People Australia

Norman Macdonald, c. 1916 photographer unknown

from Bank of NSW Roll of Honour

ORMAN MACDONALD, the son of Mr. Hugh and Mrs. Grace Macdonald, was born at Granya, Upper Murray, Victoria, on 22nd November, 1892. He was educated at Shepparton and Geelong, and joined the service of the Bank on 11th August, 1911, at Geelong; was transferred in May, 1912, to Albury, and in February, 1914, to Wodonga.

He enlisted in August, 1914, embarked for the front in December, and served in Egypt and through the Gallipoli campaign. Thereafter he remained in charge of a company in the 1 st Imperial Camel Corps with a force watching the Senussi at a point about 400 miles S.W. of Cairo.

He had been promoted to the rank of temporary-sergeant on embarkation, and this appointment was confirmed in Egypt. During the Gallipoli campaign he received his commission as second-lieutenant, and was promoted to the ranks of lieutenant and captain in 1916. In November of that year he proceeded to France and rejoined his old battalion, but did not long survive his arrival.

A German trench, known as “Stormy Trench,” had already been attacked eight times without success. On the 4th February, 1917, the ninth attack was entrusted to two companies of the 13th Battalion under Captain (now Lieutenant-Colonel) H. W. Murray and Captain Macdonald. Leading his section of the attack Captain Macdonald went right ahead of his men in order to fire his flare for the barrage to lift, and on jumping into the trench after him his men found him lying dead with a bullet through his forehead. Captain Murray, who held on with great bravery against artillery and three counter attacks, obtained the objective and deservedly won the Victoria Cross.