Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

Henry Bedford Duce was born on 17 November 1887 in London, the son of Harry Walker Duce and Ann Elizabeth (Lillian) Duce (nee Rayward). Henry was baptised on the 25th September 1889 at Upper Holloway St Paul, London, England.

Harry Walker Duce was a trained Schoolmaster and in 1891 (England Census ) the family lived at 2 Gallia Rd, Highbury, North London and in 1901 they lived at 252 Blackstock Road, Highbury.

Henry’s siblings were Frederick Raymond (1884), Allan Russel (1885-1891), Marguerite (1890), Reginald Harrison (1891) and Dora (1892).

Schooling

On the 27th October 1897, aged 9 years, Henry commenced at Oldfield Road School (which became Daniel Defoe Secondary School in 1951), Stoke Newington, London.

Early Career

At some stage Henry spent two years in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment Territorial Force (part time volunteers).

Like his father, Harry, and his brother, Frederick, Henry trained to be a school master.

In 1911, Harry and Frederick were employed as school masters by the London City Council (LCC) and Henry (aged 22) was a schoolmaster employed by the Metropolitan Asylum Board. The 1911 census also shows that Henry’s younger sister, Dora, was a student teacher with the LCC.

Harry, Lillian, Frederick, Henry and Dora were living at 13 Lucerne Rd, Highbury Pk, London when the 1911 census was undertaken.

Life in South Australia

In about 1912 Henry migrated to Adelaide, Australia. In December 1912, Henry was appointed a temporary Assistant at the Thebarton School, Adelaide. He joined the League of the Empire (a British organisation with branches throughout the British Empire, with the aim of inculcating patriotic feelings) by May 1913.

Henry studied Arts & Science as a non graduating student (Teacher) at the University of Adelaide in 1913 and 1914.

On the 26th July 1913, Henry married Edith Rosa Powell, the daughter of Samuel Powell of London, at St Matthew’s Church, Norwood, SA. The couple then lived at ‘Wistanton’, Kensington Road, Rose Park.

In January 1914, Henry was appointed an Assistant at the Wellington Road School, Trinity Gardens.

On the 21st May 1914, Henry and Edith’s son, Rowland Powell Duce was born.

Adelaide University Sport

Cricket

Henry played B Grade cricket for the Adelaide University Cricket Club in the 1912/1913 season.

Football

Henry played football for the Adelaide University Football Club in 1913, progressing from the B Grade to the A Grade in that year.

Head Teacher

In March 1915 Henry was appointed Head Teacher at the Long Plains School (73 kms north of Adelaide). He took up the position on the 12th April 1915. In August 1915 he was in charge of the Australia Day celebrations at Long Plains. Henry’s wife, Edith, was appointed the teacher of sewing at the Long Plains School in August 1915.

On the 27th October 1915, Henry and Edith were given a farewell from Long Plains, as Henry had enlisted.

World War I

Henry enlisted in the AIF on the 1st November 1915. He was 27 years old, 6’ and weighed 177lbs. He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. His trade on enlistment was classified as a School Teacher. Edith moved from the School House, Long Plains to ‘The Olives”, Portrush Road, Glen Osmond, SA.

Henry commenced at Non Commissioned Officer (NCO) School on the 1st January 1916 and was promoted to Sergeant on the 16th June 1916. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 25 July 1916 and slated as a member of the 11th Reinforcements for the 32rd Battalion.

In October 1916 Henry was the officer commanding the training centre and he was at Mount Gambier training recruits.

Henry embarked at Adelaide for overseas on the 7th November 1916 aboard the Afric. He joined the 32nd Battalion on 8 May 1917. Henry did not take long to get amongst the action as 3 days later on 11 May 1917 he was wounded with gunshot wounds to the shoulder and scrotum and repatriated to hospital back in England.

