Captain Francis William Durand

Regiment: 3rd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers
Panel reference: 43 and 44.
Date published: 22/01/1915
Killed in action: Yes
Date of death: 22/12/1914
Age at death: 39
Cemetery: Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France
Information: Captain Francis William Durand, 3rd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers, who was killed in action in December, 1914, was the son of the late Rev. Havilland Durand, of Earley, and of Mrs. Durand, of Moulin Huet, Guernsey. He was born in January, 1875, and was educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey. In 1891 he was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Royal Guernsey Light Infantry (Militia), and in 1895 he joined the Rhodesian Horse and served with the Gwelo Field Force in the Matabele campaign of 1896, and the Mashona campaign of 1897, being awarded the medal and clasp. From 1899 to 1902 he served with the African Transcontinental Telegraph Survey through German East Africa. In 1906 he obtained his Company in the Royal Munster Fusiliers, and was seconded under the Foreign Office for the above service. He was employed under both the. military and civil Administration of Zanzibar until 1913, when he retired on pension. During his service in Zanzibar he was awarded the Order of El Aliyeh (4th class) and the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar (3rd class). In 1903 he married Geraldine Vesey, youngest daughter of the late Rev. John W. Hawtrey, of Aldin House, Slough. In September last he joined the 2nd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers, and was present at the actions on the Aisne, the Marne and at Ypres.