MCDONALD, Frank
| Service Numbers: | 53, N79258 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 March 1916, 91st Infantry |
| Last Rank: | Staff Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 40th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Ulverstone, Tasmania, Australia, 26 June 1896 |
| Home Town: | Ulverstone, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Ulverstone State School, Tasmania, Australia |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Pneumonia , Ulverstone, Tasmania, Australia, 23 August 2003, aged 107 years |
| Cemetery: |
Ulverstone General Cemetery, Tasmania |
| Memorials: | Tasmania (Launceston) Garden of Remembrance, Ulverstone Frank MacDonald Memorial Garden, Ulverstone Primary School War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 53, 40th Infantry Battalion, 91st Infantry | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 1916: | Involvement Private, 53, 40th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Hobart embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
| 1 Jul 1916: | Embarked Private, 53, 40th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Hobart | |
| 7 Apr 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 40th Infantry Battalion | |
| 13 Jan 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 40th Infantry Battalion | |
| 27 Jun 1918: | Honoured Military Medal, Third Ypres, 'On 12th October 1917, East of YPRES, he displayed conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in action. This man was at Battalion Forward station and did splendid work maintaining communication with the Battalion headquarters. The conditions were exceedingly trying owing to the Station being in an Area which was almost continuously under fire. Nevertheless he personally saw to the maintenance of the lines until the Battalion was relieved.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 95 | |
| 23 Nov 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Corporal, 53, 40th Infantry Battalion, 6th MD |
World War 2 Service
| 14 Oct 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Staff Sergeant, N79258 | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun 1946: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Staff Sergeant, N79258 |
Help us honour Frank McDonald's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Kerri Statton
(Great Grand daughter of Sgt Percy Clyde Statton VC, MM)
Remembering Cpl Frank MacDonald MM…
Today is a very sad day for me…
I’m remembering a dear friend whom I new personally…
I met Frank at the age of 100 until he sadly passed away at the age of 107…
Through Frank I got to know my Great Grandfather Sgt Percy Clyde Statton VC, MM…
Frank had literally watched what my Great Grandfather did on the 12th August 1918 when he was Awarded the Victoria Cross…
Frank went into great detail in telling me what the weather was like that day, the food they ate, along with some conversations between the two…
Not many people get that opportunity that I had all those years ago…
I had 7 wonderful years with Frank and each time we met, he still remembered everything as if it was yesterday…
It became common knowledge to some especially the media, that Frank had become my surrogate Great Grandfather, with Phyllis’s blessing…as I got to know about not only my Great Grandfather but Frank’s life story…
I remember his Niece Phyllis Gleeson telling me on the day of his 107th birthday, that I was the only one who made him cry…It took me sometime to understand why and I think I already new the answer and that was the connection to my Great Grandfather…
I was extremely honoured and blessed to have met such a wonderful man, he brought so much to my life and answered so many of my questions…
I was honoured but saddened by attending his State Funeral and I kept in contact with Phyllis, until she sadly passed away…
And when ever I do a speech on my Great Grandfather I can not do it without mentioning Frank’s name, because of him I now know more about what it was like to be a Soldier in WW1…
Frank MacDonald MM (26 June 1896 – 23 August 2003) was an Australian World War I veteran, notable for having been the last surviving veteran from Tasmania, and the last surviving decorated Australian veteran.
At the time of his death, MacDonald was also the oldest surviving World War I veteran.
When World War I commenced in 1914, MacDonald attempted to enlist in the Australian Army but claimed he was rejected due to having bad teeth. However, there is no Attestation Paper for this enlistment in the National Archives of Australia. It is possible the Attestation Paper has been misplaced as the Archives acknowledge that records, although comprehensive, are not complete. After his rejection, he travelled to Queensland to work in the canefields.
Upon his return to Tasmania in 1916, MacDonald attempted to enlist again and was successful due to what he believed to be the army's desire to quickly send more troops after large numbers of Australians had been killed while fighting in the war.
MacDonald joined the 40th Battalion, an infantry battalion comprising recruits solely from Tasmania, and departed Australia aboard HMAS Berrima on 1 July 1916, arriving in England on 22 August 1916.
MacDonald fought in the First Battle of Passchendaele, walking 96 kilometres over three days to reach Ypres.
When the Germans attacked, MacDonald showed bravery and courage by working in a vulnerable position in an area that was continually under fire, determined to keep communication lines open between the battalion's forward position and headquarters.
The battalion suffered a loss of 248 men who were killed during the attack. MacDonald later recalled that on one occasion he was tying a knot in a communication cable when eight shells exploded nearby causing the putty in his pocket to burn into his leg. A friend who had seen the incident reported MacDonald as dead, which was later corrected when MacDonald returned to base alive.
When World War II commenced, MacDonald was keen to travel overseas to once again fight for his country, and therefore re-enlisted in the army. However, after the army decided he was too old to see action, MacDonald was relegated to the Victoria Barracks in Sydney where he served five years undertaking clerical work and providing administrative support during World War II.
MacDonald was awarded the Military Medal for his "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in action" during the events on 12 October 1917.
In addition to the Military Medal, MacDonald was also awarded the Legion of Honour. The French ambassador to Australia Dominique Girard flew to Tasmania in 1998 to personally present MacDonald with the Legion of Honour.
MacDonald died from pneumonia on 23 August 2003, two months after celebrating his 107th birthday. Prior to his death, he had been admitted to Northwest Regional Hospital in Burnie after breaking his hip in a fall.
FOREVER REMEMBERED AND SADLY MISSED…
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
The Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize aims to commemorate and preserve the meaning of the ANZAC spirit in the Tasmanian community. The competition is open to all Tasmanian Year 9 students, as well as students who are undertaking home education at the same year level.
The Prize
Six Year 9 students are selected from around Tasmania to take part in the Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize each year. As part of the prize students:
Go on a 10-day study tour in April the following year (incorporating Anzac Day).
Visit the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
Attend educational meetings held once a month in the lead up to the study tour (November to April).
The study tour will travel to sites and landmarks of wartime, in Belgium and France (subject to appropriate travel clearances and public health advice). The group is led by a Tasmanian Government tour leader, and is accompanied by two teachers, a parliamentarian and an RSL representative. The State Government meet the cost of travel, transfers, travel insurance, accommodation, tour activities, and meals for each winner and the chaperones.
Click images to start slideshow.