Vic: State funeral for Tasmanian war veteran
MELBOURNE, Aug 24 AAP - A state funeral for Australia's oldest War War I veteran FrankMacDonald, who died in Tasmania yesterday aged 107, will be held this week.
Mr MacDonald died of pneumonia just before 5am (AEST) yesterday after being admittedto the Northwest Regional Hospital in Burnie a fortnight ago when he fell and broke hiship.
Tasmanian Premier Jim Bacon said a state funeral would be held late this week.
"This is the end of a significant era in Tasmania as Frank was the last World War Iveteran," Mr Bacon said.
"Sadly, his death severs a significant link to the past.
"Like all Australians who fought for their country, Frank made a significant contributionto the fabric of Australian society."
Mr MacDonald, from Ulverstone in Tasmania's north-west, was awarded the Military Medalfor "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in action" in Belgium on October 12, 1917.
Despite taking part in many significant operations with the 40th Battalion in bothFrance and Belgium - most notably the attack at Morlancourt in March 1918 - Mr MacDonaldwas never wounded, which was remarkable for an infantryman.
"I'm too pig-headed to die," Mr MacDonald, a corporal in the all-Tasmanian 40th Battalion,said several years ago.
"I should have been killed a dozen times, but I wasn't. I had 10 times as much luckas any man is entitled to."
Barry Wood, a former history and English teacher from Mr MacDonald's hometown of Ulverstone,quit teaching last year to write Mr MacDonald's biography.
He said the corporal was a disciplined, brave soldier who believed fate had markedhim out to survive.
"There was a very moving incident for him, where he had just stepped out of the BattalionHeadquarters when he noticed two lieutenants talking to each other," Mr Wood said.
"He was walking towards them when a German shell exploded and the lieutenant directlyin front of him took the full brunt of the force and fell back dead into his arms.
"From that moment he knew he would survive the war."
Mr MacDonald was recommended for a bar to his Military Medal for rescuing a mate underfire at Clery-sur-Somme in 1918, but this was never conferred.
In 1998, the French Ambassador flew to Tasmania to present him with France's highestmilitary honour, the Legion of Honour.
However, the war took its toll on Mr MacDonald, who was gassed three times, sufferedbouts of fever and had his hearing impaired.
"He couldn't stand the silence, it was deafening to him after the sound of the shellsin the trenches for years," Mr Wood said.
"He had insomnia and nerves as a direct side-effect of the war."
Tasmanian RSL president Ian Kennett said Mr MacDonald's death meant the loss of anothericon, with only six known World War I veterans still alive.
"He was very humble, he couldn't understand all the fuss over himself being 107 andputting him up on a pedestal, but I believe that is where all World War I veterans shouldbe," Mr Kennett said.
Mr MacDonald was born and died in Tasmania, though he lived in Sydney for 40 years,in Brisbane for 11 and Melbourne for 10.
After the war he worked as a clerk, paymaster, real estate agent and salesman. He servedagain in World War II in army administration in Sydney.
Mr MacDonald married late in life and had no children.
When his wife Lilian died in 1978 he moved back to Ulverstone to live with his great-niecePhyllis Gleeson, before moving into an aged-care home last November.
"He was a really wonderful man, very kind and caring," Ms Gleeson said.
"He had a really sharp mind."
She said Mr MacDonald, who was never one for the pomp and ceremony of Anzac Day, wouldin all likelihood not have wanted a state funeral.
"He wouldn't have wanted all that fuss but I'm sure he deserves it," she said.
AAP kh/gfr/apm/br
KEYWORD: MACDONALD DAYLEAD (PIX AVAILABLE)
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