Charles Duncan (GC)

For other people named Charles Duncan, see Charles Duncan (disambiguation).
Charles Alfred Duncan
Born 13 April 1920
Bexhill-on-Sea
Died 10 July 1943
Tunisia
Buried at Enfidaville War Cemetery, Tunisia
Rank Private
Service number 6287023
Unit Parachute Regiment
Awards George Cross

Private Charles Alfred Duncan (1920–1943) was a private in the Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom) who was posthumously awarded the George Cross.

Private Duncan was born in Bexhill-on-Sea on 13 April 1920. He was a member of the Signal Platoon in the 4th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment. On 10 July 1943 in M'Saken in Tunisia his squad had been removing the fuses from their grenades in a confined area after the postponement of a parachute operation in Sicily when a live device was dropped on the ground. Duncan retrieved it, found the pin was out and the fuse burning and dropped on the grenade to shield his fellows from the inevitable blast. Duncan was posthumously awarded the George Cross for the self-sacrifice he showed by throwing himself on a grenade which had fallen among his comrades.[1] Notice of his award appeared in the London Gazette of the 9 November 1943. He is buried in Enfidaville War Cemetery in Enfidaville, Tunisia. His medal was presented to the Airborne Forces Museum at Aldershot in 1972.[2]

References


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