Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Captain H. C. Macdonald, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, who, after an adventurous time in West Africa, was recruited by the British Military Intelligence Department at the War Office for a secret mission to Rio de Janiero and later to St Petersburg in 1909 where he supposedly died of heart failure

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Capt. H. C. Macdonald. A. & S. Highrs); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 Cpt. H. C. Macdonald. A. & S. Hgrs.); Africa General Service 1902-56, 2 clasps, S. Nigeria 1904, S. Nigeria 1904-05 (Captain H. C. Macdonald. S.N. Rgt.) medals mounted as worn and contained in a glass fronted display stand together with corresponding mounted group of miniature dress medals, nearly extremely fine (3) £1,200-£1,600

Matthew E. Taylor Collection, Christie’s, November 1990.

Henry Craigie Macdonald was born at 32 Belsize Park, Hampstead, London, on 13 April 1868. The son of Chessborough Claudius Macdonald (late 22nd Foot), Macdonald was educated at Harrow School and Jesus College, Cambridge, and then passed into Sandhurst in 1888. After graduating from the Royal Military College he was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 93rd Highlanders on 31 May 1890. From there, Macdonald was promoted Lieutenant on 7 November, 1894, and then Captain on 12 December 1899.

In 1899 Macdonald was serving with the 91st Highlanders but did not sail with that battalion when it departed on 27 October 1899 for South Africa. Instead, on 15 December 1899 he took charge of 185 reservists from the Gordon Highlanders who were temporarily stationed in Edinburgh Castle, destined for South Africa.

Although he missed most of the earlier battles, Macdonald was present at a number of the military operations: the advance to Kimberley, Orange Free State (February to May 1900), operations in the Transvaal east of Pretoria (July to November 1900), Orange River Colony (May to November 1900) and was present at a number of engagements during those periods. It is recorded that, with his company, Captain Macdonald charged and occupied a pass at Olifantsnek. Macdonald was invalided home early in 1901 but on 13 November 1901 he returned to South Africa, on board the Orotava, in command of a draft of 52 non-commissioned officers and men.

He was seconded to the West African Frontier Force on 26 September 1903, and soon saw further action. In December the Colonial Office decided to organise a military expedition under the command of Colonel A. F. Montanaro, the objectives being to punish various tribes which were closing trade routes, to bring under control the part of the Ibibbio country lying between the Cross and Imo rivers, and to establish a new military station.

Due to an inspection of the Southern Nigeria Regiment by the inspector general of the West African Frontier Force, the expedition was delayed. However, a camp was prepared at Mbiakpan on 1 January 1904, ready to receive the troops. On the 7th, Colonel Montanaro and his headquarters staff arrived in camp, though it took until 12 January before the entire force was fully concentrated at Mbiakpan. The force assembled was made as strong as possible and consisted of: 15 officers, five British non-commissioned officers, two 2-95 guns and 428 rank and file.

Prior to the arrival of Colonel Montanaro, a reconnaissance force commanded by Macdonald scouted as far as the Ikono town of Okpom-Itu. Macdonald reported Okpom-Itu as being unfriendly as he had seen large numbers of armed natives in the vicinity of the town. Based on this report, Montanaro decided to strike first into the Ikono district. The troops marched out on 13 January, taking the usual military precautions. However, the troops met no opposition as they passed through the first couple of towns. They even found a few guns had been laid down on the path.

Unopposed, the column moved deeper into the district. It finally stopped on 15 January at a place called Ikot-Ntuen, where a standing camp was established. From this base camp a number of smaller columns went out daily in all directions. They demanded guns to be delivered to them by the local chiefs, and those who refused to comply were severely punished.

Although natives in the area resisted a great number of these columns, three of the columns are recorded as having met the strongest resistance. The first example was when a column under the command of Macdonald, consisting of three sections of ‘G’ Company, were attacked on all sides by several hundred bushmen on 16 January at Mbiabon. The attack was repelled with considerable loss of life to the enemy. During this action, although severely wounded, 2197 Private Ojo Olan pursued the bushmen who had shot both him and Private Akandi Ibadan. Pte Olan, who was later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, managed to kill one of them and bring back Pte Ibadan, who had been mortally wounded.

