Lt Donald Wallace McDonald

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One of The Missing, Lt Donald Wallace McDonald died in the Battle of Hill 70 and therefore named on the Vimy Memorial.

However, in March of 2015, BGen (Ret) Greg Young and the late Richard Laughton of Milton, Ontario, determined the remains of an Officer of the 48th Highlanders buried at St. Mary’s A.D.S. Cemetery must be that of Lieutenant McDonald. The only officer of the 15th Battalion killed on 15 August 1917, and buried at the location of an exhumation.

CWGC – Case No 306

Four (4) Lieutenants of the 15th Battalion named on the Vimy Memorial. Two (2) of which at the Battle of Hill 70 in August of 1917. Lt Donald Wallace McDonald the only officer of the 15th Battalion killed that day and buried at the location of the exhumation.

The following findings conclusive the remains in Plot 14 Row C Grave 11 at St. Mary’s A.D.S. Cemetery those of Lieutenant Donald Wallace McDonald (sometimes reported as MacDonald). Note the late Mr Laughton’s skills as a former forensic technology expert allowed him to submit over 60 cases files to the CWGC. The primary investigator of Case No 306, BGen (Ret) Greg Young, OMM, MSM, CD (48th Highlanders Regimental Association – Committee Chair).

CoD – Lt Donald Wallace McDonald

The “Circumstance of Death” file reports that Lieutenant McDonald previously reported wounded and missing. Believed killed during the attack on the extreme left of Hill 70, Loos. Believed at the time the body may have been hit by a shell during the heavy artillery and counter attacks – rendering the remains unrecognizable or buried.

Vimy Memorial

The remains of Lieutenant McDonald not identified at that time and his name subsequently listed on the Vimy Memorial.

War Diary

The War Diary extract for Thursday August 15, 1917 provides extensive detail on the actions of the 15th Battalion at the Battle of Hill 70, Loos. The stages of the attack listed by date and time. Documenting the movement of the battalion across the first objective (Blue Line) and second objective (Green Line) from
0425 to 1144 hours.

Bois Hugo

The movement of the 15th Infantry Battalion shown. As reported, to be east Hill 70 crossing through Bois Hugo, depicted in Nicholson Map 8.

Major J P Girvan

The original situation reports from Major J P Girvan, Officer Commanding No. 4 Company of the 15th Battalion. They provide specific detail on the locations of both the Blue Line and the Green Line on the morning of August 15, 1917.

Major Girvan Lt Donald Wallace McDonald — Blue Line

Each report contains written notes and a marked up Trench Map (57D Sectors H25 and H26).

Additionally, in another situation report also from Major J P Girvan, his position at the Blue Line marked on the trench map and his notes clearly state “No sign Graham, MacDonald.” Indicating Lt. McDonald missing at that point in the attack at the Blue Line.

Lieutenants

Two (2) of the four (4) Lieutenants killed during the Great War that have unidentified grave sites, thus listed on the Vimy Memorial, killed at the Battle of Hill 70 in August 1918. These identified as Lieutenant Donald Wallace McDonald and Lieutenant James Archibald Wylie. Lieutenant Arthur Edward Muir killed at Festubert in May 1915 and Lieutenant Bertram Howard Landels at Courcelette in September 1916.

The only other missing Officer of the 15th Battalion missing in France, Major A. J. Ansley also killed at Courcelette in October 1916.

Wylie and McDonald Arrive

Both Lt James Archibald Wylie and Lt Donald Wallace McDonald arrived at the 15th Battalion just prior to Hill 70 in July 1917. The former in No. 3 Company and the latter in No. 4 Company during the Battle of Hill 70.

This depicted in the documents showing the arrival of Lieutenant Wylie.

Wylie and McDonald Dispositions

The disposition of Lieutenants Wylie and McDonald at Hill 70 recorded in the account of Hill 70 operations written by Lieutenant Colonel CE Bent Commanding Officer, 15th Battalion.

