Harold French McDonald

Brigadier General  C.M.G.  D.S.O
(1885.11.22 - 1943.09.02)
B.A.Sc, SLS, MLS, ALS, DLS
Commission #035 (1911.04.03)

Born in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan on November 22, 1885 to Archibald and Ellen McDonald. Harold was the youngest of the five children in his family.

“Gen. McDonald was a descendant of a famous western fur trade family. His father was Chief Factor Archibald McDonald who was stationed at the old Hudson’s Bay Company post at Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask., for many years.”

RM of Archie in Manitoba is named after Harold’s father.

Harold was brother to Edward Ellice McDonald. (Doctor of some notoriety in the USA as was his son).

He attended Upper Canada College in Toronto and then attended McGill University in Montreal graduating with a B.Sc. in 1907. Obtained commissions as MLS (1911), SLS (1911), ALS (1912), DLS (1913).

Harold conducted town site surveys for the CPR and in 1913 - 1914 he was the McDonald in McDonald & Brown Land Surveyors of Winnipeg.

Harold enlisted for active service in WW1 on September of 1914.

“From 1914 to 1918 during World War 1 (WW1) he served as an officer with the 79th Canadian Highlanders regiment retiring as a Brigadier General. Harold lost his left arm at the Battle of the Somme. He became a Brigadier at the age of 31 and for some time was the youngest Brigadier in the Canadian Forces. He became a close friend of Winston Churchill while they were together at the Allied Front during WW1. In 1916 he was created a Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) and in 1917 was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). In 1918 he was awarded the Order of St. Anne (Russia).”

“During the summer of 1917 still further changes were made, through which the administration of the Canadian military establishment in England was divided into four branches, under the supervision of the Military Secretary, Major F. F. Montague, the General Staff, in charge of Lieutenant Colonel H. F. McDonald, the Adjutant General, Brigadier General P. E. Thacker, and the Quartermaster General, Brigadier General A. D. McRae.”

Major Harold French McDonald, Sci. ’07. has been decorated for the following exploit:

“Maj. Harold French McDonald, Inf. For conspicuous gallantry during operations. He carried out a dangerous reconnaissance under heavy shell fire, and after a shell splinter had blown off his arm he reported the result of his reconnaissance before allowing the stretcher-bearers to remove him. Major McDonald, who was employed in the Land Department of the Canadian Pacific Railway at Winnipeg when war was declared, went over as a Lieutenant In the 3rd Highland Brigade, First Canadian Division. He was promoted to his present rank on the field, and was also wounded. In peace times he as a lieutenant in the 79th Cameron Highlanders of Winnipeg.”

The foregoing are but a few of the articles written about Harold military background.

From 1924 to 1931 Harold was involved with some brokerage firms (Nesbitt Thomson & Co.; H.F. McDonald & Co.; McDonald Jukes & Graves; R.P. Clark & Co.) in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In 1931 Harold was appointed a Member of the Pension Tribunal.

“On 8 December 1939, the Canadian government established a Special Cabinet on Demobilization and Re-establishment with the Minister of Pensions and National Health, Ian Mackenzie, as Chairman. The Committee established an Inter-departmental General Advisory Committee, consisting of senior members of the Civil Service. Brigadier-General H.F. McDonald, Chairman of the Canadian Pension Commission, was appointed chairman, and Walter S. Woods, Chairman of the War Veterans’ Allowance Board, was appointed vice-chair. The Committee addressed all aspects of the question “What does the country owe to those who, forsaking everything, offered their lives in its defence---to try and compensate for the time that was lost, and the opportunities that were missed.”

Harold was married to Marjorie Gilmour (1917 – daughter of T.H. Gilmour) and they had one daughter, Mary Marjorie McDonald who was married to “Flying Ace Duncan Gordon Bell-Irving”.

“Gen. McDonald had been in indifferent health for some time. He was on his annual vacation, and just before he left for his Banff home had undergone a check-up at an Ottawa hospital.” Harold passed away on September 2, 1943 in Banff:

“Many prominent Canadians attended the funeral services held yesterday for Brig.-Gen. H.F. McDonald, chairman of the Canadian Pensions Commission and chief executive assistant to Hon. C.G. Power, Minister of National Defence for Air, who died at his home here last week. Maj. the Rev. Canon W.H. Morgan officiated. Burial was in the Banff cemetery. Among those in attendance were, Mayor Andrew Davison of Calgary; Air Vice-Marshal G.R. Howsam, air office commanding No. 4 Training Command, Calgary, representing Air Minister Power and Group Captain Douglas Iron, former commanding officer of No. 37 S.F.T.S. Dr. E. Sheffield, Calgary represented the Pensions Commission, and Dr. W.A. Park, district administrator, Calgary, the Pensions Department.”

Harold’s wife passed away in Cochrane, Alberta August 15, 1949.

“Almost as soon as the hospital (refers to Colonel Belcher Hospital – Calgary) opened, the federal government issued orders to double the 8,000 bed capacity at military hospitals across the country. As a result the property adjacent to the Belcher at 536 13th Avenue S.W. was purchased from W.S. Henderson. By May 1944 work had started on the construction of two additions; a garage and clinic office costing $19,000 and the three storey $50,000 Harold McDonald Memorial Wing (named for Brigadier H.F.McDonald, Chairman of the Canadian Pension Commission, who died at his Banff home in September 1943).“

Prepared by M. L. J. Waschuk, SLS, P. Surv., 2018

Sources: Library & Archives Canada; ISC; University of McGill Publications; SLSA; Dept. of Interior Publications; Photograph Courtesy of National Archives of Canada (PA-7485);  The Calgary Highlanders Regimental Museum and Archive; Vancouver Public Library; Royal BC Museum; Winnipeg Free Press; Canadian Great War Project; Internet Archive; Montreal Star; Calgary Public Library; Winnipeg Tribune; Ancestory.com; Manitoba Historical Society.