MacDONALD, Andrew
(Service number 25/998)
| First Rank | Rifleman | Last Rank | Lance-Corporal |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 25 July 1891 | Place of Birth | Elgin, Moray, Scotland |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 14 October 1915 | Age | 24 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Ma Waro, via Timaru | ||
| Occupation | Farm hand | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs James MacDONALD (mother), 3 Abbey Street, Elgin, Scotland | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Rifle Brigade | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 3rd Battalion, C Company | ||
| Date | 5 February 1916 | ||
| Transport | |||
| Embarked From | Wellington | Destination | Suez, Egypt |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | NZ Rifle Brigade | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Egyptian; Egyptian EF; Western European | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | British War Medal; Victory Medal | ||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 9 February 1973 | Age | 81 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Timaru | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Timaru Cemetery | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Andrew MacDonald was born on 25 July 1891 at Elgin, Moray, Scotland, the son of James and Ann (née Whyte) MacDonald (McDonald). In 1901, Andrew was at home at Standingstones Farm, Duffus, Moray, with his parents and three of his brothers and two of his sisters. His father died in 1910, his mother surviving until 1946.
Andrew enlisted with the New Zealand Forces on 14 October 1915. He was a farm hand at Ma Waro, via Timaru, single and Protestant. He named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs James MacDonald, 3 Abbey Street, Elgin. Rifleman A. MacDonald embarked the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 3rd Battalion, departing from Wellington for Suez, Egypt, on 5 February 1916. He arrived back in New Zealand on 23 June 1919, per the “Maunganui”, and was discharged on 21 September 1919.
He married Winnifred Elizabeth Andreassend in 1928, and they lived at Timaru (Otipua Road). Their younger son, John Victor MacDonald, died on 26 October 1932 at Timaru Hospital, aged 2 years 2 months. Their older son, James Andrew MacDonald, died on 21 November 1954, his 26thy birthday, in a tragic accident on the Timaru-Fairlie highway. Three other young people were also killed, and six others injured. Both John and James are buried at Timaru Cemetery, their parents with them. Andrew died on 9 February 1973, aged 81 years, and Winnifred in 1977. They were survived by four daughters.
Two younger brothers of Andrew served with the UK Forces in World War One, both losing their lives. Andrew, Lewis and John, along with other siblings, are remembered on their parents’ headstone in Elgin Old Cemetery. Private Lewis Macdonald, The Royal Scots, was killed in action on 9 October 1917 at Passchendaele, Belgium, and Private John MacDonald, The Seaforth Highlanders, was killed in action on 9 April 1917 in France. Alexander MacDonald, a cousin of Andrew, served with the Seaforth Highlanders in World War One. He died on 18 June 1949 at Timaru, aged 54 years, and was buried in the Services Section of Timaru Cemetery.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [07 May 2023]; 1891, 101 Scotland census returns (ancestry.com.au) [07 May 2023]; Timaru Herald, 27 October 1932, Press, 22 November 1954, 12 March 1955 (Papers Past) [07 May 2023]; Timaru Cemetery headstone images (Timaru District Council) [07 May 2023]; Moray, Scotland, Local Heritage Index [07 May 2023]
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