15th Battalion Part II Daily Order

Official confirmation of the status of Lieutenant Wylie following Hill 70 reported in 15th Battalion Part II Daily Order No. 99, 4 September 1917. The Regimental History reports that Lieutenant Wylie killed 16 August 1917 at the Green Line – the farthest extent of the Battalion’s advance.

After having taken their objectives, the most desperate part of the operation now involved holding the Green Line with their greatly reduced numbers (including a noted shortage of stretcher bearers to remove the dead and wounded) in the face of a multiple German counterattacks. “it was impossible to carry many dead to the rear. Most of the gallant dead buried where they fell near the new front line.”

Regimental History

The Regimental History reports Lt Donald Wallace McDonald wounded at the Blue Line (advancing report line objective), placed in a shell hole but that the shell hole subsequently “blasted” by artillery.

Official confirmation of Lieutenant McDonald being reported MIA presumed KIA recorded in 15th Battalion Part II Daily Order No. 107, 7 September 1917.

GRRF – Lt Donald Wallace McDonald

The “Graves Registration Report Form” (GRRF) accessed from the CWGC web site shows that the remains of an Officer of the 48th Canadian Highlanders (15th Infantry Battalion) exhumed and placed in Plot 14 Row C Grave 11 at St. Mary’s A.D.S. Cemetery in Haisnes, France.

CoG – Lieutenant Donald Wallace McDonald

Additional details are provided in the “Concentration of Graves (Exhumations and Reburials), Burial Return” report (COG-BR). This document shows that the body exhumed an Officer of the 48th Highlanders by the “buttons” found. In addition, the location of the body at exhumation given for Trench Map 36C as H25 b6.8.

Important to note from this page the entry for grave 14.C.16, of the 15th Battalion reportedly exhumed from 36c H25 b8.9.

Trench Maps

All of the evidence for this investigation comes together on the extract of the trench map for 36c, sectors H25 and H26. In the version depicted marked a number of important locations. From the top to bottom of the extract, these identified.

The point at 36c H25 b8.9 where the COC-BR states that the body of Private Brant of the 14th Battalion (sic should read 15th Bn.) exhumed (red arrow).
The stated site of the exhumation of the 15th Battalion Lieutenant at 36c H25 b6.8 (orange arrow).
The real exhumation location of the 15th Battalion Lieutenant at 36c H25 d6.8 (red arrow).
The “Blue Line” or first objective on the morning of Thursday August 15, 1916 where Lieutenant McDonald of the 15th Battalion mortally wounded and encapsulated in a shell crater (black arrow).
The “Green Line” or second objective where Lieutenant Wylie of the 15th Battalion killed in action on Friday August 16, 1916 (black arrow). Reported that his body was not recovered and subsequent investigations did not locate his body.
The real location where Private Brant of the 15th Battalion buried at 36c H25 d4.5, as reported in the battalion records of that day. Also shown is the corresponding entry for Private Cooke at 36c H25 d45/41. Both Brant and Cooke buried at St. Mary’s A.D.S. cemetery.

Trench Map Summary

The trench map information reveals an error in the entry of the exhumation coordinates for the bodies exhumed and placed in St. Mary’s A.D.S. cemetery. This may have been a recording error in the field, as is common in many of the GRRF and COG-BR reports examined, or it may have been a typographical error at the time of entry. Similar errors with Brant’s initials and serial number, all of which later corrected. All the evidence confirms the burial location reported in error and any entry for the upper right square “b” must be read as the lower right square “d”. That places the body of Lieutenant McDonald exactly at the Blue Line at 36c H25 d6.8 which agrees with all the records.

Service Records

Confirmation of the primary burial area being in sector H25-d and not H25-b documented in a number of the service records of 15th Battalion men killed in the action at Hill 70. There are 23 direct references to sector H25-d and no references to H-25b. There are 22 that have no location noted or just a descriptive reference.

