Duncan MacNeill Fox Tarratt

A Second Lieutenant with the 2nd Battalion, Duncan died on 4th of October 1917 at the age of 19. 

Duncan was born on 16 July 1898 at Ellary, Argyllshire, a son of Joseph Fox Tarratt, Laird of Ellary, Ardrishaig, and the Isle of Coll, Argyllshire, and Mary Georgina Helen McNeill (or Rogers). In 1901 his family lived at Ellary Man House, South Knapdale, Argyllshire. In 1911 Duncan was a pupil at Evelyn’s School, Hillingdon, Uxbridge. Later his mother lived at of Clarendon, Lowestoft. 

Duncan’s official name was Duncan MacNeill Fox Tarratt of Coll. 

Duncan attended Eton College and left in 1915 to become a Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military College. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Seaforth Highlanders on 16 August 1916. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion and arrived in France on 6 August 1917 and joined the battalion, near Arras, on 10 August and was a member of C Company. 

On 1 October 1917 C Company moved into the front line and took over Eagle Trench. On 4 October the whole battalion was involved in attack near Poelcapelle. At zero hour, 6 a.m., the leading battalions advanced following a barrage, but found great difficulty in keeping alignment and a number of men walked into their own barrage. The battalion took Kangaroo Trench and captured 25 prisoners, but these were killed by the German counter-barrage. Up to Beek Street the battalion’s casualties were not very heavy, but thereafter they encountered machine-gun fire which caused considerable casualties. At 9.45 a.m. Captain Wood, of C Company, reported that they were held up by machine-gun fire from a farm, and other fire, from places they could not locate, he estimated that he only 30 men unwounded (Captain Wood was later killed in action).

Duncan was reported missing on 4 October. Later eye-witness accounts emerged that stated he had been shot through the head while leading his platoon. 

The battalion’s casualties for 4 October were:
Officers: two killed, two died of wounds, seven wounded, two wounded and missing, two missing
Other ranks: 23 killed, 228 wounded, 29 wounded and missing, 71 missing  

Duncan’s brother William Stewart served with the Royal Naval Air Service and died in 1916.