fresh orders to move to assist the 20th Infantry Brigade in an assault on enemy positions known as The Quarries, to the west of Hulluch near Loos. At 5.30am they arrived in the old German front line trenches which had been captured the day before and at 6.45am the attack on the Quarries began. The battalion made gallant efforts to get forward but were held up by heavy fire, particularly from snipers, and were forced to fall back to their trenches with heavy casualties. At 4pm the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment passed through them to continue the attack and at 7pm the German defenders sent up flares and opened "a tremendous" fire on the Norfolk trenches which forced the survivors to fall back to a reserve trench further back, where they were relieved by a battalion of the Grenadier Guards and marched back to Lonely Hill. Casualties for the attack, in what had been the battalion's first action, was five officers killed with nine wounded and thirty nine other ranks killed with one hundred and twenty two wounded and four missing.

Duncan Graham had been wounded by a bullet in the right shoulder during the attack and was evacuated to the rear. He was embarked on board the Hospital Ship "Oxfordshire" and arrived in Southampton later the same day. He was taken to the 4th London General Hospital at Denmark Hill where a Medical Board was convened on the 13th of October 1915 to consider his case: "He is suffering from gunshot wound of left side of chest, which has now healed. Entry above clavicle traversed venter of scapula and emerged behind. No severe damage to scapula."

A further Medical Board met at the Military Hospital at Norwich on the 17th of November 1915 which reported: "The wound is quite healed. There is just a little tenderness on pressure at the back otherwise, everything is thoroughly satisfactory."

On the 19th of September he was posted to the 10th (Reserve) Battalion Norfolk Regiment at Meanee Barracks, Colchester. On the 6th of December 1915 a Medical Board sat at Colchester which concluded that he was "Fit for general service" and on the 13th of February 1916 he received orders to join the 7th Battalion of his regiment. He left for the front on the 20th of February and joined his new battalion in the field near Vermelles.

On the 3rd of July 1916 the battalion was moved forward to support an attack on the villages of Ovillers on the Somme which had not been captured in spite of repeated attacks during the two days since the opening of the Allied offensive on the 1st of July. They held the front line trenches for the next three days under heavy artillery, machine gun and small arms fire before being relieved at 2pm on the 6th of July when they marched back to Albert to rest and re-equip.
On the 7th of July 1916 Duncan Graham was admitted to 16 Field Ambulance suffering from gastritis and was evacuated to a Casualty Clearing Station the same day. On the 9th of July he was admitted to No. 7 Stationary Hospital at Boulogne. He returned to duty at Etaples on the 20th of July 1916 where he joined incoming reinforcements the next day before rejoining his battalion in the field at Arras on the 20th of August. On the 2nd of September 1916 he was admitted to the 36th Field Ambulance suffering from gastritis again and was admitted to No. 37 Casualty Clearing Station with an inflamed stomach. On the 9th of September he boarded an ambulance train and arrived at No. 6 Stationary Hospital at Frevent on the same day. He was transferred to No. 10 British Red Cross Hospital at Le Treport on the 11th of September and was evacuated to England from Le Havre on board the Hospital Ship "Mahemo" on the 17th of September. He landed at Southampton the following day and was admitted to the officer convalescence home at Osborne House where a Medical Board was convened on the 2nd of October 1916 to consider his condition: "He was admitted to Osborne 18/9/16 - states that early in June he began to vomit - was in hospital at Boulogne 2 weeks and the same time at Etaples - went back for duty for 2 weeks, where again, complained of vomiting - says he did not actually vomit unless he moved about after meals - some pharyngeal catarrh - smokes a lot - has now recovered."

A further Medical Board sat at the Military Hospital Bury, St Edmunds on the 3rd of November 1916, which reported: "He is better but still complains of sickness in the morning after breakfast. Pharynx is highly congested, and somewhat swollen, probably due to smoking - he has been advised by the Board to abstain from smoking for a few months."

He was posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion of his regiment at Felixstowe on the 6th of November 1916. A Medical Board, which sat at Felixstowe on the 6th of January 1917 recorded that: "He has now recovered and is fit for general service." He received orders to return to the front on the 3rd of February 1917. He arrived in Calais, in command of a group of reinforcements, on the 6th of February and re-joined his battalion in the field at Noyelette on the 16th of February 1917 where he was placed in command of A Company.

