Lieut Colonel Thomas William McDonald 8/1071

[ZackNZ]

Hi forum members

Does anyone have any information re what happened to Lieut Colonel Thomas William McDonald? He was in charge of the Otago Infantry Battalion of the New Zealand Expeditionary, and was invalided to England from Egypt. He eventually ended up back in New Zealand.

Nominal roll details

Surname MCDONALD

Given Name Thomas William

Category Nominal Roll Vol. 1

Regimental Number 8/1071

Rank Lieut-Col

Body or Draft Main Body

Unit or Regiment Otago Infantry Batln

Marital Status M

Last NZ Address 42 Queen St Dunedin

Next of Kin Title Mrs Amy Gertrude

Next of Kin Surname MCDONALD

Next of Kin Relationship Wife

Next of Kin Address 42 Queen St Dunedin

I have some references to him from William Malone’s diary and a New Zealand newspaper but it’s very ‘once over lightly’ i.e.

1. He was born in Ulverston, in Tasmania Australia brought up and educated there

2. He was the best rifle shot in Tasmania, and won the Crown and Cross Rifles – a coveted trophy;

3. He was then selected to organise and control the public school cadent system of NZ - system which had been initiated through his recommendation to the Wellington Education Board. He joined the permanent staff in Wellington under Colonel Pole-Penton, and was afterwards executive office of the Central Board of Examinations, a position which he held until he was appointed assistant adjutant-general of the Wellington district, with the rank of Captain. This position he held for several years and then, of the retirement of Colonel Loveday from the command of the public school cadets, he was appointed to succeed the colonel in that position.

4. In 1911 he was selected to go to England for two years’ training in practical field work, and was attached to and served with most of the general officers commanding in England and Scotland, notably General Smith Dorrien, General Grierson (Eastern Command), General Bruce Hamilton (Scottish Command), General Maxwell (Chatham Coast Defences), and Major-general Pole-Penton (Plymouth Coast Defences). On his return to NZ he was put in charge of the No 2 group, with headquarters at Paeroa, and was afterwards transferred to Dunedin as general staff officer, vice Major Grant VC who returned to England. He was in that position until the outbreak of the war, when he was appointed with the rank of Lieut- Colonel.

5. He got ill and ended up in the Citadel hospital in Cairo (this was where Malone visited him) and he relinquished command of the Otago’s in Egypt.

6. He apparently had to have an operation for “chronic indigestion.”

Any information or advice on what happened to him will be gratefully received.

Cheers

Zack

[Bob Doneley]

According to Chris Pugsley "Gallipoli: the New Zealand Story":

"The Otago Infantry Battalion was commanded by Major Thomas William McDonald, aged 45, an officer of the New Zealand Staff Corps. Two existing Territorial commanding officers from Otago, John McClymont, Lieutenant-Colonel Commanding 14th South Otago Regiment, and John Moir, Lieutenant-Colonel Commanding 10th North Otago Regiment, were superseded. However, Godley appealed to both officers to serve as company commanders. "

Pugsley states in his index that McDonald was treated for a gastric (stomach) ulcer on 15/1/15, and RTNZ 21/5/15.

He is not mentioned in Bean's Official History.

Hope this helps,

Bob

[alliekiwi]

Nothing else in the Official History of the Otago Infantry, Zack? Although perhaps he faded off the radar once he'd been repatriated to NZ. You'd think he'd do something, though, even if it was recruiting or training of men back in Otago or something.

Bloody Gallipoli mentions him twice, but neither add anything to what you've got as I'm guessing the information was taken from Malone's diary.

Allie

[ZackNZ]

Thanks Allie and Bob for your contributions. This man intrigues me! There is a school thought that suggests the poor Otago’s never really did much 'right' in Gallipoli and whether this ‘criticism’ can be sheeted home to him or not seems a matter of conjecture. I don't think this is fair criticism as Otago commanders like Bauchop and Moore are more appropriately in the frame for such criticisms. There doesn’t seem much reporting on McDonald after he arrived back in New Zealand apart from a few veiled references at ‘Anzac speech times’ to someone (usually unnamed but McDonald was present) who had ‘done their best to be actively involved in WW 1 but whose medical condition’ prevented them from doing so.

I'm still hopefully that someone is still out there with a rich story to tell about this remarkable commander.

Again many thanks.

Zack