Pte 269725 John MacDonald

• Age: 20
• From: Mearns, Renfrew
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• D.O.W Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

John MacDonald was born in 1898 in Newton, Mearns, Renfrewshire, the son of Finlay Macdonald and his wife Margaret (nee Beaton) who were married in 1896 in Anderston, Glasgow.

The family must have moved to the Manchester area soon after the birth of Donald, as in 1901 they are living at 28 Thomas Street, Stretford. Both his parents are 37, his father's occupation foreman, fire and waterproof flooring, John is 3 and Donald 17 months.  Also in the household is a boarder, Kenneth Beaton, aged 20, born in Scotland.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 44 North Lonsdale St, Stretford, Manchester. His father, Finlay is shown as being aged 50, born 1861 in Howmore, Inverness, Scotland. He is employed as a foreman joiner, whilst his wife listed as Maggie is also shown as aged 50, born 1861 also in Howmore, Inverness, with no occupation listed. They have been married for fifteen years and have two children, John aged 13, born 1898 in Mearns, Scotland and Donald aged 11, born 1900 in Lanark, they are both still at school.

John enlisted in Manchester and was serving in the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 269725 when he died of wounds on the 31st July 1917 aged 20 during the Third Battle of Ypres. Based on the amount of the War Gratuity, John had served for no more than a year when he was killed. 

19^th Battalion

The 19^th Battalion started the day in Divisional Reserve but were called forward in the early morning of 31^st July and reached Maple Copse in late afternoon. It was originally detailed to continue with the morning’s attack but this was cancelled and they eventually relieved a Battalion of the 53^rd Brigade in the newly captured line, sustaining casualties from shell fire.

The Battalion was relieved on the night of 3^rd/4^th August.

Although not actively engaged in the assault the Battalion lost 26 men killed or died of wounds with four officers and 101 men wounded.  

John was one of those referred to in the Diary. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

His death was announced in the Manchester Evening News on 7th September 1917:

"Killed in action on July 31st, Private John Macdonald, 269725 K.L. Regt., dearly-beloved son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Macdonald, 44, North Lonsdale Street, Stretford." 

His mother Maggie received his Army effects and a War Gratuity of £3, and was awarded a pension of 8/- a week from March 1918.  

John is commemorated on the Scottish National War Memorial, and in the book, "Clan Donald Roll of Honour 1914-1918".  

The dedication reads, 

"At the Call of Duty from the Four Corners of the Earth Came the Children of the Clan to Battle for the Right.

In many graves in many lands their gallant bodies sleep, Their spirits rest with God.

To their loved ones, bereaved of them, this Roll proclaims the price the Clan hath paid.  

A token it is also, bringing pride to lighten grief for lives so well laid down.

For this we know:  They yet shall live again." 

We currently have no further information on John MacDonald, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.