Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthApril 27, 1895
Place of BirthToronto, Ontario
CountryCanada
Marital StatusSingle
Next of KinJohn A Macintosh, father, 70 Forest Hill Road, Toronto, Ontario
Trade / CallingBanker
ReligionPresbyterian
Service Details
Service Record
Battalion1st Battalion
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Machine Gun Corps
Enlisted / ConscriptedEnlisted
Date of EnlistmentAugust 28, 1915
Age at Enlistment20
Theatre of ServiceEurope
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Decorations and MedalsMilitary Cross and Bar
Death Details
Date of DeathAugust 18,1964
Age at Death69
Buried AtMount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario
PlotSection 38 Lot 381

Macintosh, Donald Alexander

Donald Alexander Macintosh was born on 27 April 1895 in Toronto, Ontario. His father John Alexander Macintosh, a lawyer, was from Vankleek Hill, Ontario. He was called to the bar in 1884 and in Cornwall became a partner in the firm of MacDonald and Macintosh founded by Ontario’s first premier John Sandfield MacDonald. The firm moved to Toronto in 1890 and it was there, on 7 March 1894, that he married Donald’s mother Margaret Hawthorne Scott who was from Bolton, Ontario. Donald was their first born child, followed by Frederica (Freda) (1897), John Maitland (1900), Hugh Alan (1906), and Emily Hawthorne (Dolly)(1908). According to his obituary, Donald received his education at the Toronto Model School and Upper Canada College.

By 1915 Donald was living in Kenora, Ontario with his aunt and uncle Donald and Maria Louise (née Macintosh) Marshall, working at the Rat Portage Lumber Company. Later that year he returned to southern Ontario, where on 10 July 1915, in Niagara on the Lake, he had qualified for the rank of Lieutenant. Donald signed his attestation papers with the 92nd Battalion on 28 August 1915 in Toronto. His occupation was given as banker and his father in Toronto as next of kin. In March of 1916 he attended a School of Signalling in Toronto. As a Lieutenant with the 92nd Battalion, he embarked from Canada aboard the Empress of Britain on 20 May.

Once in England Donald was transferred to the 15th Battalion, arriving in France in early August. After spending a week with the 1st Entrenching Battalion, he joined the unit in the field on the 10th. In late November he was granted a ten day leave to England. In mid January of 1917 Donald was seconded for service with the 13th Canadian Machine Gun Company. In July he was granted a ten day leave and upon his return he was awarded the Military Cross. ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He handled his section with great courage and initiative. Although subjected to heavy shell fire, he gained his objective and kept his guns in action until his alloted task was carried out.’ In early January of 1918 Donald was granted a fourteen day leave, extended to late in the month to attend his investiture. On 10 February he attended the 1st Army School of Instruction for the 16th Course, rejoining the unit on 18 March. That April the 13th Machine Gun Company was absorbed into the 1st Battalion Canadian Machine Gun Corps. In September Donald was granted a fourteen day leave, and shortly after his return he was admitted to the No 20 General Hospital in Camiers with shrapnel splinter wounds to both hands. In early October he was invalided to England, first admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital Wandsworth on the 2nd and then the Canadian Convalescent Officers Hospital Matlock in Bath on the 16th, with discharge on the 20th. That December he was awarded a Bar to the Military Cross. ‘For marked gallantry during the operations north of Cambrai, whilst commanding a battery of eight machine guns. On 27th September, 1918, during the attack on Haynecourt, he brought his guns into action with great skill and coolness, personally selecting their positions and directing their fire, whilst exposed to heavy fire from the enemy, warding off the counter-attack and enabling the infantry to continue to their objective. Though early wounded he continued at duty.’  Suffering from influenza and deemed seriously ill, Donald was admitted to the Military Hospital Kinmell Park on 28 January 1919, removed from the seriously ill list on 25 February. Recovery slow, he was not discharged from the hospital until 2 April. Struck off strength to CEF Canada, he embarked for Canada aboard the Cassandra on 2 May.

Returning to Toronto, on 25 April 1925 Donald married Margaret Thoburn Ivey. Born on 21 June 1901 in Toronto, Margaret was the only child of Arnold Mutchmor and May Elliot (née Thoburn) Ivey. Both society figures, the wedding was much reported. Sadly, Margaret died on 10 November 1933 as a result of car accident on 31 October. She is interred with her parents in the Forest Lawn Mausoleum in Toronto.

Donald later married widow Alice Louise Johnston on Valentine’s Day, 1936. Born on 8 October 1903, Alice was the daughter of Charles Smallpiece and Elizabeth Logan. The family was first living in Toronto at the time of the 1901 census, later moving to Quebec where it is likely that Alice married her first husband and gave birth to daughter Elizabeth.

Donald and Alice remained in Toronto where he was the head of the insurance firm of Macintosh & Company. He was also a director of the Crown Life Insurance Company, vice chairman of the Ontario Racing Commission and past president of the Toronto Hunt Club. During WW2 Donald served as a wing commander in the RCAF.

Following a brief illness, Donald died on 18 August 1964 in Toronto. At the time of his death he was survived by his wife Alice, stepdaughter Elizabeth (LP) Ewald, siblings Freda (Donald) Benson, Maitland, Alan,  and Dolly (Gordon) Rolph. He was predeceased by his mother Margaret in 1947 and father John in 1961. Maitland later died in 1966, Freda in 1976, Dolly in 1977, all in Toronto, and Alan in 1980 in Georgetown, Ontario. Donald’s wife Alice died on 18 November 1968 and along with Donald and all of his family but for Alan, is interred in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.

By Judy Stockham

Grave marker photo: LMK on findagrave.com
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