Private William A Duke

Private William Alexander Duke served with 181 Airlanding Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, and took part in the Battle of Arnhem, during Op Market Garden as part of 5 (Reserve) Section, under Cpt Doyle.

5 (Reserve) Section arrived by glider during the Second Lift on Monday 18 September 1944. It was intended that Cpt Doyle's section would remain under control of the Division's ADMS Col Warrack, from the beginning and be prepared to open a casualty air evacuation centre when the local airfield had been captured and was operating. However, this failed to materialise and they ended up working in various locations as an overspill Main Dressing Station (MDS). The first was based in the Mental Hospital at Wolfheze, having arrived at about 1400hrs that day. Some hours later, at about 1730hrs casualties were moved closer to Arnhem at Oosterbeek and there were by now about 210 casualties in the care of 181 Airlanding Field Ambulance. 140 casualties were moved on the 18 September, with the remaining 70 left with Captain Doyle and eighteen orderlies. These were successfully moved to Oosterbeek on the following morning.

Once in Oosterbeek, Cpt Doyle and his Section were ordered to open an Annex to the Schoonoord MDS at a school about 150 yards south of the Schoonoord, commandeered in a road known as Paasberg. At this location they operated in relatively safe conditions. The Annex had been intended for post-operative cases to be moved  and accommodated in this building. Consequently, by the morning of 21 September many of the 60 men in the care of Cpt Doyle and men of 5 Section are thought to have been lightly wounded casualties.

At around 1100hrs that morning however, the school received several direct hits from 6” mortars. As a result of this bombardment Captain Doyle was killed, whilst Privates Duke, Neve and Blake wounded. Private Duke also died later of wounds. The MDS was subsequently closed and transferred to another location.

Private Duke died of wounds in the 'Airborne Hospital' at Apeldoorn on 27 September 1944, aged 34 years old. He is now buried at Oosterbeek War Cemetery, Arnhem.