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Donald MacLaren

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340: 359:. In the early 1920s he had begun planning for a seaplane base, an RCAF station at Jericho Beach, Vancouver, used for seaplane and flying boat training. He later recommended an airport at Sea Island, opening as Sea Island Airport in 1931 and which by 1940 was used by the RCAF as a seaplane base station, which had relocated from Jericho, and evolved into what is now Vancouver International Airport. Donald MacLaren died on 4 July 1988, aged 95. Having downed all of his 54 victories in the Sopwith Camel, he's the most successful pilot in the type. 41: 347:
When he left hospital he was attached to the newly formed Royal Canadian Air Force and was in command of the Canadian pilots in England as they were transferred to the new air force. Under Maclaren's watch, 112 aircraft were granted by the British Air Ministry to form the nucleus of the RCAF. He
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In late October MacLaren, who had escaped injury in combat, broke his leg during a friendly wrestling match with another member of his squadron. He was sent back to England on 6 November and was in the hospital when the
320:. MacLaren claimed 1 aircraft shared captured, 5 (and 1 shared) balloons destroyed, 15 (and 6 shared) aircraft destroyed, and 18 (and 8 shared) aircraft 'down out of control'. This was despite the fact that his first 476: 235:. In 1914 an illness forced him to abandon his studies and he returned to Vancouver. After recovering MacLaren, his father and his brother opened a fur trading post at a remote point on the 471: 348:
returned to Canada on leave in late 1919 when he married Verna Harrison of Calgary. He returned to England in February 1920 but resigned from the RCAF later that year.
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In 1916 the family gave up the trading post to help in the war effort. MacLaren's father was not allowed to join the army so he got a job with the
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wasn't until February 1918 and that he scored all his victories in only nine months. Among others, he probably shot down ace
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By 1922 MacLaren returned to Canada and in 1924 established the first flying service on the west coast, and by 1926 formed
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MacLaren finished the war with a Military Cross and bar, a Distinguished Flying Cross and the DSO. He was also awarded the
282:. His first air combat was in February 1918, where MacLaren successfully shot down a German fighter 'out of control'. 376:
is a Canadian called "Mac". It is widely believed that this character was based on MacLaren. Also served with
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with his bombs, then shot down a balloon and two German LVG two-seaters. In September he was awarded the
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Bronze bust of Major Donald Roderick MacLaren at Vancouver International Airport Domestic Arrivals.
247: 204: 103: 297:. When the squadron commander was killed in a crash later in the year MacLaren was given command. 313: 368: 356: 325: 153: 339: 456: 451: 377: 266:. He was then transferred into No. 34 Training School for final fighter orientation on the 236: 254:. He did his initial training at 90 Central Training School at Armour Heights and then at 8: 279: 436: 251: 99: 232: 286: 262:, then finally received further training in England at No. 43 Training School, 188: 177: 145: 87: 445: 271: 267: 240: 363: 274:, completing 9 hours solo on the Camel. On 23 November 1917 he was sent to 263: 121: 290: 255: 203:. He was credited with 54 victories and, after the war, helped found the 197: 131: 200: 477:
Canadian recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
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for his leadership of the squadron in the last months of the war.
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for a sortie on 21 March 1918 in which he helped destroy a
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Canadian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
443: 384:and later achieved the rank of Air Vice Marshal 420: 366:, the author of the seminal World War I novel 372:in which Tom Cundall, the main protagonist's 362:He served in 46 Squadron RFC/RAF alongside 250:. His sons did enlist - Donald joining the 196:(28 May 1893 – 4 July 1988) was a Canadian 39: 492:Canadian recipients of the Military Cross 338: 239:. While there MacLaren learned to speak 405:Mieczysław Garsztka - polski as Kajzera 169:Superintendent of Canadian Airways, Ltd 14: 444: 482:British Army personnel of World War I 171:Founder of Air Cadet League of Canada 24: 305:was announced. He was awarded the 227:in 1911. In 1912 MacLaren went to 25: 508: 430: 355:which was eventually acquired by 487:Recipients of the Military Cross 467:Canadian World War I flying aces 328:on 2 October 1918 (shared with 497:Military personnel from Ottawa 437:The Aerodrome: Donald MacLaren 394: 219:but his family moved first to 13: 1: 387: 215:Donald MacLaren was born in 210: 7: 462:Royal Flying Corps officers 307:Distinguished Service Order 142:Distinguished Service Order 10: 513: 414: 295:Distinguished Flying Cross 150:Distinguished Flying Cross 165: 137: 127: 117: 109: 93: 83: 78:Burnaby, British Columbia 67: 47: 38: 31: 423:Canada's Fighting Airmen 421:Drew, George A. (1930). 248:Imperial Munitions Board 205:Royal Canadian Air Force 181:Donald Roderick MacLaren 146:Military Cross & Bar 104:Royal Canadian Air Force 33:Donald Roderick MacLaren 18:Donald Roderick MacLaren 314:French Legion of Honour 357:Western Canada Airways 344: 403:Kopański, Tomasz J.: 342: 110:Years of service 326:Mieczysław Garsztka 285:He was awarded the 345: 252:Royal Flying Corps 100:Royal Flying Corps 233:McGill University 223:in 1899, then to 175: 174: 16:(Redirected from 504: 426: 408: 402: 398: 378:Arthur Gould Lee 374:flight commander 278:where he joined 195: 154:Légion d'Honneur 95: 74: 57: 55: 43: 29: 28: 21: 512: 511: 507: 506: 505: 503: 502: 501: 442: 441: 433: 417: 412: 411: 400: 399: 395: 390: 380:, who authored 353:Pacific Airways 318:Croix de guerre 280:No. 46 Squadron 213: 183: 170: 166:Other work 159:Croix de Guerre 157: 152: 148: 144: 102: 76: 72: 61:Ottawa, Ontario 59: 53: 51: 34: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 510: 500: 499: 494: 489: 484: 479: 474: 469: 464: 459: 454: 440: 439: 432: 431:External links 429: 428: 427: 416: 413: 410: 409: 392: 391: 389: 386: 369:Winged Victory 287:Military Cross 212: 209: 178:Wing Commander 173: 172: 167: 163: 162: 139: 135: 134: 129: 125: 124: 119: 115: 114: 111: 107: 106: 97: 91: 90: 88:United Kingdom 85: 81: 80: 75:(aged 95) 69: 65: 64: 49: 45: 44: 36: 35: 32: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 509: 498: 495: 493: 490: 488: 485: 483: 480: 478: 475: 473: 470: 468: 465: 463: 460: 458: 455: 453: 450: 449: 447: 438: 435: 434: 424: 419: 418: 406: 397: 393: 385: 383: 379: 375: 371: 370: 365: 360: 358: 354: 349: 341: 337: 335: 331: 327: 323: 319: 315: 310: 308: 304: 298: 296: 292: 288: 283: 281: 277: 273: 272:Sopwith Camel 269: 268:Bristol Scout 265: 261: 257: 253: 249: 244: 242: 238: 234: 230: 226: 222: 218: 208: 206: 202: 199: 194: 190: 186: 182: 179: 168: 164: 160: 155: 151: 147: 143: 140: 136: 133: 130: 126: 123: 120: 116: 112: 108: 105: 101: 98: 92: 89: 86: 82: 79: 70: 66: 62: 50: 46: 42: 37: 30: 27: 19: 422: 404: 396: 382:No Parachute 381: 367: 364:V. M. Yeates 361: 350: 346: 334:Cyril Sawyer 311: 299: 284: 245: 231:to study at 214: 180: 176: 128:Battles/wars 73:(1988-07-04) 26: 457:1988 deaths 452:1893 births 401:(in Polish) 330:James Leith 291:railway gun 256:Camp Borden 237:Peace River 198:World War I 132:World War I 71:4 July 1988 58:28 May 1893 446:Categories 425:. MacLean. 388:References 201:flying ace 84:Allegiance 54:1893-05-28 303:Armistice 225:Vancouver 211:Biography 113:1917–1920 322:dogfight 264:Ternhill 229:Montreal 161:(France) 156:(France) 94:Service/ 63:, Canada 415:Sources 260:Ontario 221:Calgary 276:France 217:Ottawa 138:Awards 96:branch 191: 187: 122:Major 332:and 316:and 270:and 241:Cree 118:Rank 68:Died 48:Born 258:in 193:DFC 185:DSO 448:: 336:). 243:. 207:. 189:MC 56:) 52:( 20:)

Index

Donald Roderick MacLaren

Ottawa, Ontario
Burnaby, British Columbia
United Kingdom
Royal Flying Corps
Royal Canadian Air Force
Major
World War I
Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross & Bar
Distinguished Flying Cross
Légion d'Honneur
Croix de Guerre
Wing Commander
DSO
MC
DFC
World War I
flying ace
Royal Canadian Air Force
Ottawa
Calgary
Vancouver
Montreal
McGill University
Peace River
Cree
Imperial Munitions Board
Royal Flying Corps

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