# Colin Donald

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{{Short description|British Army general}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [Major-General](/source/Major_general_(United_Kingdom))
| name             = Colin Donald
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB|CBE}}
| image            = 
| image_size       = 
| alt              = 
| caption          = 
| nickname         = 
| birth_date       = {{birth date|1854|09|18|df=yes}}
| birth_place      = [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow), Scotland<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Colin_Donald_(8)|title=Colin Donald|publisher=We Relate|access-date=8 December 2024}}</ref>
| death_date       = {{death date and age|1939|10|31|1854|09|18|df=yes}}
| death_place      = [Kensington](/source/Kensington), London
| burial_place     = 
| allegiance       = United Kingdom
| branch           = [British Army](/source/British_Army)
| service_years    = 
| rank             = [Major-General](/source/Major-general_(United_Kingdom))
| unit             = 
| commands         = Western Reserve Centre<br/>[Wessex Division](/source/43rd_(Wessex)_Infantry_Division)<br/>[Home Counties Division](/source/Home_Counties_Division)<br/>Hounslow Regimental District<br/>2nd Battalion [Royal Fusiliers](/source/Royal_Fusiliers)
| battles          = [Second Anglo-Afghan War](/source/Second_Anglo-Afghan_War)<br/>[Second Boer War](/source/Second_Boer_War)<br/>[First World War](/source/First_World_War)
| awards           = [Companion of the Order of the Bath](/source/Companion_of_the_Order_of_the_Bath)<br/>[Commander of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire)
| relations        = 
| other_work       = 
}}
[Major-General](/source/Major-general_(United_Kingdom)) '''Colin George Donald''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|CB|CBE}} (18 September 1854 – 31 October 1939) was a [British Army](/source/British_Army) officer who served as colonel of the [Royal Fusiliers](/source/Royal_Fusiliers) from 1922 to 1924.

==Military career==
Educated at [Cheltenham College](/source/Cheltenham_College), Donald was commissioned a [lieutenant](/source/Lieutenant_(British_Army_and_Royal_Marines)) in the [Royal Fusiliers](/source/Royal_Fusiliers) on 21 September 1874. He served in the [Second Anglo-Afghan War](/source/Second_Anglo-Afghan_War),<ref name=WW>Who was Who Volume III (1929–1940)</ref> was promoted to [captain](/source/Captain_(British_Army_and_Royal_Marines)) on 30 May 1883 and to [major](/source/Major_(United_Kingdom)) on 3 September 1890.<ref>Hart′s Army list, 1902</ref>

He was promoted to [lieutenant colonel](/source/Lieutenant_colonel_(United_Kingdom)) and became [commanding officer](/source/commanding_officer) (CO) of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, on 3 September 1898. The battalion served in the [Second Boer War](/source/Second_Boer_War), which began in October 1899, and was present at the [Battle of Colenso](/source/Battle_of_Colenso) in December 1899 and the [relief of Ladysmith](/source/relief_of_Ladysmith) in February 1900 as well as operations in Western [Transvaal](/source/South_African_Republic).<ref name=WW/> Having completed his period in command of the battalion, he was placed on [half-pay](/source/half-pay) with promotion to the [brevet rank](/source/Brevet) of [colonel](/source/Colonel_(British_Army)) on 3 September 1902,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue= 27474|date=16 September 1902 |page=5961}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue= 27474|date=16 September 1902 |page=5965}}</ref> and left South Africa on the SS ''Scot'' the following day, returning to the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom) later the same month.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Army in South Africa – Troops returning home|date=10 September 1902 |page=5 |issue=36869}}</ref> For his service in the war, Donald was appointed a [Companion of the Order of the Bath](/source/Order_of_the_Bath) (CB) in the April 1901 South Africa Honours list (the award was dated to 29 November 1900),<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27306 |date=19 April 1901 |page=2696}}</ref> and he received the actual decoration after his return, from King [Edward VII](/source/Edward_VII) at [Buckingham Palace](/source/Buckingham_Palace) on 24 October 1902.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Court Circular |date=25 October 1902 |page=8 |issue=36908}}</ref>

After his return Donald commanded the Hounslow Regimental District from late November 1902.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title= Naval & Military intelligence |date=27 November 1902 |page=7 |issue=36936}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27502 |date=9 December 1902 |page=8511}}</ref>

He became [general officer commanding](/source/general_officer_commanding) (GOC) of the [Home Counties Division](/source/44th_(Home_Counties)_Division), a [Territorial Force](/source/Territorial_Force) (TF) formation, in 1908, was promoted to major general while serving on [half-pay](/source/half-pay) in November 1909,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28310|page=8555|date=19 November 1909}}</ref> and became GOC of the [Wessex Division](/source/43rd_(Wessex)_Infantry_Division) in 1911.<ref name=WW/>

He served in the [First World War](/source/First_World_War) as Inspector of Territorials in India from 1914 and then as General Officer Commanding Western Reserve Centre from June 1915.<ref name=WW/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29214|page=6439|date=2 July 1915}}</ref> He also served as colonel of the [Royal Fusiliers](/source/Royal_Fusiliers).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/britishinfantry/fusilierscolonels.htm|title=Royal Fusiliers colonels|publisher=British Empire|accessdate=23 January 2016}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-mil}}
{{s-new|command}}
{{s-ttl|title=[GOC Home Counties Division](/source/44th_(Home_Counties)_Division)|years=1908–1909}}
{{s-aft|after=[Edward Dickson](/source/Edward_Thompson_Dickson)}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[Charles Blomfield](/source/Charles_James_Blomfield_(Indian_Army_officer))}}
{{s-ttl|title=[GOC Wessex Division](/source/43rd_(Wessex)_Infantry_Division)|years=1911–1914}}
{{s-aft|after=[Sir Charles Hull](/source/Charles_Hull_(British_Army_officer))}}
|-
{{S-hon}}
{{succession box | title=[Colonel of the Royal Fusiliers](/source/Royal_Fusiliers) | before=[Sir Geoffrey Barton](/source/Geoffrey_Barton) | after=[Sir Reginald Pinney](/source/Reginald_Pinney) | years=1922–1924}}
{{end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donald, Colin}}
Category:1854 births
Category:1939 deaths
Category:British Army major generals
Category:Royal Fusiliers officers
Category:British Army generals of World War I
Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:People educated at Cheltenham College
Category:British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War
Category:British Army personnel of the Second Boer War
Category:Military personnel from Glasgow

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Colin Donald](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Donald) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Donald?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.