A First War Memorial Cross to the 1st Army Auxiliary Horse

A First War Memorial Cross to the 1st Army Auxiliary Horse - British War Medal (512075 PTE. W. DUNCAN. C.A.S.C.); Victory Medal (512075 PTE. W. DUNCAN. C.A.S.C.); and Memorial Cross, George V (512076 Pte. W. DUNCAN.). Naming is officially impressed on the pair and officially engraved on the Memorial Cross. Unmounted, very crisp detail, dark patina on BWM, light contact, near extremely fine. Accompanied by a DVD containing copies of his Index Cards, Attestation Paper, Service Records, Medical Records and Will. Footnote: William Duncan was born on January 31, 1892 in Kincardineshire, Scotland. He signed his Attestation Paper on October 7, 1915 at Camp Hughes, stating that he had previous service with an Active Militia, that he was not married and that his trade was that of Driver. Camp Hughes was a military training camp, located in the Rural Municipality of North Cypress west of the town of Carberry in Manitoba. The name of the camp was changed in 1915 from Camp Sewell to Camp Hughes, in honour of Major-General Sir Sam Hughes, Canada's Minister of Militia and Defence at the time. Extensive trench systems, grenade and rifle ranges, and military structures were built at Camp Hughes between 1915 and 1916, and a variety of retail stores and entertainment complexes on a double-avenued area close to the main camp formed a lively commercial midway. During World War I, more than 38,000 troops of the Canadian Expeditionary Force trained at the camp, and by 1916 it had grown to such a large size that it had the largest population of any city in the province of Manitoba outside of the capital city, Winnipeg. Many of the soldiers who trained at Camp Hughes were later involved in the infamous Battle of Vimy Ridge in France on April 9, 1917. Duncan arrived in England aboard S.S. Lapland on December 5, 1915 and was taken on strength at Shorncliffe. He was stuck off strength and transferred to Pool Case on January 15, 1916, arriving in the field on the 16th. After one month, on February 14th, he was transferred to the 1st Reserve Par and taken on strength on the 18th. Duncan saw action in the French theatre. There is a note in his service records stating "The DES of 1 Res. ParR will be from Midnight, May 27-28, 1918, No. 1 Can. Army Aux. Horse Company". While still in France, he was seriously ill from influenza in early November 1918 and secumed to the sickness on November 5, 1918. He is buried in Arneke British Cemetery, Nord, France, Grave VIII. B. 10. The village of Arneke is approximately 50 kilometres south-east of Calais and about 8 kilometres north-west of the town of Cassel, in the Department of the Nord. His Will stated "In the event of my death I give the whole of my property to my Mother" (Mrs. Allan (Jessie) Duncan of Aberdeenshire, Scotland). She also received his Memorial Cross.