Arthur McDonald
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Sir Arthur William Baynes McDonald KCB
AFC
RAF
(14 June 1903 – 26 July 1996) was a Royal Air Force
and Royal Pakistan Air Force officer who held senior command positions in the 1950s.
, McDonald joined the Royal Air Force in 1924. After attending additional education at Peterhouse College, Cambridge
, he was appointed Officer Commanding
No. 79 Squadron
and then Officer Commanding No. 32 Squadron in 1937. He served in World War II
as Assistant Director of Repair and Servicing at the Air Ministry
and then on the staff at Headquarters Fighter Command
before becoming Air Defence Commander in Ceylon in 1942, Air Officer Training at Headquarters Air Command of South East Asia Command
in 1943 and Air Officer Commanding No. 106 Group in April 1945.
After the War he was appointed Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Andover
and then Commandant of the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
before becoming Director-General of Manning in the rank of Air Vice Marshal at the Air Ministry
in 1952.
, and McDonald was succeeded in the command of the renamed force by Air Marshal Asghar Khan
.
His last appointments were as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Technical Training Command
in 1958 and as Air Member for Personnel
in 1959 before retiring in 1962.
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Arthur William Baynes McDonald KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(14 June 1903 – 26 July 1996) was a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and Royal Pakistan Air Force officer who held senior command positions in the 1950s.
RAF career
Educated at Antigua Grammar School and Epsom CollegeEpsom College
Epsom College is an independent co-educational public school in Epsom, Surrey, England, for pupils aged 13 to 18. Founded in 1853 to provide support for poor members of the medical profession such as pensioners and orphans , Epsom's long-standing association with medicine was estimated in 1980 as...
, McDonald joined the Royal Air Force in 1924. After attending additional education at Peterhouse College, Cambridge
Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely...
, he was appointed Officer Commanding
Officer Commanding
The Officer Commanding is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit , principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, the term Commanding Officer is applied to commanders of minor as well as major units.Normally an Officer Commanding is a company, squadron or battery...
No. 79 Squadron
No. 79 Squadron RAF
-World War I:It was first formed at Gosport on 1 August 1917 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. It was equipped with Sopwith Dolphin fighter aircraft in December that year, moving to France in February 1918. It specialised in low-level ground-attack operations, mainly in support of the...
and then Officer Commanding No. 32 Squadron in 1937. He served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as Assistant Director of Repair and Servicing at the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
and then on the staff at Headquarters Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
before becoming Air Defence Commander in Ceylon in 1942, Air Officer Training at Headquarters Air Command of South East Asia Command
South East Asia Command
South East Asia Command was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during World War II.-Background:...
in 1943 and Air Officer Commanding No. 106 Group in April 1945.
After the War he was appointed Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Andover
RAF Staff College, Andover
The RAF Staff College at RAF Andover was the first Royal Air Force staff college to be established. Its role was the training of officers in the administrative, staff and policy apects of air force matters.-Foundation:...
and then Commandant of the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment was a research facility for British military aviation from 1918 to 1992.-History:...
before becoming Director-General of Manning in the rank of Air Vice Marshal at the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
in 1952.
Royal Pakistan Air Force
In June 1955 McDonald became the fourth and last commander-in-chief of the Royal Pakistan Air Force. At the time of his retirement the Royal Pakistan Air Force became the Pakistan Air ForcePakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
, and McDonald was succeeded in the command of the renamed force by Air Marshal Asghar Khan
Asghar Khan
Air Marshal Asghar Khan is a Pakistani 3-star rank general and politician who was the first native Air Force Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Air Force. A politician and world war II veteran fighter pilot, at the age of 36, he served as the youngest and first Pakistani head of the Pakistan Air Force...
.
His last appointments were as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Technical Training Command
RAF Technical Training Command
Technical Training Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force which controlled units responsible for delivering aircraft maintenance training and other non-flying training, initially in Berkshire then in Cambridgeshire.-History:...
in 1958 and as Air Member for Personnel
Air Member for Personnel
The Air Member for Personnel is the senior Royal Air Force officer who is responsible for personnel matters and is a member of the Air Force Board...
in 1959 before retiring in 1962.