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Duncan Tovey of The Glenworple Highlanders
by Captain Collin F. Burn
Duncan Tovey was an outstanding personality in the days when such were by no means lacking in the regiment.
His father was Vicar of Worplesdon, in Surrey, after being a master at Eton College. The late Sir Donald Tovey, who held the Chair of Music at Edinburgh and was the greatest authority on Bach, was his only brother.
Duncan's record of service is not at hand, but before he joined our Regiment he had been a keen member of the Cambridge University Volunteers, being then a student at Selwyn College. In fact he resigned his commission in them to become a private in the Scottish. He had a varied career, taking a degree at the University; he also entered journalism (at one time Bisley correspondent of 'The Times'); the theatre (in the original casts of 'Charley's Aunt', 'The Pearl Girl' and 'The Arcadians'). He was in both the Regimental productions 'Rob Roy' (1903 &' 1912) and 'Bonnie Prince Charlie', taking the part of Bailie Micol Jarvie in the former. He took an active part in producing these plays. There was ever a Battalion concert but he helped to organise it, usually contributing various items. He had a magnificent baritone voice and accompanied himself on the piano. He wrote several songs, the most famous of which was 'The Big Drum-Major, and wrote verse, some of which will be published in the 'Hodden Grey Dispatch' from time to time. The foregoing only touches on the fringe of his activities.
Duncan was first and foremost a soldier, and this side we want to dwell on. He was a first class shot and a member of some of our successful 'Daily Telegraph' teams. He went to France with the Regiment in September 1914 and was wounded in December of the same year. Later he was commissioned as an Instructor in the School of Musketry at Bisley and served again in France in a Sniping School, which duty took him up to the front line. This aggravated his wound and hastened his demise in 1918.
His nature was cheery even under the most trying conditions as the following tale will illustrate:
The Battalion, after a long spell in Brown Road Wood, in vile November weather were taken into local reserve in Santuary Wood. The night was spent getting what rest one could.
In the morning Duncan was found standing in one of the pits, his full moon of a face peering out of a balaclava, sheltering under a much battered umbrella and was heard to remark, "It's a bit shrappy this morning, isn't it?" and it certainly was. His spirit was indomitable.
His fund of anecdotes told in his inimitable way, was inexhaustible.
In additions to adorning the ranks of 'A' Company, he was a member of practically every activity in the Regiment, including 'The Ancients' and 'The Glenworple Highlanders', which the latter he founded.
This is a sketchy tribute to a man of great versatility, whose big heart carried not only himself but his pals through many war-time experiences.
Click here for the list of members of 'The Glenworple Highlanders'.
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