Douglas Valder Duff facts for kids
Douglas Valder Duff (1901 – 23 September 1978) was a British adventurer and author. He was a merchant seaman, a Royal Navy officer, and a police officer. He wrote over 100 books, including exciting stories for children and books about his own life.
Douglas was born in Argentina. His father, Arthur Joseph Duff, was a British Consul there.
Douglas had a very adventurous life. He served in the Merchant Navy during World War I and survived being torpedoed twice. He helped rescue refugees, spent some time in a monastery, and worked as a police officer in Ireland and Palestine. Later, he served in the navy again during World War II and became a popular radio and TV personality.
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Serving in World War I
In 1914, when Douglas was just 13, he joined a naval training college called HMS Conway. He then served in the Merchant Navy during World War I.
His first ship was a freighter called Thracia. He helped use its deck gun against a German U-boat. On 26 March 1917, the Thracia was sunk by a German U-boat. Douglas, who was only 16 at the time, was the only survivor from a crew of 37.
About 17 months later, he was on another ship, the passenger vessel Flavia. This ship was also torpedoed and sunk. Many horses on board were lost. Douglas was on a third ship that carried American troops across the Atlantic. This ship had a serious outbreak of Spanish flu, which made many people very sick. Douglas himself was injured with a broken leg after a U-boat attack. After the war ended, he helped rescue Russian refugees from the Black Sea.
Time in a Monastery
After surviving the sinking of the Thracia, Douglas had promised himself he would become a monk if he lived. So, after World War I, he joined a monastery in England. He was known as Brother Lawrence there. However, he soon found that monastery life was not for him. He left after two years.
Serving as a Policeman
After leaving the monastery, Douglas joined a special police force known as the "Black and Tans." This was during a conflict in Ireland from 1920 to 1921.
Douglas quickly became involved in fighting. He was in ambushes and firefights. He once claimed to have met Michael Collins, a famous Irish leader, in Dublin. Douglas was not carrying his weapon, so he let the man go and reported the meeting to his superiors.
By 1921, Douglas used his naval skills to lead small boat raids. He helped track down groups of people hiding in remote coastal villages. When a ceasefire was finally called, Douglas was helping a small group of Royal Marines who were surrounded in a lighthouse.
Police Work in Palestine
In 1922, Douglas joined the Palestine Police Force. This force was made up of many veterans from World War I and other conflicts. On the journey to Palestine, Douglas helped sort out a disagreement about pay and conditions on their ship.
Douglas was stationed in different places, including Nazareth and Haifa. In Haifa, he joined the Palestine Port Police. He commanded patrol boats and helped with security. He even went undercover once to catch a smuggling group. He also helped supervise the arrival of new immigrants.
In 1926, he was promoted to Inspector. He was in charge of policing Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Important events during the year included Christmas Eve and Easter celebrations.
He was in Jerusalem during a big earthquake on 11 July 1927. It killed 150 people in the area. Douglas was sent to help with rescue efforts in Jericho and to retrieve bodies in Nablus.
In 1928, Douglas was involved in an event known as the Western Wall controversy. His men removed a screen that worshippers had put up. After an inquiry, he was transferred to Megiddo Prison as commander. He was there when riots broke out in 1929 and helped a nearby community that was attacked. It was around this time that he first got malaria.
From Megiddo, he moved to command Acre Prison. In 1931, Douglas became commander of the Tulkarm district. This area had many feuds and robberies. He retired the following year because of his recurring malaria.
Writing and Later Life
In 1932, Douglas married Janet Wallace, a nurse. Because of his ongoing malaria, Douglas left the police and settled in England. He started a new career as a writer and journalist. He used his own exciting experiences to write adventure stories, especially for boys. Some of his early books included Peter Darington – seaman detective (1940) and Harding of the Palestine Police (1941). He created popular characters like Bill Beringer and Adam Macadam, who appeared in many books.
Serving in World War II
When World War II began, Douglas joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). He served in Dover and later in the Middle East. He even commanded ships that broke through the siege of Tobruk. In 1941, he was recognized for his service. He eventually commanded a patrol ship that helped protect the Suez Canal. In 1943, he returned to the UK and joined a special department of the Admiralty. He left the navy in 1945 with the rank of lieutenant commander.
After World War II
Douglas's first wife, Janet, passed away in 1960. He later married Eveline Rowston, who was also a nurse. He continued writing for the rest of his life. He also became a well-known broadcaster on radio and television. He was a regular guest on a popular TV show called What's My Line?.
Douglas Valder Duff died in 1978 in England. He was survived by his two daughters, Jean and Elizabeth.
Books
Douglas Duff wrote almost 100 books during his life. Sometimes he used different names, like Douglas Stanhope or Leslie Savage. His books were often based on his own life, combining sea adventures with police and detective work. He also wrote some science fiction stories, like 'The Sky Pirates'. He wrote for magazines like 'The Boys Own Paper' and 'The Wide World'. He also wrote non-fiction books about history and ships. He wrote three books about his own life: Sword for Hire (1934), May the Winds Blow (1948), and Bailing with a Tea Spoon (1953).
- Sword for Hire: The Saga of a Modern Free-Companion, 1934
- Palestine Picture, 1936
