Lieutenant-Colonel J.F.M. Macdonald
1st Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers

His coolness and determination inspired the leading Coy to rally and resist the enemy counter attack with spirit; the enemy was finally firmly held. With considerable skill and power of decision, though he himself was under heavy mortar and sniper fire, this fine officer quickly re-act his fire plan

(D.S.O. citation, 30 November 1951)

Born on 7 November 1907 in Norfolk, John Frederick Matheson Macdonald was commissioned with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers after graduating from Royal Military College, Sandhurst in 1927. Following staff postings, he served as second-in-command of the 6th Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers during the early phase of the Normandy campaign. He took command of the 1st Battalion, KOSB on 26 July 1944, a week after Lieutenant-Colonel G.D. Renny had been wounded and evacuated.

Macdonald led the 1st KOSB for over three months until early November when he was appointed GSO 1 for the 3rd Infantry Division. Command passed to Lieutenant-Colonel R.C. Macdonald. For exceptional staff work throughout the North West Europe campaign, J.F.M. Macdonald earned the D.S.O.:

All these and other operations involved a great deal of rapid movement and frequent changes of plans but Lt-Col. Macdonald succeeded throughout the period in putting his Commander’s intentions into faultless execution. Showed himself to be a tireless and unruffled Staff Officer, at all times capable of the most exceptional application to detail.

By 1950, Macdonald had resumed command of the 1st KOSB which deployed in the Korean War as part of the Commonwealth Division. He earned the D.S.O. for leadership during the First Battle of Maryang San in October 1951: “In the past Lt Col Macdonald has never spared himself in the service of the King, his Country, and Regiment but in this battle his conduct was outstanding, and he showed during the whole a complete disregard for his personal safety and for the fire of the enemy.”

Macdonald died in Suffolk on 29 May 1979.