Quick Facts
Biography
Lieutenant William Myron MacDonald was an American-born Canadian flying ace. He was credited with eight confirmed victories during World War I while flying as a wingman to Victoria Cross winner William George Barker.
Early life
William Myron MacDonald was born in Connecticut, USA on 3 November 1890. His family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1893. MacDonald was working as a marine motor engineer in Vancouver when he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Upon enlistment, he was a bachelor; his next of kin was Catherine MacDonald. However, as his attestation paper is missing, his actual date of enlistment is unknown; his Canadian citizenship also becomes questionable, as he is not known to have sworn allegiance to the Crown.
World War I
MacDonald began his military hitch in the motor transport segment of the Army Service Corps. He served in this mundane assignment for more than two years, most of it overseas duty. In August 1917, he was commissioned into the Royal Flying Corps. By March 1918, he was trained as a fighter pilot and posted to No. 66 Squadron in Italy as a Sopwith Camel pilot. While assigned to 66 Squadron, MacDonald flew as a wingman for William George Barker, the great Canadian ace. MacDonald was credited with destroying eight enemy airplanes between 24 May and 15 August 1918. This feat earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded on 20 August 1918 and gazetted on 2 November 1918:
- "Lt. William Myron Macdonald.
- "A very gallant and determined officer, who never hesitates to attack the enemy however superior in numbers the latter may be. On a recent occasion he engaged, single-handed, five scouts, destroying two, both of which crashed. In all he has accounted for seven machines."
- ^ Above the Trenches, p. 247.
- William Barker, VC, p. 105.
- Supplement to the London Gazette, 2 November 1918, p. 12969. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
List of aerial victories
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 May 1918, 1905 hours | Sopwith Camel serial number B7358 | LVG two-seater | Destroyed | Stradatta aerodrome |
| 2 | 31 May 1918, 0930 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B6424 | Berg D.I fighter | Destroyed | Southeast of Nerversa |
| 3 | 10 June 1918, 0610 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n D1913 | Berg D.I fighter | Destroyed | Between Giaron and Cismon del Grappa |
| 4 | 10 June 1918, 0625 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n D1913 | Albatros D.III fighter | Destroyed | Seren |
| 5 | 5 August 1918, 1310 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n E1496 | Enemy two-seater | Destroyed | Maria |
| 6 | 11 August 1918, 1945 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n E1499 | Enemy two-seater | Set afire in midair; destroyed | East of Cassotto |
| 7 | 15 August 1918, 1010 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n E1499 | Albatros D.III fighter | Set afire in midair; destroyed | South of Fonzano |
| 8 | 15 August 1918, 1015 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n E1499 | Albatros D.III fighter | Destroyed | Southwest of Fonzano |
Post-war
On 20 April 1919, MacDonald was transferred to the unemployed list of the Royal Air Force, ending his term of service. In 1930, he was known to be living in San Diego, California. He died there on 8 May 1958.