Sir Arthur MacDonald | |
|---|---|
 MacDonald (far left) with other senior Australian officers in Korea, May 1953 | |
| Born | (1919-01-30)30 January 1919 Rockhampton, Queensland |
| Died | 20 January 1995(1995-01-20) (aged 75) Brisbane, Queensland |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1939–1979 |
| Rank | General |
| Service number | 18[1][2] |
| Commands | Chief of the Defence Force Staff (1977–79) Chief of the General Staff (1975–77) Australian Forces Vietnam (1968–69) Deputy Chief of the General Staff (1966–67) Papua New Guinea Command (1965–66) 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1953–54) |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Mentioned in Despatches Officer of the National Order of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm (Vietnam) |
| Other work | Colonel Commandant of theRoyal Australian Regiment (1981–85) |
GeneralSir Arthur Leslie MacDonald,KBE, CB (30 January 1919 – 20 January 1995) was a senior officer in theAustralian Army, who served in the positions ofChief of the General Staff from 1975 to 1977, thenChief of the Defence Force Staff from 1977 to 1979; the professional head of the Australian Army andAustralian Defence Force respectively.
MacDonald was born inRockhampton, Queensland, on 30 January 1919.[1] Entering theRoyal Military College, Duntroon, he graduated as alieutenant in 1939, and was posted to the 2/15th Battalion the following year for active service during theSecond World War. MacDonald remained with the unit until the end of the war,[1][3] which included seeing action atEl Alamein during theNorth African Campaign, andNew Guinea in theSouth West Pacific theatre.[4]
In the 1953New Year Honours, MacDonald was appointed anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire for his service with theAustralian Staff Corps.[5] On 14 March 1953, MacDonald was posted toKorea and assumed command of the3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.[2][3] During his command of the unit, MacDonald wasMentioned in Despatches for his "personal example and professional ability".[6][7] He returned to Australia during February 1954,[2] and was posted as Director of Military Operations.[3]
In 1965, MacDonald was posted as CommanderPapua New Guinea Command. He returned to Australia the following year, and was posted asDeputy Chief of the General Staff and later asAdjutant General to the Australian Army.[3] On 26 January 1968, MacDonald arrived inVietnam and assumed command of the army component of the Australian forces in the country. He served in this position until February 1969, at which time he was re-posted as Adjutant General.[3][8] For his services in Vietnam, MacDonald was appointed aCompanion of the Order of the Bath,[9] anOfficer of the National Order of Vietnam and awarded the VietnameseCross of Gallantry with Palm.[10]
In 1975, MacDonald was promoted tolieutenant general and assumed the position of Chief of the General Staff; the professional head of the Australian Army. Two years later,[3] he was promoted togeneral and appointed Chief of the Defence Force Staff (CDFS) on 21 April 1977 in succession to GeneralSir Frank Hassett.[11] In the 1978 New Years Honours, MacDonald was knighted as aKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.[12]
MacDonald retired from the Australian Army on 20 April 1979 and was succeeded as CDFS by AdmiralSir Anthony Synnot.[11] In retirement, he served asColonel Commandant of theRoyal Australian Regiment from 1981 to 1985 and was part of the Defence Review Committee in 1981 to 1982.[13]
Aged 75, MacDonald died on 20 January 1995.[3] A military funeral was held in St. John's Cathedral,Brisbane, on 2 February.[14] He is remembered as one who "possessed a fierce temper and an often irascible nature, which, combined with considerable intelligence and a capacity for hard work, made him a sometimes difficult superior."[13]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by GeneralSir Frank Hassett | Chief of the Defence Force Staff 1977–1979 | Succeeded by AdmiralSir Anthony Synnot |
| Preceded by Lieutenant General Frank Hassett | Chief of the General Staff 1975–1977 | Succeeded by Lieutenant GeneralSir Donald Dunstan |
| Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Chief of Defence Force Staff | ||
| Chief of the Defence Force | ||