Roderick Douglas Macdonald


Sir Roderick Douglas Macdonald KBE was Chief of Staff of Naval Home Command.

Naval career

Educated at Fettes College, Macdonald joined the Royal Navy in 1939. He saw action during World War II during the Norwegian Campaign. After the War he commanded various ships and was mentioned in dispatches for actions against EOKA. Between 1965 and 1966 he commanded naval forces in Borneo. During the early 1970s he commanded HMS Bristol.
In 1973 he was appointed Chief of Staff Naval Home Command and then in 1976 he became Chief of Staff of Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe at NATO. He retired in 1979.

Later career

In retirement he became a distinguished artist and retired to his home on the Isle of Skye where he was chieftain of the annual Highland games. In 1993, his book 'The Figurehead' was published detailing his early war time career in the Royal Navy. He is buried in Portree cemetery on Skye.