He was promoted to Lieutenant on 10th June 1917. It was not until March 1918 that he was again fit for service and he re-joined his unit in France on 12th April 1918. Again his luck did not hold as he was wounded again 12 days later on 24th April 1918 during the 13th and 15th Brigades famous successful attack on Villers Bretonneux. He was this time treated in the field. He was wounded again on 20th June 1918 with a gunshot wound to the leg and again repatriated back to England.

After recovering he was seconded to the AIF Education School at Cambridge.

Henry resigned his appointment in the AIF on 15th May 1919 to enable him to stay in England where he believed there would be better long term prospects for him and his family.

Edith was living at 37 Penzance Street Glenelg in 1919.

Post WWI

After his discharge, Henry took up a position as the Welfare and Educational Superintendent with General Electric Ltd.

Edith (aged 31) and Rowland (aged 5) departed Australia via Sydney and travelled via Melbourne; Durban and Cape Town to London onboard the ‘Beltana’, arriving on the 20th October 1919.

On the 10th February 1921, Henry joined the United Grand Lodge of England (Freemason Membership Registers England, 1751-1921).

Henry and Edith’s marriage had broken down and Edith filed for a divorce in 1923. The 1925 London, England Electoral Register records Henry as living with his parents at 56 Aberdeen Road, Highbury East.

Henry remarried in September 1927 to Ella Amy Valentine Brewer (b 28 Mar 1897), the daughter of Frederick C Brewer and Ellen M Brewer. The couple were married in the district of Islington, London.


Henry and Ella were living in London in 1928 but by 1929 when their first child, Joan Duce, was born, they were living at Glamorganshire, Wales. The British Phone Books for 1929-1939 show “Henry B Duce, Endsleigh Up Waterloo Rd, Cardiff, phone 7504.” Henry and Ella’s second daughter, Diana Mary Cameron Duce was born in 1931. Tragically, in 1932, Joan Duce passed away aged 3 years. On the 12th March 1934, the couple’s third daughter, Anne Duce was born.

On the 6th March 1935, Henry’s mother, Ann Elizabeth (Lillian) Duce (nee Rayward) passed away, aged 71 years.

In 1939 Henry and Ella were living at Fairways, Cowbridge, Glamorganshire, Wales and Henry was an Assistant District ... (full title is obscured), with the General Electric Co. Henry’s son Rowland was living with his mother, Edith, in Kensington, London, England where Edith was working as a Private Secretary to a Managing Director.

WWII

British Phone Books show that Henry was at Thingehill Ely Rd, Llandaff, phone 596 in 1941 and Fairways The Leys, St. Athan, phone 99 (15 miles from Cardiff) from 1943-1946.

Henry was 51 years old at the outbreak of WWII. On the assumption that Henry was still employed by GEC during WWII, he would have assisted in the war effort as GEC was a major supplier to the military of electrical and engineering products.

On the 12th November 1940, during the period known as ‘The Blitz’, Henry’s former wife, Edith Rosa Duce, became one of the thousands of ‘civilian war dead’ when she was killed while sheltering in the Sloane Square Station (London Underground). She was aged 53 and was buried in the Chelsea Metropolitan Borough.

Post WWII

British Phone Books show that Henry was at 8 Southcourt Road, Cardiff, phone 45197 in 1950 and at
Torrens Heol Don, Whitchurch, phone 579 (part of Cardiff) from 1951 to 1961.

Henry’s father, Harry Walker Duce passed away on the 24th January 1954. He had been living at 32 Clarence Road, Bowes Park, London, England.

Death

Henry Bedford Duce passed away in about June 1969, aged 81 years. Prior to his death he was living in Glamorganshire, Wales.

Ella Amy Valentine Duce passed away in about December 1973, aged 75. Prior to her death she was living in Glamorganshire, Wales.

Legacy

Rowland Powell Duce was living at Chelsea, London in 1948 and at Hendon, London in 1955. He became an engineering technical assistant. In late 1957, Rowland married Patricia A l Brietzche at Harrow, Middlesex. He died aged 89 in about February 2004 in the county of East Sussex.

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.