| Sir Arthur McDonald | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 June 1903 Antigua, British West Indies |
| Died | 26 July 1996 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom Pakistan |
| Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1924 - 1962 |
| Rank | Air Marshal |
| Commands held | No. 79 Squadron No. 32 Squadron No. 106 Group RAF Staff College, Andover Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment Royal Pakistan Air Force Technical Training Command |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Air Force Cross |
Air Marshal Sir Arthur William Baynes McDonald KCB AFC RAF (14 June 1903 – 26 July 1996) was a Royal Air Force and Royal Pakistan Air Force officer who held senior command positions in the 1950s.
Educated at Antigua Grammar School and Epsom College, McDonald joined the Royal Air Force in 1924.[1] After attending additional education at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, he was appointed Officer Commanding No. 79 Squadron and then Officer Commanding No. 32 Squadron in 1937.[1] He served in World War II as Assistant Director of Repair and Servicing at the Air Ministry and then on the staff at Headquarters Fighter Command before becoming Air Defence Commander in Ceylon in 1942, Air Officer Training at Headquarters Air Command of South East Asia Command in 1943 and Air Officer Commanding No. 106 Group in April 1945.[1]
After the War he was appointed Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Andover and then Commandant of the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment before becoming Director-General of Manning in the rank of Air Vice Marshal at the Air Ministry in 1952.[1]
In June 1955 McDonald became the fourth and last commander-in-chief of the Royal Pakistan Air Force. At the time of his retirement the Royal Pakistan Air Force became the Pakistan Air Force, and McDonald was succeeded in the command of the renamed force by Air Marshal Asghar Khan.[2]
His last appointments were as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Technical Training Command in 1958 and as Air Member for Personnel in 1959 before retiring in 1962.[1]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Leslie William Cannon |
Commander-in-Chief, Royal Pakistan Air Force 1955 – 1957 |
Succeeded by Asghar Khan |
| Preceded by Sir George Beamish |
Commander-in-Chief Technical Training Command 1958–1959 |
Succeeded by Sir Wallace Kyle |
| Preceded by Sir Hubert Patch |
Air Member for Personnel 1959 – 1961 |
Succeeded by Sir Walter Cheshire |