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Lieutenant Colonel '''Adrian Grant Duff''', [[Order of the Bath|C.B.]] (29 September 1869 – 14 September 1914), was a British officer and administrator. He was responsible for creating the "War Book", the British Army's plan to deploy to the European continent, and commanded the 1st Battalion the [[Black Watch]] (Royal Highlanders) during the opening months of [[World War I]].
Lieutenant Colonel '''Adrian Grant Duff''', [[Order of the Bath|C.B.]] (29 September 1869 – 14 September 1914), was a British officer and administrator. He was responsible for creating the "War Book", the British Army's plan to deploy to the European continent, and commanded the 1st Battalion the [[Black Watch]] (Royal Highlanders) during the opening months of [[World War I]].


==Life==
==Life==
Born in London on 29 September 1869, he was the third son of [[Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff]] and his wife Anna Julia Webster.<ref name="ODNB">{{cite ODNB|id=38448|first=Ian F. W.|last=Beckett|title=Duff, Adrian Grant-}}</ref> He was educated at [[Wellington College]] and the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst|Royal Military College]] (Sandhurst), commissioning into the 2nd Battalion the Black Watch in 1889.<ref name="Winrow">{{cite journal|last=Winrow|first=Andrew|date=2009|title=Defender of the Realm: The Life and Work of Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Grant Duff, 1869-1914|journal=Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research|volume=87|pages=300}}</ref>
Born in London on 29 September 1869, he was the third son of [[Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff]] and his wife Anna Julia Webster.<ref name="ODNB">{{cite ODNB|id=38448|first=Ian F. W.|last=Beckett|title=Duff, Adrian Grant-}}</ref> He was educated at [[Wellington College, Berkshire|Wellington College]] and the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst|Royal Military College]] (Sandhurst), commissioning into the 2nd Battalion the Black Watch in 1889.<ref name="Winrow">{{cite journal|last=Winrow|first=Andrew|date=2009|title=Defender of the Realm: The Life and Work of Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Grant Duff, 1869-1914|journal=Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research|volume=87|pages=300|jstor=44231708}}</ref>


Grant Duff served in various peacetime roles around the British Empire and saw action during the [[Tirah campaign|Tirah Campaign]] and the [[Second Boer War|Second Anglo-Boer War]], before being seconded to the [[War Office]] in 1905 as staff captain. He became Assistant Secretary to the Committee of Imperial Defence there in 1910.<ref name="ODNB"/>
Grant Duff served in peacetime roles around the British Empire. He rejected a plan to transfer to the [[British South Africa Police]], based on advice from [[Robert Henry Meade]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Winrow|first=Andrew|date=2009|title=Defender of the Realm: The Life and Work of Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Grant Duff, 1869-1914|journal=Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research|volume=87|page=304|jstor=44231708}}</ref> He saw action during the [[Tirah campaign|Tirah Campaign]] and the [[Second Boer War|Second Anglo-Boer War]], before being seconded to the [[War Office]] in 1905 as staff captain. He became Assistant Secretary to the [[Committee of Imperial Defence]] there in 1910.<ref name="ODNB"/>


At the War Office Grant Duff wrote ''Coordination of Departmental Action on the Occurrence of Strained Relations and on the Outbreak of War'', commonly known as the "War Book", which highlighted flaws in the British Government's preparations for a European War, and formed the basis for the British Expeditionary Force's plan to deploy to France and Belgium in 1914.<ref name="Winrow"/> He was much more impressed with the naval officer [[George Alexander Ballard]] than his superior [[Ernest Troubridge]] of the War Staff.<ref>{{cite ODNB|id=50221|first=N. A. M.|last=Rodger|title=Ballard, George Alexander}}</ref> Grant Duff was conservative, and held a low opinion of politicians in general, and the government handling of the [[Curragh incident]] in particular, as political interference in a military matter.<ref name="ODNB"/>
At the War Office Grant Duff wrote ''Coordination of Departmental Action on the Occurrence of Strained Relations and on the Outbreak of War'', commonly known as the "War Book", which highlighted flaws in the British Government's preparations for a European War, and formed the basis for the British Expeditionary Force's plan to deploy to France and Belgium in 1914.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Winrow|first=Andrew|date=2009|title=Defender of the Realm: The Life and Work of Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Grant Duff, 1869-1914|journal=Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research|volume=87|page=307|jstor=44231708}}</ref> He was much more impressed with the naval officer [[George Alexander Ballard]] than his superior [[Ernest Troubridge]] of the War Staff.<ref>{{cite ODNB|id=50221|first=N. A. M.|last=Rodger|title=Ballard, George Alexander}}</ref> Grant Duff was conservative, and held a low opinion of politicians in general, and the government handling of the [[Curragh incident]] in particular, as political interference in a military matter.<ref name="ODNB"/>


