Duncan, Charles Wesley

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Wesley Duncan MBE, UD (known as Wesley)

Wesley Duncan was from the Annalong area of south Down.

He was an Investment Manager in the Northern Bank Executor and Trustee Company Limited based in 10 High Street, Belfast in the early 1970s. Promotion to Manager, Investment Management Services came later.

In the early 1970s, Duncan volunteered and enlisted into the locally recruited Ulster Defence Regiment UDR) as a private with service number 24273109. 

The UDR had been formed on 1st January 1970 and became fully operational on 1st April 1970.

The London Gazette reports further on Duncan's military career:

• 09/10/1973 - 24273109 Pte C W Duncan - 'to be 2nd Lieutenant (on probation) wef 26/03/1973 with service number (officer) 496697.
  
  
• 18/06/1974 - 2nd Lieutenant C W Duncan - (on probation) - confirmed as 2nd Lt wef 26/04/1973.
  
  
• 02/09/1975 - 2nd Lt C W Duncan - to be Lt wef 26th Marc h 1975 (9th Bn UDR).
  
  
• 18/01/1977 - Lt C W Duncan - to be Capt wef 01/12/1976.
  
  
• 01/05/1979 - Capt C W Duncan - is granted the rank of Acting Major wef 01/02/1979. 
  
  
• 29/01/1980 - Capt (A/Maj) C W Duncan UD - to be Maj wef 10/09/1979 with seniority wef 01/02/1979. 
  
  
• 14/04/1987 - Maj C W Duncan UD - from Active List to be Major wef 10/04/1987.
  
  
• 13/10/1987 - Major C W Duncan UD - 'mentioned in despatches' in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in Northern Ireland.
  
  
• 05/04/1988 - Major C W Duncan UD - (from Reserve of Officers) to be Maj 08/02/1988 with seniority wef 01/12/1979.
  
  
• 02/08/1994 - Major C W Duncan UD - (Royal Irish) to be Lt Col wef 01/04/1994.
  
  
• 17/02/2004 - Lt Col C W Duncan - retires 09/12/2000 (Royal Irish Regiment, Home Service, Part-time).
  
  
• 31/12/2020 - C W Duncan - 'Member of the Order of the British Empire' for voluntary service to Military Veterans.

Duncan attended the Northern Bank Ex-Servicemen's annual dinner of 1974:

Unknown, Wesley Duncan, Ronnie Huffington & Wilson Ervin

Duncan was awarded the General Service Medal (GSM) with Northern Ireland clasp, Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (ACSM), Ulster Defence Regiment Medal (UD) and Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). 

Duncan was a director of the Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum between 2009 and 2020. 

He was a trustee of the UDR Benevolent Fund and was Chairman of the UDR Memorial Trust that erected the UDR statue in Markey Square, Lisburn. At the ceremony on 12th June 2011, he said:

"It was unfortunate that there were members who did bad things and we're not trying to hide that. But what we would say is that there's almost 50,000 people who didn't do bad things – who did good things, who were ordinary decent people who wanted to do the best they could for their country".

UDR Memorial - Market Square, Lisburn

This picture of the a 'UDR Church Window' adorns his Facebook page.

UDR Church Window

Wesley Duncan, retired Investment Manager, NB Executor & Trustee Company and former trustee of the NB (DB) Pension Scheme died on 5th January 2021 with his service being held at Kilhorne Parish Church, Annalong on 10th January 2021.

He is survived by his widow, Gwendoline and sons John & James and families.