 Ramba uchiverenga ndima iyi - Akadzidza paCheltenham College, Donald akapiwa basa rokuva lieutenant muRoyal Fusiliers City of London Regiment musi wa21 September 1874. Akashanda muHondo yechipiri yeAnglo-Afghan, akasimudzirwa kuva kaputeni musi wa30 Chivabvu 1883 uye kuva mukuru musi wa3 Gunyana 1890. Akakwidziridzwa kuva lieutenant-colonel uye akava mukuru mukuru we2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers musi wa3 Gunyana 1898. Chikwata ichi chakashanda muHondo yechipiri yeBoer, uye chaivapo paHondo yeColensomuna Zvita 1899 uye kununurwa kweLadysmith muna Kukadzi 1900 pamwe chete nemabasa muWestern Transvaal. Apedza nguva yake achitungamirira battalion, akaiswa muhafu-mubhadharo nekusimudzirwa kune brevet rank of colonel musi wa3 Gunyana 1902, uye akasiya South Africa paSS Scot zuva rakatevera, achidzokera kuUnited Kingdom gare gare mumwedzi iwoyo. Nokuda kwebasa rake muhondo, Donald akagadzwa kuva Companion of the Order of the Bath CB muna April 1901 South Africa Honours list mubairo uyu wakanyorwa musi wa 29 Mbudzi 1900, uye akagamuchira chishongo chaicho mushure mekudzoka kwake, kubva kuna Mambo Edward VII paBuckingham Palace musi wa 24 Gumiguru 1902. 