Duncan Robert Reid (1879 - 1950)

Born 30 Oct 1879 in Deniliquin, New South Wales, Australia

Died 1950 at about age 70 in Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia

Biography

Duncan was born in 1879 in Deniliquin, NSW. For much of his life he was a labourer with no fixed address. He never married.

He served in the Boer War for 2 & 1/2 years with the 1st Bushmans and as a Trooper (1529) in 3rd NSW Mounted Rifles, E Squadron.^[1].

In 1915 he was found guilty of breaking and entering at Katoomba, NSW and sentenced to 2 years hard labour. However, the sentence was not carried out as he agreed to enlist in the Army.^[2]

On 18 Sep 1916 he enlisted in the Australian Army at Newcastle, NSW as a Private (No.2647) in the 5th Reinforcements 34th Bn. He was 5 ft 8 & 3/4 in tall with dark complexion, blue eyes and dark brown hair. He was a labourer and had previously been rejected for service on account of his eyesight (his eyesight was quite poor, but on this occasion he was accepted). He was single and gave his sister, Miss Alice Reid of Finley, NSW as his next of kin.

He embarked from Sydney, NSW on 17 Nov 1916 on the "Port Napier", disembarking in Devonport, England on 29 Jan 1917 and marched in to the 9th Training Bn. at Durrington on 30 Jan 1917. His defective vision was considered too severe and he embarked on the "Port Lyttleton" from England on 19 Oct 1917 for return to Australia. He was medically discharged in Melbourne on 06 Feb 1918.

On 06 Apr 1918 he applied to become an Australian War Worker under a joint Australian Imperial Government scheme to supply labourers and navvies to the UK. He was accepted and his agreement was signed on 10 Apr 1918. He was issued Australian War Worker Badge No. 2187 and embarked on the "Ulysses" from Sydney on 11 Apr 1918, arriving in Liverpool, England on 08 Jun 1918.

Duncan commenced work as a labourer at Costaine & Sons in Redcar on 09 Jun 1918. He transferred to Boot & Son of Redcar on 01 Apr 1919.

He embarked for return to Australia from Avonmouth on the "Irishman" on 08 May 1919, disembarking in Melbourne on 07 Jul 1919 and his agreement was considered completed on the same day.

In 1925 he pleaded guilty of being involved in a street fight in Wagga Wagga, NSW after drinking and was fined.^[3]

In 1941 he was convicted of the theft of tools from a man he befriended in Shepparton, VIC and given a good behaviour bond.^[4]

During WW2 Duncan enlisted in the Civil Construction Corps (CV26124) in Melbourne on 29 May 1942 as a labourer to work for the Department of the Interior at Tocumwal, NSW (probably helping with construction of the large RAAF base there). However, he never showed for his medical examination and never commenced work. He was given a bad reference.

He died in Cheltenham, VIC in 1950.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1433899
2. ↑ PARRAMATTA. (1915, February 4). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 12. Retrieved August 10, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15568172
3. ↑ FREE FIGHT (1925, September 5). The Daily Express (Wagga Wagga, NSW : 1919 - 1930), p. 2. Retrieved August 10, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article249352288
4. ↑ Pensioner’s Tools Stolen (1941, September 26). Shepparton Advertiser (Vic. : 1914 - 1953), p. 1. Retrieved August 10, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article175193022

• Birth - NSW BDM Birth index - REID DUNCAN; 12574/1879; ROBERT; JULIA A; DENILIQUIN

• WW1 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - REID Duncan Robert : Service Number - 2647 : Place of Birth - Deniliquin NSW : Place of Enlistment - Newcastle NSW : Next of Kin - (Sister) REID Alice - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=8028021

• WW1 Australian War Worker Service File - National Archives of Australia - REID Duncan Robert - Munitions Worker Number 2187 - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6440497

• WW2 Personal files for members of the Civil Constructional Corps enlisted in Victoria - National Archives of Australia - REID Duncan Robert - [Civil Constructional Corps - Victoria] number CV26124 - Year of birth 1879 - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6597218

• Death - Victoria BDM Death index - REID Duncan Robert; Death; Julia Ann CORBETT; REID Duncan Robert; DENILIQUIN NEW SOUTH WALES; CHELTENHAM; 70; 1950; 1615/1950