Hector MacDonald
Major-General Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald, KCB, DSO (Scottish Gaelic: Eachann Gilleasbaig MacDhòmhnaill; 4 March 1853 – 25 March 1903), also known as Fighting Mac, was a British Army soldier.
Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald | |
|---|---|
Major General Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald (1853–1903), KCB, DSO by Ernest H. Longdon | |
| Nickname(s) | Fighting Mac |
| Born | 4 March 1853 Black Isle, Scotland |
| Died | 25 March 1903 (aged 50) Paris, France |
| Buried | Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Years of service | 1870–1903 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Commands held | South District Army Highland Brigade Sirhind district |
| Battles/wars | Second Anglo-Afghan War First Boer War Sudan Campaign Second Boer War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order |
| Relations | Ross MacDonald (Bathgate Boys Brigade) |
The son of a crofter, MacDonald left school before he was 15, enlisted in the Gordon Highlanders as a private at 17, and finished his career as a major general, a rare example of a British Army general who rose through the ranks on merit alone. He distinguished himself in action at the Battle of Omdurman (1898), became a popular hero in Scotland and England, and was knighted for his service in the Second Boer War. Posted to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) as Commander-in-Chief of British forces, he committed suicide in 1903 following accusations of homosexual activity with local boys.