In 1913 Grant Duff returned to the 1st Battalion the Black Watch and commanded the battalion in France and Belgium throughout the [[Great Retreat|Retreat from Mons]] and the [[Battle of the Marne]], before being killed in action at the [[Battle of the Aisne]] on 14 September 1914. He was buried in [[Moulins]].<ref name="ODNB"/>
In 1913 Grant Duff returned to the 1st Battalion the Black Watch and commanded the battalion in France and Belgium throughout the [[Great Retreat|Retreat from Mons]] and the [[First Battle of the Marne|Battle of the Marne]], before being killed in action at the [[Battle of the Aisne]] on 14 September 1914. He was buried in [[Moulins, Aisne|Moulins]].<ref name="ODNB"/>


==Family==
==Family==
Grant Duff married in 1906 he married Ursula Lubbock (born 1885), daughter of [[John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury]]. They had a son and three daughters.<ref name="ODNB"/>
Grant Duff married in 1906 Ursula Lubbock (born 1885), daughter of [[John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury]]. They had a son and three daughters.<ref name="ODNB"/>


== References ==
== References ==
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{{reflist}}
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== External links ==

* [https://archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk/repositories/9/resources/1391 The papers of Adrian Grant Duff] held at [[Churchill Archives Centre]]

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant Duff, Adrian}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant Duff, Adrian}}
[[Category:1869 births]]
[[Category:1869 births]]
[[Category:1914 deaths]]
[[Category:1914 deaths]]
[[Category:Black Watch officers]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Tirah campaign]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Second Boer War]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British military personnel killed in World War I]]

Latest revision as of 22:00, 15 January 2024

Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Grant Duff, C.B. (29 September 1869 – 14 September 1914), was a British officer and administrator. He was responsible for creating the "War Book", the British Army's plan to deploy to the European continent, and commanded the 1st Battalion the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) during the opening months of World War I.

Leben

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Born in London on 29 September 1869, he was the third son of Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff and his wife Anna Julia Webster.[1] He was educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military College (Sandhurst), commissioning into the 2nd Battalion the Black Watch in 1889.[2]

Grant Duff served in peacetime roles around the British Empire. He rejected a plan to transfer to the British South Africa Police, based on advice from Robert Henry Meade.[3] He saw action during the Tirah Campaign and the Second Anglo-Boer War, before being seconded to the War Office in 1905 as staff captain. He became Assistant Secretary to the Committee of Imperial Defence there in 1910.[1]

At the War Office Grant Duff wrote Coordination of Departmental Action on the Occurrence of Strained Relations and on the Outbreak of War, commonly known as the "War Book", which highlighted flaws in the British Government's preparations for a European War, and formed the basis for the British Expeditionary Force's plan to deploy to France and Belgium in 1914.[4] He was much more impressed with the naval officer George Alexander Ballard than his superior Ernest Troubridge of the War Staff.[5] Grant Duff was conservative, and held a low opinion of politicians in general, and the government handling of the Curragh incident in particular, as political interference in a military matter.[1]

In 1913 Grant Duff returned to the 1st Battalion the Black Watch and commanded the battalion in France and Belgium throughout the Retreat from Mons and the Battle of the Marne, before being killed in action at the Battle of the Aisne on 14 September 1914. He was buried in Moulins.[1]

Family

[edit]

Grant Duff married in 1906 Ursula Lubbock (born 1885), daughter of John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury. They had a son and three daughters.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Beckett, Ian F. W. "Duff, Adrian Grant-". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/38448. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Winrow, Andrew (2009). "Defender of the Realm: The Life and Work of Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Grant Duff, 1869-1914". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 87: 300. JSTOR 44231708.
  3. ^ Winrow, Andrew (2009). "Defender of the Realm: The Life and Work of Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Grant Duff, 1869-1914". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 87: 304. JSTOR 44231708.
  4. ^ Winrow, Andrew (2009). "Defender of the Realm: The Life and Work of Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Grant Duff, 1869-1914". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 87: 307. JSTOR 44231708.
  5. ^ Rodger, N. A. M. "Ballard, George Alexander". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/50221. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
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