Patrick Donald MacDonald: Difference between revisions

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'''Patrick Donald MacDonald''', nicknamed '''Paddy''' (born 21 July 1909, Bells Hill, Scotland - died June 1987<ref>test</ref>)
'''Patrick Donald MacDonald''', nicknamed '''Paddy''' (born 21 July 1909, Bells Hill, Scotland - died June 1987<ref>Death registered in Surrey South-Western, v. 17, p. 1313</ref>) who is believed to have likely known "everything there was to know about the [[Bones found on Nikumaroro| bones found on Nikumaroro]]."
 
In 1941 MacDonald rose from assistant secretary to colonial secretary, a prestigious and important position. [[Ron Gatty]] later recalled, "The Governor was a ceremonial figure and might set policy, but the Colonial Secretary was the CEO. He had three telephones on his desk, gave orders, and approved spending. Paddy was pretty damn good."
 


* Born July 21, 1909, in Bells Hill, Scotland.
* Died June, 1987.  Death registered in Surrey South-Western, v. 17, p. 1313.
* Nicknamed "Paddy."
* Rose from Assistant Secretary in 1941 to Colonial Secretary--a very prestigious and important position.
** The Colonial Secretary was virtually a dictator.  The Governor was a ceremonial figure and might set policy, but the Colonial Secretary was the CEO. He had three telephones on his desk, gave orders, and approved spending.  He was "pretty damn good" ([[Ron Gatty|RG]]).
* Employed by WPHC from ~1941 to 1978.
* 8th April 1940 became Acting Assistant Secretary WPHC under Vaskess (source: WPHC personnel file), assuming job from Harry Maude, who had been seconded to Pitcarn (Source: Woodburn, "Where Our Hearts Still Lie").
* 8th April 1940 became Acting Assistant Secretary WPHC under Vaskess (source: WPHC personnel file), assuming job from Harry Maude, who had been seconded to Pitcarn (Source: Woodburn, "Where Our Hearts Still Lie").
* 2nd May 1940 relinquished AAS post, but on 24th May became Acting Secretary until 11th July when he returned to being AAS (Source: Personnel file); presumably he stood in for Vaskess while Vaskess was on leave or secondment.   
* 2nd May 1940 relinquished AAS post, but on 24th May became Acting Secretary until 11th July when he returned to being AAS (Source: Personnel file); presumably he stood in for Vaskess while Vaskess was on leave or secondment.   
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* Both files and office equipment were sent to London. Lists of files were drawn up and typed. They were then packed in small archive boxes--no more than 5 files to a box. The small boxes were then stacked in a wooden packing crate. They fit perfectly, with no need of any kind of straw or other packing material.
* Both files and office equipment were sent to London. Lists of files were drawn up and typed. They were then packed in small archive boxes--no more than 5 files to a box. The small boxes were then stacked in a wooden packing crate. They fit perfectly, with no need of any kind of straw or other packing material.
* Tofiga remembers Paddy as "fair, firm and meticulous."
* Tofiga remembers Paddy as "fair, firm and meticulous."
* Ron Gatty: "The Governor was a ceremonial figure and might set policy, but the Colonial Secretary was the CEO. He had three telephones on his desk, gave orders, and approved spending. Paddy was pretty damn good."
* Ron Gatty:  
* Daughters: Hillary and Sally?  Hillary is now Hillary Roberts, living in Bermuda as of 2007 (See below). She worked for BOAC and got reduced fare flights for her father ([[Ron Gatty|RG]]).
* Daughters: Hillary and Sally?  Hillary is now Hillary Roberts, living in Bermuda as of 2007 (See below). She worked for BOAC and got reduced fare flights for her father ([[Ron Gatty|RG]]).
* May have had a part-interest in the Grand Pacific Hotel.  [[Ron Gatty]] saw him there in a humble role--acting, perhaps, as the manager or desk clerk.
* May have had a part-interest in the Grand Pacific Hotel.  [[Ron Gatty]] saw him there in a humble role--acting, perhaps, as the manager or desk clerk.
* Died in the late 1990s?
* Died in the late 1990s?
* Almost certainly knew everything there was to know about the [[Bones found on Nikumaroro| bones found on Nikumaroro]].
* .
* Employed by WPHC from ~1941 to 1978.
 
