1880 – 1916

Civil Engineer

Equipped for every good work⁶

The deed was done.  In the stark but quiet beauty of a graveyard³² in Quetta²², a young 2^nd Lieutenant was laid to rest, in ground which was no less cold than the headstone which would eventually mark his grave.  Save for the Army Chaplain⁵³ there was no one to mourn him, not here, in the hinterland of the North West frontier of British India⁴⁸; the shedding of tears would be left to those he had so confidently left behind, all those years ago⁴⁰.

It was the bleakest of endings to a life which had begun on 26^th December 1880⁴⁰ on the windswept archipelago of Orkney³¹, the youngest child of parents Isabella and James Donald, after whom he was named³⁸.  His eldest brother, John Rowley, would eventually become the Vicar of Ss Simon & Jude, Cockshutt.

The untimely death of his Father² two years later undoubtedly shattered the contented homelife young James was accustomed to; but as James the elder had always upheld his responsibilities as the financial provider³ for the family, they were able to remain in their close-knit community³ whilst adjusting to their loss.

Sustained by his loving Christian¹ family, James once again settled into a happy, carefree childhood, thriving amidst the magnificent backdrop of wide open spaces, fishing boats, and ancient castles; ideal for his burgeoning curiosity about how and why things work.

All too soon, change was once again on the horizon.  By the time he was twelve the family had uprooted to the bustling city of Edinburgh⁴; soon after he made the journey to Yorkshire and entered Sedbergh School⁴⁰ as a boarder.  Thriving in the competitive environment, excelling in Mathematics and Science, he was deservedly offered a place at the Royal Indian Engineering College⁴⁷, Berkshire, where he trained as a Civil Engineer for the Indian Works Department³³.

Graduating in 1903, James was appointed Assistant Conservator of Forests³³ for the Central Provinces of India⁴⁰.  Self-assured, he embraced this auspicious chapter in his life in the lush foothills of the Himalayas⁵⁰; balancing the heavy demands for timber by the construction industry, with preservation and management of the forests⁵⁴.  Successful and hardworking he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming an Instructor for the Imperial Forest School in Dehra Dun³³ and Deputy Conservator of Forests, India⁴⁰.  Clearly, it was a path which fate had chosen for him; but it was the need for political gain and supremacy in Europe which would eventually force him down another path.

As hostilities erupted in Europe, Indian Army Regiments were deployed overseas in support of the Allies²⁵; defensively vulnerable⁸ India filled its dearth of Officers by creating a reserve force of British Army officers for the Indian Army²⁶.  Answering the call for enlistment, James was given a temporary commission as 2^nd Lieutenant in May 1915⁴⁶, attached to the 2^nd Queen Victoria’s Own Sappers and Miners¹⁶; a skilled linguist⁴⁷, he was stationed along the perilous but strategically important North West frontier⁴³, overseeing local labour in its management of fortifications, constantly engaging with ongoing skirmishes⁷.

It was here, in this brutal and unforgiving place, that 2^nd Lieutenant J Donald suffered an aneurism¹¹ whilst on active service¹⁶.  Admitted into hospital in Quetta he died shortly afterwards from heart failure⁵² on 15^th October 1916.

Posthumously awarded the1914/15 Star, The British War Medal and the Victory Medal¹⁰, James’s final resting place is in Quetta Government Cemetery 2426¹⁶.  He is remembered with honour on the Delhi Memorial Gate¹⁶ and The Scottish National War Memorial³⁹.

We Will Remember Him.

2^nd Lieutenant James Donald, Indian Army Reserve of Officers

Died on the North West Frontier, 15th October 1916

Buried in Quetta Government Cemetery 2426, Remembered on the Delhi Memorial Gate

The woodland trees that stand together,
They stand to him each one a friend
They gently speak in the windy weather;
They guide to valley and ridge’s end²⁷.