William MacDonald (RAF officer)

Air Chief Marshal Sir William Lawrence Mary MacDonald GCB CBE DFC (11 August 1908 – 9 November 1984) was a Royal Air Force Officer who became Commander-in-Chief of the RAF Middle East Air Force.

RAF career
A native of County Cork, educated at Castleknock College, William MacDonald joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1929. He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 150 Squadron in 1938 and served in 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. He continued his war service as a member of the Air Staff at Headquarters No. 1 Group before being appointed Air Officer for Administration at Headquarters No. 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 No. 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 RAF 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.

Honours and awards

 * Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath - 12 June 1965 (KCB - 1 January 1959, CB - 2 January 1956)
 * Commander of the Order of the British Empire - 1 January 1946
 * Distinguished Flying Cross - 20 February 1940
 * Air ADC to The Queen - 6 April 1965 to 12 August 1966
 * Mentioned in Despatches - 2 June 1943, 1 January 1945
 * Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (France) - 194?
 * Croix de Guerre with Palms (France) - 194?
 * Order of the Star of Jordan, 1st class