== Family ==
== Family ==
* Wife: Delia Edith MacDonald (3 Aug 1913, Westcliff, England, to November, 1994, in Hove, Sussex).
* Wife: Delia Edith MacDonald (3 Aug 1913, Westcliff, England, to November, 1994, in Hove, Sussex).
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* Daughter: Sally.
* Daughter: Sally.


==test==
==Notes and references==
<references/>

Revision as of 21:22, 20 February 2009

Patrick Donald MacDonald, nicknamed Paddy (born 21 July 1909, Bells Hill, Scotland - died June 1987[1]) who is believed to have likely known "everything there was to know about the bones found on Nikumaroro."

In 1941 MacDonald rose from assistant secretary to colonial secretary, a prestigious and important position. Ron Gatty later recalled, "The Governor was a ceremonial figure and might set policy, but the Colonial Secretary was the CEO. He had three telephones on his desk, gave orders, and approved spending. Paddy was pretty damn good."


  • 8th April 1940 became Acting Assistant Secretary WPHC under Vaskess (source: WPHC personnel file), assuming job from Harry Maude, who had been seconded to Pitcarn (Source: Woodburn, "Where Our Hearts Still Lie").
  • 2nd May 1940 relinquished AAS post, but on 24th May became Acting Secretary until 11th July when he returned to being AAS (Source: Personnel file); presumably he stood in for Vaskess while Vaskess was on leave or secondment.
  • On vacation leave 14-28th October 1940
  • 11th -- 19th November 1940 traveled to Samoa and Tonga
  • 11th December again became Acting Secretary to WPHC, apparently continued in this post until 2nd July, when his personnel file says he "resumed duty in substantive post, with the note: "statement of pensionable service instrument(?) in GEIC." Does this mean he was back on Ocean or Tarawa?
  • 24th April 1941 personnel file says he "proceeded(?) on duty with HC (sic: High Commissioner) to BSIP & HH." BSIP would be British Solomon Islands Protectorate; don't know about HH. Sir Harry, on page 179 of "From a South Seas Diary," notes that on 20th April he sailed on Viti with "Dr. Macpherson, Tomblings and Paddy Macdonald" for the Solomons; they got back on 14th May. Our copy of Macdonald's personnel file ends with the 24th April 1941 entry.
  • Took the bones from the office to Hoodless at FSM in summer of 1941.
  • Colonial Secretary and in charge of boxing things up in 1978. Acting Archivist from the time that Burne retired (or quit) in 1976 until at least April 6, 1978.
  • Both files and office equipment were sent to London. Lists of files were drawn up and typed. They were then packed in small archive boxes--no more than 5 files to a box. The small boxes were then stacked in a wooden packing crate. They fit perfectly, with no need of any kind of straw or other packing material.
  • Tofiga remembers Paddy as "fair, firm and meticulous."
  • Ron Gatty:
  • Daughters: Hillary and Sally? Hillary is now Hillary Roberts, living in Bermuda as of 2007 (See below). She worked for BOAC and got reduced fare flights for her father (RG).
  • May have had a part-interest in the Grand Pacific Hotel. Ron Gatty saw him there in a humble role--acting, perhaps, as the manager or desk clerk.
  • Died in the late 1990s?
  • .
  • Employed by WPHC from ~1941 to 1978.

Family

  • Wife: Delia Edith MacDonald (3 Aug 1913, Westcliff, England, to November, 1994, in Hove, Sussex).
  • Son: Neil Mateson MacDonald, Auckland, New Zealand. 1940 or 1941.
  • Daughter: Hillary (~1947?). Hillary Roberts ("The daughter of former Fiji deputy Governor Patrick Macdonald...") lived in Bermuda until November 2007 and perhaps could be contacted through the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.
  • Daughter: Sally.

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Death registered in Surrey South-Western, v. 17, p. 1313
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