These recorded burial locations, at various points in H25-d made by the unit, closely follow the line of advance of the battalion from Bn HQ in Heath Trench, to Chalk Pit Wood, to Puit 14 and into Bois Hugo past first the Blue Line and then the Green Line. The men burying dead basically where they fell during the advance and at locations where they stopped to secure objectives and hold objectives like the Blue Line and Green Line. Even for those dead who do not have burial locations with specific map references on their cards, there are frequent comments such as: “in the enemy wire; at the Blue Line; at front line; in front of position; front line objective; No Man`s Land; 50 yards short of Blue Line”. This leaves no doubt that the men buried or lost in H25-d and on into H26-c and never in H25-b.

Current Headstone – Lieutenant Donald Wallace McDonald

The headstone that currently sits at Plot 14 Row C Grave 11 states that the remains buried therein are “An Officer of the Great War, 15th Bn. Canadian Inf.”

As all of the evidence clearly illustrates, Lieutenant Donald Wallace McDonald killed in action on the morning of Thursday August 15, 1917 and encapsulated in one form or another in a shell crater at the Blue Line.

The exact location where the remains of the “Unknown Lieutenant” of the 15th Battalion in Plot 14 Row C Grave 11 exhumed. The body clearly identifiable by the button of the 48th Highlanders, 15th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Null Hypothesis

Using the approach of the “null hypothesis” one would need to disprove, reject or nullify the findings that the body was that of Lt Donald Wallace McDonald. To accomplish that they would need to prove that it was then the body of Lieutenant Wylie. This can be disproved on the following basis:

The body of Lieutenant Wylie never found. A reasonable situation given the intense counter-attacks and artillery bombardment that was underway.
The battalion records depict a period of turmoil at the front lines (Green Line) on the morning of Thursday August 16, 1917 and a corresponding lack of men to recover bodies, with burials in situ at the Green Line.
No evidence in the battalion records that the body of Lieutenant Wylie was recovered from the Green Line, taken back to the Blue Line and buried. Had that occurred, it would have appeared in the daily reports.

St. Mary’s A.D.S. Cemetery

Several notable graves (and stories) at St. Mary’s A.D.S. Cemetery including Second Lieutenant John Kipling and Private H Harrison 18190 of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.

Second Lieutenant John Kipling

Only son of British author Rudyard Kipling. A lifelong quest unfulfilled – Rudyard had searched for his son’s grave until his death.

The grave of John Kipling identified by the former Chief Records Officer of the CWGC, Norm Christie in 1992.

Second Lieutenant John Kipling Imperial War Museum © IWM HU 123608

Private Henry Harrison

Like Sir Rudyard Kipling, George Harrison of The Beatles passed away before his grandfather’s grave located.

Loos British Cemetery and Extension

Early in 2023, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission announced the undertaking of an extension to Loos British Cemetery. Potentially hundreds of soldiers remains may be affected by upcoming infrastructure works in the region around Loos-en-Gohelle, in addition to a major canal construction project.

“Honouring and caring for the men who died on these battlefields more than one hundred years ago has been at the heart of all discussions with our French partners and the CWGC is very grateful for their support and ongoing assistance. This project affords an opportunity to recover the remains of those who died in the Great War and who have, until now, been denied the honoured burial afforded to their comrades. The servicemen recovered will be buried with the dignity and honour their sacrifice deserves.”
Claire Horton, CWGC Director General

Now that Loos British Cemetery has been declared closed, future burials in the region shall be interred at Loos British Cemetery Extension.

Lt James Archibald Wylie

Like Lt McDonald, Lt James Archibald Wylie of the 15th Battalion, also located by the late Richard Laughton in early 2016.

Photograph provided by Greg Young, 15th Battalion Memorial Project to Richard Laughton for Lt. Wylie’s Commemoration Project.

Case No. 308 submitted to the CWGC on 27 February 2016. The case is still Under Investigation.

Lieutenant Donald Wallace McDonald in the Great War