Norman was born in 1893 at Jerek and entered the Victorian School of Forestry (VSF) but did not graduate.
Norman signed up in Bendigo in March 1916 with the 38 battalion (#750). He joined with his brother Alexander Cosmo McDonald (#751). They both embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A54 Runic on 20 June 1916.
Norman rose the rank of sergeant and was wounded in France in 1917, and again in 1918. He returned to Australia 31 March 1919.
His brother Alexander was killed in October 1917 at Passchendaele
Norman returned to farming after the war. He died in July 1973 at Culgoa.
Formal group portrait of 751 Pte Alexander Cosmo McDonald (far right) and 750 Pte Norman Alan McDonald (far left) with two unidentified soldiers. Pte Alexander and Pte Norman McDonald were brothers from Jeruk, Victoria. They enlisted together at Bendigo on 11 March 1916 and embarked from Melbourne on 20 June, aboard HMAT Runic (A54). Both brothers sustained gunshot wounds to the arms and legs whilst taking part in a raiding party on the Western Front on 28 May 1917. They were invalided to England in June and rejoined their unit in France at the end of September. Norman was admitted to hospital on 12 October. The next day Alexander was killed in action at Passchendaele. Norman rejoined the unit one week later. He rose to the rank of Sergeant and returned to Australia aboard HT Khyber on 22 May 1919.
Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage 