Born in County Cork and educated at Castleknock College, William MacDonald joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1929.
[1] He continued his war service as a member of the Air Staff at Headquarters No.
[1] He was made Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence) in 1954 and Commander-in-Chief Middle East Air Force in 1958 (including responsibility for British Forces Cyprus and being Administrator of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia).
[4] He departed the roles of Administrator of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in the Island of Cyprus, and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Near East and Commander British Forces in Cyprus on 16 July 1962.
He was succeeded in both roles by Air Chief Marshal Sir Denis Barnett.