Career
A native of County Cork, educated at Castleknock College, William MacDonald joined the Royal Air Force (Royal Air Force) in 1929. He was appointed Officer Commanding Number. 150 Squadron in 1938 and served in World World War II, initially in that role: on 30 September 1940, during the Battle of France, his Fairey Battle bomber was chased at tree top height by three German fighters and he cartwheeled into a French field
1 Group before being appointed Air Officer for Administration at Headquarters Number.
84 Group in November 1944. After the War he became Commandant of the Central Flying School and then Deputy Director of Plans at the Air Ministry before becoming Air Officer Commanding Number.
230 Group and then Air Officer Commanding Air Headquarters Singapore in 1952. He was made Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence) in 1954 and Commander-in-Chief Royal Air Force Middle East Air Force in 1958 (including responsibility for British Forces Cyprus and Administration of the Sovereign Base Areas).
His role was retitled Commander-in-Chief Near East Air Force in March 1961.
His final appointment was as Air Secretary in 1962. He was made Air Aide-de-Camp to the Queen in 1965 and retired in 1966.
