Angus L. MacDonald (1890-1954) was born at Dunvegan, Inverness County, Cape Breton, the son of Lewis MacDonald and Veronica (Perry) MacDonald. His grandfather, the Honourable Stanislaus Perry of Tignish, PEI was a well known politician in that province. The family moved to Port Hood in 1905 which had recently incorporated as a town.Coal mining, fishing and shipping had created a small economic boom in the area. Lewis, Angus's father, got a job as stipendiary magistrate for the county of Inverness. He took up this position after the death of his brother Alexander "Juvenus" who had been appointed to this post but had died before starting his job. Alexander, who had practised law in Halifax in the 1880's, had run as an independent candidate in Inverness County in the 1901 provincial election but lost. Lewis MacDonald was thus able to move into his brother's job and even his house in Port Hood, selling the farm at Dunvegan in 1905. Political interests were part of the atmosphere of the MacDonald family from very early on. Port Hood in 1905 provided the family with more opportunities for both education and work. After attending Port Hood Academy, Angus L. was able to obtain a teacher's license at age 16 and taught for two years in rural Cape Breton schools before enrolling at St. Francis Xavier University in 1909. He had enough money to pay for one and a half years tuition. When he ran out of money, he left his studies to teach school again and in this way, put himself through university, graduating at the age of 24 in 1914, on the eve of the First World War.
He was not unusual in this at the time, because many young men (and some young women) from this rural area of Nova Scotia, found themselves in the same situation. Education was seen by many families as the road to greater prosperity, and with the strong support of both parents, many of the MacDonald children went on for higher education and careers in law and teaching.
In 1915, Angus L. joined the COTC (Canadian Officers Training Corps) and then in April, 1916 enlisted with the 185th Battalion, Cape Breton Highlanders. He was appointed Captain of "A" Company and took his leadership responsibilities seriously, although his unit was to be broken up shortly after arriving overseas in October. He spent most of 1917 doing training with his unit in England and escorting his men to the front when they were sent as reserves to other units. He did some teaching and travelling while in Britain, making contact with his Scottish relations, and no doubt, re-inforcing his ties with the Old Country. His family back in Cape Breton had been in correspondence with cousins in Moidart and of course, Angus L. and his brothers were eager to meet them. These Highland connections were very important to this family in which stories of Bonnie Prince Charlie and their own family's involvement in his campaign had been passed down.
By late February, 1918, the 185th Battalion had been officially disbanded after most of its recruits had been sent to other units. Angus L. joined the 25th Nova Scotia Battalion, but felt a sense of betrayal that his unit had not been able to fight together. He felt that the pledge he had made to his men in Cape Breton had somehow been broken. From May, 1918 until nearly the end of the war, Angus L. saw a great deal of action at the front. The 25th was involved in the final push in October and November. On November 7, on the outskirts of the Belgian village of Elouges, MacDonald was leading his men when he was hit in the neck by a sniper's bullet. Commanding officers were often the first targets of attack, and eight officers in his company were shot that day. MacDonald survived and spent the next eight months convalescing in England before returning to Nova Scotia. His brother John Colin had died in August at the battle of Arras in France and when he returned home, his sister Margaret had died in the Spanish Flu epidemic. The family had suffered its losses, and MacDonald would see life in a different light from then on.
He would relocate to Halifax, study law, marry and eventually enter provincial politics, serving as Premier of Nova Scotia and as a well respected Cabinet Minister in Prime Minister Mackenzie King's government as Minister of Defence for Naval Affairs in World War II.