Soldier Record
James H.G. Duke
Contributed by: Paul, on 2008-11-09
| Rank | |
|---|---|
| First Name | James H.G. |
| Surname | Duke |
| Year of Birth | 1892 |
| Year of Death | 1975 |
| Regiment | Royal Sussex Regiment |
| Place of Wartime Residence | Battle, East Sussex |
James H.G.'s Story
This is my Grandfather, who started and finished his service in France, first arriving in France on 31st May 1915. His war ended following the third battle of Ypres, and the retaking of St. Julien, when he received a severe shrapnel wound in his leg whilst assisting a fallen colleague. It was for this that he was awarded the Military Medal.
Some twenty years later, my Grandfather received a letter from that same colleague, who was by then Maj. Noel De Putron Macroberts D.S.O., M.C. of the Royal Fusiliers, following a South Downs reunion. The letter finished;
'I can never forget the gay, dashing young fellow (as he was then!!) who bound up my wounds just prior to our final rush for the assault on St. Julien. Your old friend and comrade, Noel De P. MacRoberts.'
Like so many others, he never talked much about his involvement in the war, other than mentioning the cold, the mud and the rats. Although the shrapnel lump removed from his leg, which remains, was often a conversation piece for him!
No additional memories have been submitted