McDonald, Albert James (Lieutenant, b.1920 - d.1943)

Places	Africa: Egypt Africa: Egypt, Alexandria Africa: Egypt, Cairo Africa: Egypt, North Egypt, Nile Delta Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica, Barce Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica, Bardia Area, Bardia Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica, Tobruk Area, Tobruk Europe: Greece Middle East: British Mandate of Palestine, Haifa Middle East: British Mandate of Palestine, Palestine Middle East: French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon, Damascus Middle East: French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon, Lebanon, Beirut Tripoli Area, Beirut Middle East: French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon, Syria Oceania: Australia, Victoria, Melbourne, Box Hill
Accession Number	PR04741
Collection type	Private Record
Record type	Collection
Measurement	Extent: 2.5 cm; Wallet/s: 1
Object type	Letter, Photograph
Maker	McDonald, Albert James
Place made	Syria
Date made	1939-1942
Access	Open
Conflict	Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright	Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain This item is in the Public Domain
Copying Provisions	Copyright expired. Copying permitted subject to physical condition. Permission for reproduction not required.

Description

Collection relating to the Second World War service of VX5554 Lieutenant Albert James 'Meggsie' McDonald, 2/7 Australian Infantry Battalion, Second Australian Imperial Force, Middle East and Australia, 1939-1942.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Consists of seventeen letters [including envelopes], two Christmas cards, one photograph, one telegram, and seven envelopes from Lieutenant McDonald to his friend, Mrs Marjorie Anderson, and one letter from Lieutenant McDonald to Miss Padgeham. McDonald’s correspondence is dated between late 1939 and 7 September 1942, and covers the period of his service in Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Greece and Syria. In his letters, McDonald writes about his impressions of the local environments and people, hearing news regarding mutual friends, participating in training manoeuvres, receiving mail, the amount of destruction caused by bombs, limited water supplies, his first experience of being in action at Bardia, his eagerness to go home, making a journey for supplies, difficulties of serving in the desert, being targeted by dive bombers, serving in Tobruk and Greece, and his evacuation from Greece. He then goes on to write about being frustrated with inaction, having leave at a Jewish settlement, receiving his commission, attending a school for officers, hearing news of the war on other fronts, having his appendix removed, recovering in hospital, spending time on a house-boat for convalescents on the Nile River, sightseeing, being on garrison duty in Syria, looking forward to being a father, having leave in Beirut, playing sports, being looked after by his batman, missing his wife, Christmas dinner, tobogganing in the snow, and being selected as an instructor for a training school. One of McDonald’s later letters, dated c August 1942, contains a detailed autobiographical account of his enlistment and service in the Middle East. McDonald also responds to news from his hometown and sends his regards to loved ones.

History / Summary

Lieutenant Albert James McDonald joined the Second Australian Imperial Force on 4 November 1939, after previously serving with the militia. He declared that he was several months older than his age in order to enlist. McDonald was posted to the 2/7th Australian Infantry Battalion, and served with his unit in Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Greece, and Syria. He then went on to serve in New Guinea. On 3 February 1943, Lieutenant McDonald was killed in action in New Guinea. He is buried at Lae War Cemetery, Lae, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.