McDONALD, Alexander Michael

Alexander Michael McDonald was born on 27 November. 1896, to Michael Alexander McDonald and his Belgian wife, Elise Flora Marie Hartrive. He had one sister, Gladys Flora, born in 1898. His father died in 1908. amd at the time he enlisted, on 23 January, 1917, he was living with his widowed mother at 46 Simpson St., East Melbourne. He had attempted to enlist in 1916, but been rejected because of his height - 5' 2". He was a baker by trade, with black hair and brown eyes. By faith, he was a Roman Catholic.

He had already had some military training, 4 years with the Cadets, and was sent to Royal Park, North Carlton to train with gthe 1st Depot Battalion. The recruits left Melbourne on 11 May, 1917, on board H.M.A.T. Ascanius, A11, a steamship requisitioned at the start of World War 1 and retrned to its previous owners in 1920. They arrived on 20 July, 1917, landing at Devonport, England. Alexander McDonald had to be sent to hospital, having been struck down with Paratitis, a bacterial infection causing inflammation of the major salivary glands, the parotid glands, located between the ear and the jaw. With no antibiotics, it must have been a very painful condition, and he was not released from hospital until 12 August, 1917, when he marched in from Devonport to the Traning Camp at Perham Downs. From here, he was placed with the 6th Training Battalion at Rollaston, then moved to Fovant Camp on 27 December, to proceed overseas via Southampton to France. On 5 January, 1918, he finally joined the 23rd Battalion in the field. 

The entry of the United States of America in late 1917, turned the tide of war. By the time Alexander McDonald had been two weeks with the 23rd battalion of the A.I.F., U. S. General Hunter Leggatt had taken command of the U.S. forces and the Allies won the 2nd Battle of the Marne, defeating the last offensive undertaken by the Axis powers. It was in this battle that Alexander McDonald was wounded in a gas attack, removed from the field by the 5th Field Ambulance and sent back to Engalnd. He was admitted first to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford, and on release on 31 September, sent to the 2nd Com. Depot at Dartford, rejoining his battalion there on 29 November, 1918, eighteen days after the war was declared over.

It must have been fairly boring to be in camp with the war over, and on 1 February, 1919, he went A.W.L.. When he reported back, he was detached from duty given 7 days Field Punishment and the loss of wages.

Again, on 7 July, he overstayed his leave from the Sutton Veny camp and on 23 August, was charged with having been in possession of public property properly belonging to the 1st Australian General Hospital - 2 bed sheets, the property of the 1st A.G.H. On 23rd August, he was in London discharged from the AIF.

The followed an exchange of letters with the Australian authorities, where he asked for his miltary service to be brought ot an end and that he not be returned to Australia.

He wrote:

 ... I have been offered a first class position permanent position here, at which I have a better chance of bettering myself then by returning to Australia. I have made arrangements for the support of my mother, who is in Australia. I also have definate (sic) means of support whilst here. And have most of my relatives here. I have no engagements of the necessity of returning to Australia and am anxious to take the post.

A letter in support of this plan came from his maternal uncle, N Hartrive, 23 Rue de la Source, St. Giles, Belgium, who wrote that he was ailling to give Alex mcDonald employment at four pounds ten shillings wages a week.

However, Alexander later wrote that later wrote the the delay in releasing him from the army meant the position was given to someone else, so he now wanted to return to Australia. Little more is known of him. He died at Randwick, New south Wales in 1944, at the age of 48 and is buried at Matraville Cemetery.