Private Edward Donald Macdonald

Born on 5 June 1887 in Kingston, Ontario - son of John A. and Elizabeth Macdonald, Ottawa, Ontario - had four brothers and two sisters - graduate of Queen's University and an all-star football player there - awarded a Humane Society medal for bravery in an Ottawa fire - at the time of his enlistment in 1915: trade as civil engineer; single; no current or previous military service; Roman Catholic; height of 5 feet 8.5 inches; chest of 37 inches fully expanded; medium complexion; brown eyes; dark brown hair.

Joined the 77th Battalion, CEF, in Ottawa, Ontario, on 16 December 1915 (number 145692) - sailed overseas on 19 June 1916 - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, in England on 6 July 1916 - landed in France with the 38th Battalion on 13 August 1916 - killed in action on 28 October 1916 - buried in Adanac Military Cemetery (grave VI.D.26), France.

(Updated with an image of Pte Macdonald's headstone from Adanac Military Cemetery that I took in August 2012).

(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force; Commonwealth War Graves Commission, "Debt of Honour" register, www.cwgc.org; Anonymous, An Historical Sketch of the Seventy-Seventh Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force (Ottawa: War Publications Limited, 1926), p.121; Peter Gower (comp.), Kingston Volunteers: The Thing To Do (Kingston: n.p., 2008), p.92)