Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Bruce Alexander McDonald, (23 March 1925 – 23 March 1993) was a senior officer in the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...

, seeing service in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation and the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

Early life and education

McDonald was born in

Geelong, Victoria Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, a ...

, on 23 March 1925, the son of Angus Alexander and Olive (née Penny) McDonald.

Military career

McDonald graduated from the

Royal Military College, Duntroon lit: Learning promotes strength , established = , type = Military college , chancellor = , head_label = Commandant , head = Brigadier Ana Duncan , principal = , city = Campbell , state = ...

in December 1944 and was posted to the 2/5th Battalion. He served in the later stages of the Second World War and was awarded a

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

for bravery and leadership while commanding a platoon during heavy fighting with the Japanese at Ulupu in

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

in July 1945, in which he was wounded. Following the war McDonald served in a number of staff and regimental appointments. From 1963 to 1966 he commanded the

3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) is a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Kapyong Lines, Townsville as part of the 3rd Brigade. 3 RAR traces its lineage to 1945 and has seen operational serv ...

(3 RAR), including operations in

West Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Semenanjung Malaysia; Jawi: سمننجڠ مليسيا), or the States of Malaya ( ms, Negeri-negeri Tanah Melayu; Jawi: نڬري-نڬري تانه ملايو), also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, ...

in 1964 and in

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...

in 1965 during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation, for which he was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

.The Order of the British Empire – Officer (Military)
(OBE(M)), Date granted: 1 January 1966, Citation: ''ARMY – Infantry – Distinguished service in Borneo'' During this period 3 RAR took part in the top secret

Operation Claret Claret was the code name given to operations conducted from about July 1964 until July 1966 from East Malaysia (Sarawak and Sabah) across the border in Indonesian Kalimantan during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. They were instigated b ...

, executing a number of cross border actions including several highly successful ambushes against Indonesian forces. From early 1971 McDonald commanded the

1st Australian Task Force The 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) was a brigade-sized formation which commanded Australian and New Zealand Army units deployed to South Vietnam between 1966 and 1972. 1 ATF was based in a rubber plantation at Nui Dat, north of Bà Rịa i ...

in South Vietnam until its withdrawal in early 1972, leading the formation during counter-insurgency operations against the

Viet Cong , , war = the Vietnam War , image = FNL Flag.svg , caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green. , active ...

and North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. For this service he was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

.Distinguished Service Order
(DSO), Date granted: 1 September 1972, Citation: ''1 Australian Task Force Vietnam – Commanding'' He commanded the 1st Division in Queensland from 1975 to 1977, and later served as General Officer Commanding Training Command. McDonald was appointed an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

in 1979.Officer of the Order of Australia (Military)
, (AO), Date granted: 11 June 1979, Citation: ''For service in positions of great responsibility, including General Officer Commanding, Training Command''

Retirement

McDonald died in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, on 23 March 1993. He was buried on 26 March 1993 in

Pinnaroo cemetery, Brisbane The Pinnaroo Cemetery and Crematorium is a cemetery and crematorium located at Graham Road, Bridgeman Downs, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is operated by the City of Brisbane. History The cemetery opened in 1962 and the crematorium, chap ...

Notes

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Bruce Alexander 1925 births 1993 deaths Military personnel from Victoria (state) Australian generals Australian Army personnel of World War II Australian military personnel of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation Australian military personnel of the Vietnam War Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Officers of the Order of Australia Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Geelong Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates Burials at Pinnaroo Cemetery, Brisbane