On the same day, another column lead by Lieutenant Fox was also heavily attacked and, as in the previous action, the attackers were beaten off. The third attack occurred on 22 January when a column under Captain Hosley was attacked at 0700hrs by numerous armed bushmen. The bushmen were driven off and pursued through the towns of Okpom-Ungwana and Okpom-Ita. The pursuit was finally ended late that afternoon. By 4 February most of the neighbouring Ikono towns had been dealt with and the locals had made their submissions.

On 5 February the entire force marched towards Ikot-Ekpene in the Anang district of the Ibibio country with the objective of establishing a new camp. While on the march, the advance guard under Macdonald was attacked by the enemy at the town of Ikot-Ukpom. After an hour of intense fighting the enemy were forced to retire, suffering many casualties. At the same time a column near Ikot-Ntuen, under the personal command of Montanaro, was attacked and had to ‘form square’. The enemy was initially repelled but returned a short time later and attacked the column again from all sides. The fighting lasted for about three hours before the attackers were beaten off. Similarly, when a column under the command of Captain Hosley was opposed at the town of Ukana his column was attacked three times, with the enemy only deciding to retire once charged with the bayonets.

The locals of the Anang district showed a more determined nature than those of the Ikono district. One notable example took place on 10 February when a column entering the town of Ikot-Ukpong suffered a fierce attack by the natives. Throughout the following day various columns visiting a collection of towns met with similar resistance. On 24 February the force moved camp to Erriam and yet again refusal to offer up arms was met with punishment. However, the tactics seem to have worked because, over a period of time, several towns in the district sued for peace.

On 6 March Colonel Montanaro received instructions to divide his force and return to Calabar. Montanaro placed No 1 column under the command of Macdonald, which consisted of: 27 men ‘A’ Company, 87 men ‘G’ Company, 28 men ‘H’ Company, one British officer (Lieutenant Williams) and two British NCOs. His instructions were to complete the disarming of the Erriam district started by the previous patrol. He was further instructed to return to Ikot-Ekpene with orders to construct a permanent station. The No 2 column, which was a much larger force, was placed under the command of Major Trenchard, who had orders to proceed to the Imo River.

Two days prior to this Private Ogunbi Ondo was reported as missing. To begin with it was believed that he had absconded from camp in order to loot some of the nearby villages. On 7 March, however, Macdonald received a report stating that Ogunbi Ondo had been a victim of cannibalism at the hands of the Nde-Okoro locals. To seek out the perpetrators, Macdonald sent out a column of 80 men under the command of Lieutenant Williams. The column initially met with considerable opposition from some of the surrounding villages but this ceased after the enemy suffered over forty casualties. Williams then burnt down the offending villages.

On 10 March intelligence was received that the villagers of Imo were building defensive trenches to resist the troops. Lieutenant Williams was ordered to go out with a small column to Imno, which lay about three hours from camp. After facing some initial defiance, Williams entered the well-built town to find the cooked and partially eaten body of Private Ogunbi Ondo. Retribution was sharp and swift - the village was destroyed and all walls levelled to the ground.

Trouble was brewing elsewhere in the colony and, as a result of unrest within German territory, the British station at Obukum was attacked. This was to have an impact on Macdonald as he was notified on 17 March to stand by at Ikot-Ekpene and be prepared to send reinforcements along the Cross River. On 4 April his command was reduced when two sections from Ikot-Ekpene were sent via the SS Hertha to strengthen other British garrisons. Notwithstanding the loss of these troops, No 1 column continued with its task. During the construction period, Macdonald began to receive a number of insulting and taunting messages from surrounding towns that had not yet been visited. As a result of this he sent a column to the closest of these towns, named Ikpe, on 20 March. As it neared the town the column came under attacking gunfire. However, the locals were quickly suppressed as the troops triumphantly entered the town.
Similar skirmishes were to take place on 22 and 30 March as other towns opposed the troops’ presence. Although many of the natives fought bravely against Macdonald’s men, they were ill-equipped and disordered, leading to their suffering numerous casualties and ultimately being defeated by a disciplined force.

