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Archive Report: 1914 - 1918
Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
Major Donald Maclaren MC RFC
Major Donald Maclaren MC RFC 54 Victory Ace

MACLAREN Major Donald Roderick Born on 28 May 1893 in Ottawa. Worked as a Fur trapper. Joins RFC in 1917 OC No.46 RFC Sqn 

(1) On 1 March 1918 flying Camel #B5913 he claims a Hannover type-C sent OOC E of Douai at 13:45. (2) 

On 10 March 1918 flying Camel #B9153 he claims an Albatros D.V s/d W of Graincourt at 07:30. 

(3) On 21 March 1918 flying Camel #B9153 he claims a Balloon s/d over Biache St. Vaast at 16:15. 

(4 & 5) On 21 March 1918 flying Camel #B9153 he claims an LVG type-C s/d W of Douai at 16:30.and an LVG type-C s/d E of Marquion at 16:45.

 (6 & 7) On 22 March 1918 flying Camel #B9153 he claims two 2-seaters sent OOC over Bullecourt at 14:00 and 15:00. 

(8 to 10) On 23 March 1918 flying Camel #B9153 he claims two Albatross type-C sent OOC N of Croisilles at 09:00 then a Two-Seater s/d over Bullecourt at 13:00. 

(11) On 24 March 1918 flying a Camel he claims a Balloon s/d. 

(12) On 25 March 1918 flying Camel #B9153 he claims a Two-Seater s/d at 17:15. 

(13) On 27 March 1918 flying Camel #B9153 he claims a Junkers J.I sent OOC at 15:30. 

(14) On 2 April 1918 flying Camel #B9153 he claims a Two-Seater s/d over Courcelles at 12:45. 

(15) On 2 April 1918 flying Camel #B9153 he claims a Balloon s/d at 13:15. 

(16) On 21 April 1918 flying Camel #B9153 he claims an Albatros D.V sent OOC over Acheville at 11:00. 

(17 & 18) On 03 May 1918 flying Camel #B9153 he claims an LVG type-C s/d S of Bailleul at 12:30; an Halberstadt type-C s/d NW of Don at 13:00, 

(19) On 04 May 1918 flying Camel #B9153 he claims an Albatros D.V sent OOC N of Bullecourt at 18:00. 

(20) On 06 May 1918 flying a Camel he claims a DFW type-C s/d and captured over St.Venant at 18:00. 

(21) On 08 May 1918 flying Camel #D6418 he claims an Albatros D.V sent OOC N of Laventie at 19:00. 

(22) On 09 May 1918 flying Camel #D6418 he claims a Pfalz D.III sent OOC over Neuf Berquin at 19:15. 

(23 & 24) On 15 May 1918 flying Camel #D6418 he claims two Pfalz D.III sent OOC over Armentières at 12:45. 

(25 to 27) On 20 May 1918 flying Camel #D6418 he claims a DFW type-C s/d N of La Bassée at 17:00, and two Balloons s/d S of Steenwerck at 17:05. 

(28) On 23 May 1918 flying a Camel he claims a Pfalz D.III sent OOC S of Armentières. 

(29) On 26 May 1918 flying Camel #D6418 he claims a Two-Seater s/d over Laventie 

(30) On 28 May 1918 flying Camel #D6418 he claims an Albatros D.V sent OOC N of Laventie 

(31) On 30 May 1918 flying Camel #D6418 he claims a Pfalz D.III sent OOC over Estaires. 

(32) On 31 May 1918 flying Camel #D6418 he claims a Pfalz D.III sent OOC N of Estaires. 

(33) On 2 Jun 1918 flying Camel #D6418 he claims an Albatros D.V sent OOC E of Laventie. 

(34) On 7 Jun 1918 flying Camel #D6418 he claims a Pfalz D.III s/d S of Armentières. 

(35) On 1 Jul 1918 flying Camel #D6418 he claims a Two-Seater s/d E of Neuve Chapelle. 

(36 & 37) On 08 Jul 1918 flying Camel #D6418 he claims a Fokker D.VII sent OOC over Fromelles and a Fokker D.VII sent OOC SE of Merville. 

(38) On 15 Jul 1918 flying Camel #D6603 he claims a DFW type-C s/d W of Neuve Chapelle. 

(39) On 19 Jul 1918 flying Camel #D6603 he claims a Balloon s/d S of Estaires. 

(40) On 22 Jul 1918 flying Camel #D6603 he claims an Albatros D.V s/d over Bailleul 

(41) 22 Jul 1918 46 Sopwith Camel (D6603) Albatros D.V (DES) Bailleul 

(42) 01 Aug 1918 46 Sopwith Camel (D6603) C (DES) 10 Armentières 43 24 Aug 1918 46 Sopwith Camel (D6603) DFW C (OOC) E of Bray 44 25 Aug 1918 46 Sopwith Camel (D6603) DFW C (DES) 11 E of Delville Wood 45 26 Aug 1918 46 Sopwith Camel (D6603) Fokker D.VII (DES) Hendecourt

On 15 Sept 1918 he claims his second Fokker D.VII s/d On 16 Sept 1918 he claims a share in two Fokker D.VIIs s/d On 26 Sept 1918 he claims a Fokker D.VII s/d On 29 Sept 1918 he claims a Fokker D.VII s/d On 10 Oct 1918 he breaks a leg while wrestling w/ a friend. 

Scored 54 victories. 

After the war he helps the RCAF before switching to civil aviation as superintendant of Canadian Airways Ltd. In 1937 he is VP Ops of Transcanada AL 

He died on 4 July 1988 in Burnaby BC.

There is an excellent page on Maclaren here.

Acknowledgements: Sources used by us in compiling WW1 material include: Dunnigan, James F. (2003). How to Make War: A Comprehensive Guide to Modern Warfare in the Twenty-first Century. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-060090-12-8.Durkota, Allen; Darcey, Thomas; Kulikov, Victor (1995). The Imperial Russian Air Service: Famous Pilots and Aircraft of World War I. Mountain View: Flying Machines Press. ISBN 978-0-060090-12-8.Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell (1993). Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.Franks, Norman (2005). Sopwith Pup Aces of World War I. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-841768-86-1.Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell; Alegi, Gregory (1997). Above the War Fronts: The British Two-seater Bomber Pilot and Observer Aces, the British Two-seater Fighter Observer Aces, and the Belgian, Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Fighter Aces, 1914–1918. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-898697-56-5.Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W. (1992). Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-54-0.Guttman, Jon (2009). Pusher Aces of World War 1. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-846034-17-6.Guttman, Jon (2001). Spad VII Aces of World War I: Volume 39 of Aircraft of the Aces. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-841762-22-7.Kulikov, Victor (2013). Russian Aces of World War 1: Aircraft of the Aces. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-780960-61-6.Newton, Dennis (1996). Australian Air Aces: Australian Fighter Pilots in Combat. Motorbooks International. ISBN 978-1-875671-25-0.Pieters, Walter M. (1998). Above Flanders Fields: A Complete Record of the Belgian Fighter Pilots and Their Units During the Great War. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-898697-83-1.Shores, Christopher (2001). British and Empire Aces of World War I. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-377-4.Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1990). Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1996). Above the Trenches Supplement: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-898697-39-8., Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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Last Modified: 03 June 2014, 20:41

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