SHOOTING TRAGEDY
MAJOR MACDONALD KILLED
(Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Nov., 21
A sad accident occurred at Cheviot this morning, resulting in the death of Major Guyon Kenneth Macdonald, late of the Royal Flying Corps. The information to hand states that Major Macdonald went out with his gun about 7 a.m. to shoot rabbits. A shot was heard shortly, afterwards, and as he did not return for breakfast, a search was made, and. he was found dead, lying beside a fence.
Major MacDonald, R.A.F., was the. eldest son of Mr and Mrs R. M. Macdonald, of Bealey Avenue. When aged 25, he enlisted in November, 1914, in the Canterbury Mounted Rifles portion of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces and went into camp at Featherston. From Egypt he went to England to take up a commission in the Sherwood Foresters (the Notts and Derby Regiment), and in 1915 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. After spending some months in training he joined the 54th Squadron in France in April of the same year. In September, 1916, Major Macdonald was dangerously wounded in an air fight, but managed to get back to his aerodrome. For several months he was incapacitated by his wounds, and also suffered severely from shock. Afterwards he was appointed a flying instructor at Grantham, England, and at various other aerodromes. In 1918 he was promoted to captain and was appointed wing-examiner in the south-eastern district. Subsequently he was promoted major and attached to headquarters, London. In April of the present year he was demobilised and returned to the Dominion.
Major Macdonald, who was born in August, 1889, was educated at Christ's College, Christchurch, and later, was at Canterbury, Agricultural College, Lincoln. For some time prior to enlisting he was engaged in farming in the Cheviot district. Major Macdonald leaves a widow (the eldest daughter of Mr John Grigg, of Longbeach) and two young children. -Ashburton Guardian, 22/11/1919.
Guyon Macdonald's service with 54 Squadron (formed 5/5/1916) althoutgh short, seems to have encompassed the end of their duties as a Home Defence Squadron flying outdated aircraft and its re-equipment with the Sopwith Pup. No. 54 moved to France in December, 1916, so it cn be assumed that his September wound was suffered over Britain.
DEATHS.
MACDONALD — On Friday, 21 November, at Spotswood, Guyon Kenneth, beloved husband of Marjory Macdonald, and eldest son of Ranald and Gertrude Macdonald, of "Hambleton," Christchurch; aged 30 years. -Press, 22/11/1919.
ACCIDENTALLY SHOT.
MAJOR MACDONALD'S DEATH.
An inquest on the death of Major Guyon Kenneth Macdonald, late of the R.A.F., was held at the deceased's homestead, "The Grange," Spotswood, North Canterbury, on Saturday, before Mr C. H. Willis, J.P., acting-coroner, and a jury.
In evidence it was stated that Major Macdonald usually went out with a gun to shoot rabbits before breakfast.
H. Harbison, an employee of the estate, stated that he had found deceased's body lying near a wire fence, the gun having fallen on the far side. Witness, who had been employed on "The Grange" for some years, knew the gun to be unsafe, as it was light in the pull.
The verdict returned was that Major Macdonald met his death through the accidental discharge of a gun whilst crossing a wire fence. -Sun, 25/11/1919.
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