On 15 April chiefs from the towns of Erriam and Ikpe surrendered which resulted in all military operations ceasing. The No 1 column under Macdonald had suffered only one casualty during the recent operations. The enemy, on the other hand, endured the loss of 74 men, nine rifles and 669 muskets having to be surrendered. The column was then broken up with only one company remaining in Ikot-Ekpeme. Mr Morrisey, political officer, was placed in charge of the now smaller manned station and Macdonald remained in command of the troops.

Progress at the station proved to be so slow over the next few months that the high commissioner, Mr Egerton, voiced his disappointment at the passive way in which the natives in the vicinity of Ikot-Ekpeme were being consolidated. Captain Macdonald then sent an informal letter to his commanding officer reporting his concerns about Mr Morrisey’s increasingly uncontrollable drinking. Unbeknown to Macdonald, his letter was passed on to the Colonial Office, who then launched an inquiry into Morrisey’s conduct at the station. The high commissioner was well aware that Morrisey had a history of problems with alcohol but thought him reformed. Morrisey indicated to Mr Egerton, through written correspondence, that this had been the case but a division in the camp between himself and Macdonald had led to his drinking problems flaring up once again. The high commissioner refused to accept this as an adequate defence.

The result of the inquiry was that Morrisey was sent home for neglect of duty and both Macdonald and the station doctor, Dr Stewart, were reprimanded for not reporting Morrisey’s increasing drink problems sooner. Dr Stewart was censured for his lack of action in the matter and Macdonald was removed from the station and sent on leave. While away on this leave, Macdonald handed in his resignation. He later learned that, after the new political officer took charge of Ekot-Ekpene, it was discovered that the station interpreter and a number of soldiers had conspired to extort money and goods from the local townspeople. The interpreter was then arrested and tried. Dr Stewart was to suffer an even harsher fate, however, as he was killed and partially eaten by a number of locals in 1906.

Macdonald spent a few years in India after joining the 93rd Argylls. Nevertheless, in January 1907 he returned to Scotland in order take up the post of Superintendent of Military Prison and Detention Barracks in Stirling. Around this time Macdonald was secretly approached by the British Military Intelligence Department. They recruited Macdonald and before long he was setting off aboard the Amazon on 8 March 1907, destined for Rio de Janeiro.

The War Office had sent ahead instructions to the Foreign Office on Macdonald’s behalf. They were informed that:

‘Captain H.C. Macdonald, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders is about to proceed on leave of absence to Brazil. During his tour in that country he will endeavour to obtain definite information on various points connected with the Brazilian Army.
Maior-General Ewart will be grateful if, subject to Sir E. Grey’s approval, His Majesty’s Minister at Rio be informed of Captain Macdonald’s visit and request to afford him any assistance in his power.’

Arriving at his destination, Macdonald was informed that he was required by Whitehall to obtain further information for the embassy in Rio de Janeiro. Being a fervent military man however, Macdonald was unwilling to do this and instead only reported back to the Director General of Military Intelligence the findings of his mission. This caused the embassy to be reprimanded for not supplying the information requested. Once Macdonald’s secretive mission had been completed, he embarked from Montevideo on the Orita and disembarked at Liverpool on 20 May 1907.

From this point on, information about Macdonald, perhaps due to the sensitive nature of his work with the British Military Intelligence Department, appears to be missing or scarce. The next piece of relevant information about him comes from the 16 March 1909 edition of The Courier in which an article was published reporting his death. It describes how he obtained leave of absence from Stirling Castle a few weeks prior and, after recovering from a minor illness in London, headed to St Petersburg, Russia in order to see some friends. He subsequently died of a heart failure while there. Macdonald was posthumously awarded the almost unprecedented honour of being given a funeral with full military honours in St Petersburg.

The Foreign Office sent a message from the Army Council to the authorities in Russia thanking His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia for this gracious gesture. A memorial to Captain Macdonald can be seen in Holy Trinity Scottish Episcopal Church in Stirling. The inscription reads:

‘Sacred to the memory of Captain Henry Craigie Macdonald, 2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, who died at St Petersburg on 23rd March, 1909 in the 40th year of his age. This tablet is erected by his brother officers. Capt Macdonald served in South Africa, Nigeria and India and was buried with full military honours on the personal orders of Tsar Nicholas II.’

The above information is largely based on an article by the late Tony Conroy, ‘Soldier Spy’, published in OMRS Journal, September 2016.

Sold with a substantial file of copied reports and other research.