Thomas Wilfred Duncan - 45862

Rank Insignia for a Second Lieutenant in the RFC in WWI

              Thomas Wilfred Duncan was born on 20 August 1896 in Mooretown, Ontario to Thomas Reid Duncan and Isabella Duncan.  He attended school in Moore and Sarnia.  After he enrolled with the Canadian Expeditionary Force, he received 2 years of education with the Canadian Officer Training Corps in Toronto, Ontario.

              Following his education, he enlisted with the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 (in 1918, the RFC was renamed the Royal Air Force).  He completed his qualification training, and was employed as an instructor at 81 Canadian Flying Squadron on 11 September 1918 (81 Squadron was a training unit at Gosport, England at the time).

              Second Lieutenant Thomas Wilfred Duncan died from injuries sustained in a flying accident on 25 September 1918 at Deseronto.  He is buried in Bear Creek Cemetery in Brigden, Ontario.  His headstone bears the following inscription (Ref A):

HE DIED AT HIS POST OF DUTY

A SOLDIER OF THE AIR

REST IN PEACE

References:

A. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/91460745/thomas-wilfred-duncan

B. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8256129

C. https://cmea-agmc.ca/sites/default/files/abbreviations_used_in_service_records.pdf

D. https://qormuseum.org/2024/07/11/varsitys-soldiers-the-university-of-toronto-contingent-of-the-canadian-officers-training-corps-1914%E2%88%921968/

E. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/royal-flying-corps

F. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._81_Squadron_RAF

G. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2756061?Thomas%20Wilfrid%20Duncan