Donald MacDonell (RAF officer)

Donald MacDonell, CB, DFC (15 November 1913 – 7 June 1999) was a British flying ace of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He is credited with the destruction of at least ten aircraft.

The son of the 21st Chief of Glengarry, MacDonell was born in Baku in what is now Azerbaijan. Educated in England, he entered the service of the RAF as a pilot officer in 1934 when he graduated from the RAF College at Cranwell. After serving with No. 54 Squadron for a time, he was seconded to the Fleet Air Arm and flew with its squadrons before resuming service with the RAF as an instructor. At the time of the outbreak of the Second World War, he was assigned to the Air Ministry in a training role. He was posted to No. 64 Squadron in July, taking up command of the unit several days after his arrival and claiming several aerial victories during the Battle of Britain. He was shot down in March 1941 during the RAF's Circus offensive and spent the remainder of the war in captivity.

Remaining in the RAF in the postwar period, MacDonell, who had succeeded his father as the Chief of Glengarry while a prisoner of war, served in a series of instructing and teaching posts. From 1956 to 1958 he was the air attaché at the British Embassy in Moscow and he finished his military career as an air commodore holding a director's role at the Ministry of Defence. Returning to civilian life in 1964, he worked in the construction industry for several years. He retired in 1981 and settled in Fortrose in Scotland. As well as being involved in Scottish organisations, he was active in Veterans' affairs. He died on 7 June 1999, aged 86.