Dr (Colonel) Roderick MacDonald.

Roderick MacDonald was born in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland in October 1861 and graduated Bachelor of Medicine, Master of Surgery from Glasgow University in 1884. After graduation he served on a troopship conveying British troops to the Zulu War.

 In 1897 he settled in Ipswich with an appointment as Visiting Surgeon to the Ipswich Hospital. He was commissioned as Captain in the Australian Military Force (AMF) in 1897 and promoted Major in 1907. Dr MacDonald volunteered for the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in October 1914, allocated to 1 AGH and embarked aboard HMAT Kyarra from Brisbane for Cairo in November 1914. On arrival in Egypt, he was posted to 2 Australian Stationary Hospital (ASH) at Tel el Kebir and then joined 2 Battalion on their return to Anzac in October 2015.

 After the Dardanelles withdrawal, MacDonald was Commanding Officer (CO) of 2 ASH from February 1916 until May 1917. 2 ASH moved forward from Port Said prior to the attack on Magdhaba and set up at Mahemdia in December 1916. In March 1917 it was established at El Arish supporting the Gaza campaign in Palestine. At this time MacDonald was mentioned in Despatches by Sir Archibald Murray.

 MacDonald was posted to 14 AGH as CO and promoted to Colonel. In mysterious circumstances MacDonald was sent home in October of 1917 and served on a troopship carrying repatriated soldiers back to Australia in January 1918.

 When World War 2 was declared he attempted to re-enlist but was told he was “far too old”. After repeated requests he was posted to Redbank Camp examining Army recruits. The story goes that soon after arriving he keeled over following dinner in the Officers Mess and died with the satisfaction of having been involved in 3 wars.

Author: Dr Stewart Parkinson MB BS (Qld) ANZSHM