Major RNC McDonald - Royal Artillery/RFC/RAF

[angelab]

Maybe we have to draw a line under this Walter Mitty character for now, folks.  

I am hugely grateful for all the research and information, and will encourage the family to follow up on all the suggestions made.

It seems that one of them may have the medals, so if these turn up I will be sure to let you know.

 

Massive thanks from the family in Canada, too.

 

Angela

[pierssc]

9 hours ago, charlie962 said:

 

I haven't come across anything close for WW1. Thought I'd stumbled on something when I saw there was an R O C MacDonald who trf'd from RFA to RAF and who won the MC and MiD. But his christian names (Roderick Oswold Corderoy) are completely different and he died 1918 !

 

I had wondered about Archibald Duncan MacDonald; born in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada in 1889; a mining engineer commissioned in 1916 into the Canadian Engineers, then seconded to the RFC and became a pilot with 42 Sq in 1918, awarded the DFC and got a mention in Despatches.  Injured in the leg in 1919 (hence my question about disabilities).  Can't find out anything certain for him after WW1 (an Infantry Major of that name was killed in Normandy in 1944, but he was born in 1918 http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/second-world-war/second-world-war-dead-1939-1947/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=41352& ).  The WW1 guy's records are available online via the Canadian archives at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=145195.  Parents' details quite different.  Ontario - mining link - pilot....  tempting.
 

BUT the  signature is quite different in those army papers from that in the marriage certificate.

 

AND could he be described in 1934 as a "youngish" man if he was born in 1889?  There was no need for him to have added years to his real age on attestation.  Reluctantly I don't think they are the same guy.

 

I'm afraid I agree that one can't take anything Mac said as being accurate - here we are looking for a pilot, but we actually have no evidence he ever flew.  I think the tale he told Brock was pretty farfetched.   I'm interested that he had WW1 buddies who thought he was the real deal - it would be interesting but likely impossible to know whether any had served with him. 
 

One possibility - a faint one perhaps - is that if Mac was involved in, say, intervention in Russia, and then really did have some sort of anti Communist intelligence involvement thereafter, he might conceivably have had reason to change his identity and create a new background story for himself.  That's a scenario he doesn't seem to have come up with - so could it be the real one?  I wouldn't bet on it.  
 

Since starting this I see Angela has suggested we draw a line under this guy for now.  I agree.  Fascinating though this is, I don't think we can hope to work out what if any military service he had without further leads from Canadian records which only the family may be able to access.

 

 

[Milner]

I found this picture of the planes only, it is clearly taken at the same location as the one already posted with the pilots. This photo is dated as being taken on 10th July 1918 in France. I don't know if it adds anything to what we do or don't know about our mystery man.

[angelab]

How eerie, Milner.  The photo is identical, but the people have evaporated!

 

pierssc, I agree that it can't be Archibald Duncan McD, tempting though it sounds.

I also found mention of another WWI air ace McDonald - IVF McDonald MC, DFC - in 204 Squadron, but he died in 1920.

 

I think we must leave his Canadian relatives to dig a bit deeper before expending more energy on this guy.

 

[charlie962]

17 hours ago, angelab said:

I think we must leave his Canadian relatives to dig a bit deeper before expending more energy on this guy.

Do please let us know the follow on (if the relatives are happy)