Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Military Service

Additional Information

Son of Ervin Austin McDonald and Hanna Blanche (née Botterill)McDonald, of Robson, British Columbia. Pte Douglas McDonald was the brother of Elaine, Ruth and James (Jim). Douglas spent the first 5 years of his life on the 2240 acre family ranch on Lac des Roches in the Cariboo district of British Columbia. The family then moved to Trail, Fruitvale and Robson where he attended school in each place. His nickname was 'Butch'. Douglas loved the outdoors. He was athletic and a good worker. He like to fish, skate and play hockey when there were enough boys to make two teams. Sometimes there would only be 4 or 5 boys on a team -- but, they would enthusiastically play hockey. He spent hours by himself practicing shooting pucks into a goal. Since this happened in small towns in the 1930's and early 1940's, all skating was done outside either on a large creek or on a home-made ice rink. Douglas also loved to box, which he started when he was about twelve years old. He enjoyed playing badminton and softball and helping care for the farm animals and chickens. When he was seventeen years of age, he built a small, one-room 'log cabin' using small trees about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. He even built a 'pole' roof for his cabin. He did all the work himself with instructions from his father. He showed himself to be an industrious young man, and obviously was a great loss to his family and community.

Commemorated on Page 384 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.