In June 1843 Durand was promoted to Captain, and the same year married Mary, daughter of Major General Sir John McCaskill. In December 1843 he assisted Ellenborough during the Gwalior campaign, and at its conclusion was awarded the bronze star for Maharajpore. When Ellenborough was dismissed by the East India Company in 1844 Durand lost his role as private secretary, and was later appointed Commissioner of Tenasserim until he was removed from the post in 1846. Durand then sailed to London to protest his removal to the directors of the East India Company, and returned to India with an order that he be reinstated to an equivalent post. The order was however ignored by The Earl of Dalhousie and Durand returned to military service.