678139 Private William McDonald was a 30 year old elevator operator when he attested into the 169th Battalion in January 1916 in Toronto. After sailing to England in October 1916, the battalion was absorbed into the 5th Reserve Battalion on January 24, 1917. Private McDonald was sent in a reinforcement draft to the 15th Battalion just after Vimy in May 1917 and was assigned to No. 3 Company. He was attached to the 1st Entrenching Battalion from June to the end of August before returning to the battalion in late September.
On August 8th, the opening day of the battle of Amiens, he was wounded in the right knee and thigh and evacuated first to No. 5 General Hospital in Rouen and from there to the UK for further treatment at Queen Mary’s Military Hospital in Witley and later at the Military Convalescent Hospital Epsom, Surrey. He was repatriated to Exhibition Camp, Toronto, Canada and discharged in April 1919 as medically unfit for further service. His service file does not contain the details but Private McDonald’s death on May 20, 1920 was “service related’.
NOK: Son of the late Patrick and Margaret McDonald. Mrs W. Welton (S) 57 La Plante Ave., Toronto, ON
