Admiral David Robertson-Macdonald, 11th of Kinlochmoidart (6 August 1817 – 16 May 1910), also known as David Robertson, was a Scottish officer in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

. He joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer, and saw service off the Portuguese and Spanish coast, in the West Indies and in the Mediterranean. Promoted to Lieutenant in August 1841, he served in HMS ''Hazard'' in the 1842 war with China, before the ship was posted to New Zealand. In August 1844, Lieutenant Robertson assumed the role of Acting Commander of HMS ''Hazard'', following the death of Commander Charles Bell, RN, at

Kororāreka Russell () is a town in the Bay of Islands, in New Zealand's far north. It was the first permanent European settlement and seaport in New Zealand. History Māori settlement Before the arrival of the Europeans, the area now known as Russ ...

, New Zealand. At Kororāreka in the early morning of 11 March 1845, Commander Robertson, with a party of 45 sailors and marines, repulsed the first attack of the

Battle of Kororāreka The Battle of Kororāreka, or the Burning of Kororāreka, on 11 March 1845, was an engagement of the Flagstaff War in New Zealand. Following the establishment of British control of the islands, war broke out with a small group of the native popu ...

from

Kawiti Te Ruki Kawiti (1770s – 5 May 1854) was a prominent Māori people, Māori rangatira (chief). He and Hōne Heke successfully fought the United Kingdom, British in the Flagstaff War in 1845–46.James Belich (historian), Belich, James. ''The New ...

, Pumuka and their party of some 200 warriors, at Christ Church and along Matavia Pass. Missing presumed dead following the naval party's withdrawal to the stockade, he was later found concealed in scrub, alive but dangerously wounded in the legs, and carried off to the safety of the stockade. He was later commended for his bravery, and was promoted to

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

. In 1849, he was appointed to the command of stationed on the West Coast of Africa, where he spent a year involved in the suppression of the

Atlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade or transatlantic slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of Slavery in Africa, enslaved African people to the Americas. European slave ships regularly used the triangular trade route and its Middle Pass ...

, capturing a number of slave ships. In 1851 he became an Inspecting Commander in

Her Majesty's Coastguard His Majesty's Coastguard (HMCG) is the section of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency responsible, through the Secretary of State for Transport to Parliament, for the initiation and co-ordination of all maritime search and rescue (SAR) within ...

, until 1858 when he was promoted to the rank of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. From 1862 to 1879 he served as an Assistant Inspector of Lifeboats to the

Royal National Lifeboat Institution The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on s ...

. Retiring in the rank of Captain, he later received further promotions in retirement, finally becoming an

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

in July 1885. He died in Edinburgh on 16 May 1910 aged 92.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson-Macdonald, David 1817 births 1910 deaths Royal Navy admirals Royal Navy personnel of the New Zealand Wars British military personnel of the New Zealand Wars 19th-century New Zealand military personnel Flagstaff War Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard Royal National Lifeboat Institution people

See also

References