John Gordon-Duff

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by Charley Fortnum, Mar 14, 2015.

  1. Lee Lidbury

    Lee Lidbury New Member


    Hi I think that the defence and war medals wer not issued until 1945 and this is dated 1942 so only has his medal ribbons up until then. This is his Rifle Brigade Tunic See Button
     

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  2. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    I think you are right! Same goes for the France and Germany Star. Did he also serve in NW Europe? Nice to see the RB button. Any idea in which battalion he served? I would be particularly interested if it were 8th RB...
     
  3. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Are we looking at this uniform?

    20170908_021009.jpg
     
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  4. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    He was with 1RB at the outbreak of war and transferred to 8RB in early spring 1940. He sailed to Gibraltar to take up the position of Gort's personal assistant shortly after the fall of Singapore (also his birthday).
     
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  5. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    John Beauchamp Gordon-Duff was born on 15 February 1899 at Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, England. He was the son of Archibald Hay Gordon-Duffand Lady Frances Blanche Fortescue. He married Ellen Susan Williams, daughter of Hon. Charles Platt Williams, on 9 November 1937. He died on 24 October 1996 at age 97 at Tenbury, Worcestershire, England. He was educated at Winchester College, Winchester, Hampshire, England. He fought in the First World War, where he was wounded. He was educated at Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Berkshire, England. He was Aide-de-Camp to the Viceroy of India between 1926 and 1930. He fought in the Second World War, where he was mentioned in despatches. He was Assistant Military Secretary to Field Marshal Gort between 1942 and 1945. He was appointed Member, Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) in 1944. He gained the rank of Major in the Rifle Brigade. He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.) for Aberdeenshire between 1945 and 1964.

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    I'm interested enough to look out for a copy of the earlier volume of his memoirs--although I've only read extracts of the Second World War-Era volume I already have.
     
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  6. According to Jock Colville's biography of Lord Gort, a Lt. Col. John Gordon Duff (no hyphen) was one of Lord Gort's two A.D.C's when he was Governor of Malta from May '42 to June '44. He appears in the index as if his surname was “Gordon Duff” not “Duff” on its own.
     

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