View source for John Alexander Duncan

[[Commander (Royal Navy)|Commander]] (retired) '''John Alexander Duncan''', {{Post-Nominals|country=GBR-cats|C.B.c}}, R.N. (22 March, 1878 &ndash; 13 August, 1943) was an officer of the [[Royal Navy]].

==Life & Career==
Out of the sixty successful candidates for cadetships in the [[Royal Navy]] examined on 1 December, 1891, Duncan came second, with 1,684 marks.<ref>"Cadetships in the Royal Navy" (News).  ''The Times''.  Tuesday, 22 December, 1891.  Issue '''33514''', col B, p. 6.</ref>

On 15 March, 1897 Duncan was appointed to the {{UK-1Sealark|f=t}}.<ref>"Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices).  ''The Times''.  Wednesday, 24 February, 1897.  Issue '''35135''', col C, p. 12.</ref>  On 15 January, 1898, he was promoted to {{LieutRN}}.{{NLMar13|p. 23}}

On 5 July, 1898 Duncan joined the battleship {{UK-Howe}} for a summer cruise.<ref>"Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices).  ''The Times''.  Wednesday, 20 July, 1898.  Issue '''35573''', col C, p. 10.</ref>  On 15 August, Lieutenant Duncan was appointed to the [[H.M.S. Dido (1896)|''Dido'']].<ref>"Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices).  ''The Times''.  Monday, 1 August, 1898.  Issue '''35583''', col E, p. 7.</ref>  He was appointed to the corvette [[H.M.S. Volage (1869)|''Volage'']] on 13 April, 1899.<ref>"Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices).  ''The Times''.  Thursday, 13 April, 1899.  Issue '''35802''', col C, p. 10.</ref>

==Gunnery Officer==
Duncan was appointed to ''Excellent'' on 30 September, 1899, to qualify in Gunnery duties.  On 9 July, 1901, he was appointed to the Junior Staff of ''Excellent'', and on 16 July was appointed in command of {{UK-Bullfinch}} for the annual man&oelig;uvres.

On 9 July, 1901, Duncan was appointed to the ''Excellent'' for service on the Junior Staff.{{NMI|Saturday, 29 June, 1901.  Issue '''36494''', col F, p. 9}}  On 1 October he was allowed, under Article 799 of the King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions, to take a three months' course in mathematics at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich,<ref>ADM 196/141.  f. 617.</ref> presumably on the same course in advanced mathematics that Lieutenant [[Frederic Charles Dreyer|Frederic C. Dreyer]] took.{{INF}}  He qualified for honours and Their Lordships' appreciation was expressed.<ref>ADM 196/141.  f. 617.</ref>

Duncan was appointed Lieutenant (G) of {{UK-1Benbow}} in the [[Home Squadron (Royal Navy)|Home Squadron]] on 7 July, 1902.  He was appointed Gunnery Officer of the battleship {{UK-Caesar}} in the [[Mediterranean Station|Mediterranean]] on 4 June, 1903.  On 8 October he was appointed Lieutenant (G) of {{UK-1Duncan}}.  From 1 August, he was appointed to that ship as an interpreter in Russian.<ref>ADM 196/44.  f. 410.</ref>

On 11 April, 1905, he was temporarily appointed Lieutenant (G) of {{UK-Ramillies|y=1892}}, and on 26 April was appointed to {{UK-1London}} as Lieutenant (G) and (I) in Russian.<ref>Duncan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/141.|}}  f. 617.</ref>

Whatever his other qualities, he was undoubtedly a polyglot: between 1896 and April 1907, Duncan qualified as an interpreter in six languages: Swahili, Italian, Russian, German, Spanish, and Turkish.{{NLJul11|p. 432''a''}}

In March, 1907, Duncan was recommended by the [[Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes (Royal Navy)|Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes]], Captain [[Reginald Hugh Spencer Bacon|Reginald H. S. Bacon]], for the position of Proof and Experimental Officer in the Research Department at the War Office.{{PQDNO1908-11|G. 4602/07 of 18 March, 1907.  f. 137}}  Duncan was appointed to ''Excellent'', additional, from 6 April.<ref>{{TNA|ADM 196/141.}}  f. 617.</ref>  The Superintendent of Research, Major J. H. Mansell, reported to the Army's Director of Artillery that:

