Edward Mortlock Donaldson

Air Commodore Edward "Teddy" Mortlock Donaldson, (12 February 1912 – 2 June 1992) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) flying ace of the Second World War, and a former holder of the airspeed world record.

Early life Born in February 1912 in Negeri Sembilan, he then studied at McGill University in Canada.

Donaldson joined two of his brothers in the RAF in 1931. Granted a short service commission, his first posting was to No. 3 Squadron flying Bristol Bulldog fighters. In their first engagement over France, they destroyed six enemy aircraft, shooting down many more in the following months including at the Battle of Dunkirk.

In desperate need of pilots, the RAF chose to transfer Donaldson to the gunnery instructor school. In September 1941 he was awarded the Air Force Cross in recognition of his work as an instructor. Posted to Canada, Donaldson wrote an RAF training booklet titled Notes on Air Gunnery and Air Fighting. As liaison to the US Army Air Force, his booklet was replicated over 7,500 times, and helped teach USAAF gunnery instructors.

During the early 1950s, Donaldson served in West Germany and commanded RAF Fassberg and RAF Wunstorf airfields, gaining appointment to Commander of the Order of the British Empire in June 1953, and advancement to air commodore in July 1955 after attending the Joint Services Staff College. From 1956 to 1958 he served as Deputy Commander of Air Forces in the Arabian Peninsula. On return to England, his final appointment was as Commandant of the RAF College, Manby. After they divorced in 1954, he married Anne Sofie Stapleton in 1957, whom he divorced in 1982.

Later life Donaldson retired as an air commodore in 1961, and became the Air Correspondent for The Daily Telegraph, until 1979.

Service history

Combat record The following table is not complete in numbers or detail.