At 4.30am on the 24th of April 1917, orders were received by the battalion to board buses for the front in preparation for an attack at Monchy as part of the wider Allied offensive at Arras. They arrived at Arras later in the day where they went into billets in the Grand Place. At 4am the following morning, the battalion marched via the Feuchy-Wancourt railway line to a position known as the "Brown Line" at Monchy Wood where they sheltered in trenches and shell holes. At 8.30pm, they were led by guides to the front line where Duncan Graham's A Company was placed in trenches on the right of the battalion's line with B Company on the left and with C Company in support on the right and D Company on the left. Strong patrols were sent out on the 26th of April to establish whether the enemy were holding Rifle Trench to the battalion's front. Throughout this time the battalion came under heavy shell fire from the German artillery. At about midday on the 27th of April orders were received for the attack the next day. The battalion was given the objective of capturing Rifle and Bayonet trenches and then to consolidate a line beyond the German front line which was to be known as the "Blue Line". Zero hour was set at 4.25am. At midnight the Germans attacked the front positions but were driven off by artillery and machine gun fire.

At 4.25am on the 28th of April 1917, A and B Companies of the 7th Battalion Norfolk Regiment advanced to the attack, with C and D Companies following a short time later, but, after their move forward, little news was heard from them. When information was finally received at Battalion Headquarters, it was found that A and B Companies had been held up by machine gun fire and were lying out in shell holes in no man's land where enemy snipers were keeping them pinned down. Both of their flanks were unprotected with any of the men who tried to crawl back being shot by snipers. When C and D Companies attacked they were also held up by rifle and machine gun fire and were also forced to go to ground. The Norfolk men lay out in no man's land under continual rifle and machine gun fire for the rest of the day and were unable to evacuate their wounded. Even as darkness fell, the stretcher bearers also came under fire, with no man's land being lit up by a continual series of Verey lights being fired to light up the scene for the enemy defenders. A further unsuccessful attack was made on the next day and Rifle Trench finally fell to the 9th Battalion Essex Regiment at 3am on the 30th of April but the Essex men were later driven out by two German counterattacks. Casualties for the battalion for the period from the 25th to the 3th of April 1917 had been twelve officers and two hundred and twenty three other ranks killed wounded or missing. Duncan Graham was reported as being wounded and missing.

His mother received the following telegram dated the 6th of May 1917: "Deeply regret to inform you Capt D.C. Graham 7 Norfolk Regt is reported missing believed killed in action April twenty eighth. The Army Council express their sympathy."

In order to establish what had happened to Duncan Graham a series of interviews were taken from members of his regiment: -

Statement of 24916 Private John Chinnery A Company, 7th Battalion Norfolk Regiment taken at No. 10 General Hospital, Rouen on the 22nd of August 1917 : I saw Capt D.C. Graham, 7th Norfolk Regt on April 28th 1917 between 5 and 6am. I was about 150 yards away and saw him fall down and he was still lying there dead on the ground next day. he was between the two lines. There is no doubt in my mind on the subject."

Further statement taken on the 8th of September 1917: "I knew Capt. Graham. In A Coy. He was 5 ft 7ins or 5ft 8ins with ginger hair. On 28th April I saw him lying dead out in the open. I was 200 yards off but I recognised him by his clothes. I know nothing of his burial."

Statement of 15040 Private Charles Henry Adams 11 Platoon, A Company, 7th Battalion Norfolk Regiment taken at Beaufort War Hospital: "Age about 34. Height 5ft 9ins. Fair, sandy. I believe he had been a farmer near Norwich. He was killed by machine gun fire. I saw him lying dead and his body was in no man's land when we were relieved."

Statement of 40537 Private Richard Beet, 10 Platoon, C Company, 7th Battalion Norfolk Regiment taken at No. 2 General Hospital, Le Havre on the 30th of September 1917: "He got shot in the head by a bullet and killed instantly some way from our trenches at Monchy in the early morning. I saw him fall. We were attacking then but did not succeed in our objective. He has been officially reported killed in the casualty lists."

His mother applied for his medals on the 8th of May 1920.

He is commemorated on the war memorial at Kilverstone and on the memorial at Croxton but is not currently commemorated on the memorial at the King's School Canterbury.
 

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