<blockquote>Lieutenant Duncan, R.N., is an able and zealous officer.<br>Experience of course counts for much in many of the problems which occur in the work at the butts, and though he has shown great aptitude for the work his time has been short.<br>I think, however, that he is broad-minded enough to to avail himself of the experience of the staff which exists, until he has felt his way more.  Under such conditions I consider he is suitable for the appointment of Proof and Experimental Officer, that appointment I take it being the control of work at the proof butts.{{PQDNO1908-11|G. 7723/07.  f. 139}}</blockquote>

He was appointed Proof and Experimental Officer in the Research Department from 21 June, 1907.{{PQDNO1908-11|G. 14427/07 of 8 August, 1907.  f. 140}}

He was appointed Superintendent of Research at the War Office for four years on 1 April, 1910, on the understanding that he would give up further sea service.<ref>ADM 196/141.  f. 617.</ref>

On the strength of a conversation with Admiral Dreyer in 1946, Professor Marder wrote in 1960 that:

<blockquote>[I]t seems that the person mainly responsible for the shell deficiency was an officer in the Department of the D.N.O., Lieutenant-Commander John A. Duncan.  He was, in 1910&mdash;1913, one of the naval officers employed on inspection and experimental duties under the War Office.  In 1914 he served as Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance, with the acting rank of Commander.<ref>Marder.  ''From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow''.  '''I'''.  p. 418.</ref></blockquote>

Marder later wrote, "The statement is not fair, since I have only the Admiral's [Dreyer's] opinion, without supporting facts, and were he alive, moreover, he might wish to qualify the charge."<ref>Marder.  ''From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow''.  '''III'''.  p. 206.</ref>

==Great War & After==
On 4 July, 1914, Duncan was given the rank of Acting {{CommRN}} and appointed [[Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance (Royal Navy)|Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance]]{{NLDec14|p. 109}} in succession to [[Francis George Eyre|Francis G. Eyre]].  On 3 June, 1915, he was appointed a Companion in the Civil Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.).{{GazSup|29180|5325|3 June, 1915}}

He was placed on the Retired List with the rank of Commander on 11 April, 1919,{{Gaz|31308|5202|25 April, 1919}} having stated that he wished to "devote himself to the development of agricultural land."

Duncan died on 13 August, 1943 after a short illness at Parkhill, Arbroath.  He left a widow, Dorothy, and two daughters, Ursula and Frances.<ref>"Deaths" (Deaths).  ''The Times''.  Tuesday, 17 August, 1943.  Issue '''49626''', col A, p. 1.</ref>

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*{{MarderFDSFI}}
*{{MarderFDSFIII}}
{{refend}}

==Service Records==
{{refbegin}}
*{{TNA|ADM 196/141.|D8121259}}
*{{TNA|ADM 196/44.|D7603148}}
{{refend}}

<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
{{TabNaval}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Francis Goodyere Dineley|Francis G. Dineley]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Bullfinch (1898)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Bullfinch'']]'''<br>16 Jul, 1901|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Brian Herbert Fairbairn Barttelot|Brian H. F. Barttelot]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Francis George Eyre|Francis G. Eyre]]'''|'''[[Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance (Royal Navy)|Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance]]'''<br>4 Jul, 1914{{NLDec14|p. 109}} &ndash; 4 Apr, 1919|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Llewellyn Evan Hugh Llewellyn|Llewellyn E. H. Llewellyn]]'''}}
{{TabEnd}}
</div name=fredbot:appts>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, John Alexander}}

{{CatPerson|UK|1878|1943}}
{{CatBritannia|January, 1892}}
{{CatGunneryOfficer|UK}}
{{CatComm|UK}}
{{CatInterpreter|UK|Russian}}

[[Category:Naval Members of the Ordnance Board (Royal Navy)]]
{{CatRN}}