William MacDonald (RAF officer)
Encyclopedia
Air Chief Marshal
Sir William Lawrence Mary MacDonald GCB
CBE
DFC
(11 August 1908 - 9 November 1984) was a Royal Air Force
Officer who became Commander-in-Chief of the RAF Middle East Air Force
.
, educated at Castleknock College
, William MacDonald joined the Royal Air Force
(RAF) in 1929. He was appointed Officer Commanding
No. 150 Squadron
in 1938 and served in World War II
, initially in that role: on 30 September 1940, during the Battle of France
, his Fairey Battle
bomber was chased at tree top height by three German fighters and he cartwheeled into a French field. He continued his war service as a member of the Air Staff at Headquarters No. 1 Group
before being appointed Air Officer for Administration at Headquarters No. 84 Group in November 1944.
After the War he became Commandant of the Central Flying School
and then Deputy Director of Plans at the Air Ministry
before becoming Air Officer Commanding No. 230 Group and then Air Officer Commanding Air Headquarters Singapore in 1952. He was made Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence) in 1954 and Commander-in-Chief RAF Middle East Air Force
in 1958 (including responsibility for British Forces Cyprus
and Administration of the Sovereign Base Areas
). His role was retitled Commander-in-Chief Near East Air Force in March 1961.
His final appointment was as Air Secretary
in 1962; he was made Air Aide-de-Camp
to the Queen in 1965 and retired in 1966.
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir William Lawrence Mary MacDonald GCB
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...
CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(11 August 1908 - 9 November 1984) 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...
Officer who became Commander-in-Chief of the RAF Middle East Air Force
Near East Air Force (Royal Air Force)
The former Royal Air Force Near East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Near East Air Force, was the Command organisation that controlled all Royal Air Force assets in the Western Mediterranean .-History:...
.
RAF career
A native of County CorkCounty Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, educated at Castleknock College
Castleknock College
Castleknock College is a private , secondary school for boys aged between 13 and 18, which is situated in the residential suburb of Castleknock, 8 km west of the city centre in Dublin, Ireland.-History:...
, William MacDonald joined the 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...
(RAF) in 1929. 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. 150 Squadron
No. 150 Squadron RAF
No. 150 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during both World War I and World War II.The squadron was reformed - as 150 Sqn. - on 8 January 1959 as one of 20 Strategic Missile squadrons associated with Project Emily...
in 1938 and 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...
, initially in that role: on 30 September 1940, during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, his Fairey Battle
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...
bomber was chased at tree top height by three German fighters and he cartwheeled into a French field. He continued his war service as a member of the Air Staff at Headquarters No. 1 Group
No. 1 Group RAF
Number 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the two operations groups in Air Command.The group is today referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft and has airfields in the UK plus RAF Unit Goose Bay in Canada, which is used extensively as an...
before being appointed Air Officer for Administration at Headquarters No. 84 Group in November 1944.
After the War he became Commandant of the Central Flying School
Central Flying School
The Central Flying School is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 it is the longest existing flying training school.-History:...
and then Deputy Director of Plans 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...
before becoming Air Officer Commanding No. 230 Group and then Air Officer Commanding Air Headquarters Singapore in 1952. He was made Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence) in 1954 and Commander-in-Chief RAF Middle East Air Force
Near East Air Force (Royal Air Force)
The former Royal Air Force Near East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Near East Air Force, was the Command organisation that controlled all Royal Air Force assets in the Western Mediterranean .-History:...
in 1958 (including responsibility for British Forces Cyprus
British Forces Cyprus
British Forces Cyprus is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the UK sovereign base areas of Dhekelia and Akrotiri on the island of Cyprus...
and Administration of the Sovereign Base Areas
Sovereign Base Areas
The Sovereign Base Areas are military bases located on territory in which the United Kingdom is sovereign, but which are separated from the ordinary British territory....
). His role was retitled Commander-in-Chief Near East Air Force in March 1961.
His final appointment was as Air Secretary
Air Secretary
The Air Secretary is the Royal Air Force appointment of which the incumbent is responsible for policy direction on personnel management for members of the RAF. From 1978 to 1983 the Air Secretary was more often referred to as Air Officer Commanding Royal Air Force Personnel Management Centre. It is...
in 1962; he was made Air Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Queen in 1965 and retired in 1966.
Honours and awards
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe 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...
- 12 June 1965 (KCB - 1 January 1959, CB - 2 January 1956) - Commander of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
- 1 January 1946 - Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
- 20 February 1940 - Air ADC to The QueenAide-de-campAn aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
- 6 April 1965 to 12 August 1966 - Mentioned in Despatches - 2 June 1943, 1 January 1945
- Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (France) - 194?
- Croix de GuerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with Palms (France) - 194? - Order of the Star of JordanOrder of the Star of JordanThe Order of the Star of Jordan or The Order of Hussein ibn Ali is an award and military decoration of the sovereign state of Jordan and is awarded for military or civil merit. It was founded in honour of his father, by King Abdullah I on 22 June 1949, King Abdullah ibn Hussain...
, 1st class