Donald MacLaren

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Major Donald MacLaren of 46 Sqn in RCAF uniform.

Donald MacLaren DSO, MC and Bar, DFC (28 May 1893 - 4 July 1988) was a Canadian World War I flying ace.He was credited with 54 victories and, after the war, helped found the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Donald MacLaren was born in Ottawa but his family moved first to Calgary in 1899, then to Vancouver in 1911. In 1912, MacLaren went to Montreal to study at McGill University. 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 Peace River. While there, MacLaren learned to speak Cree.

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 Imperial Munitions Board. The boys did enlist - Donald joining the Royal Flying Corps.He did his initial training at Camp Borden in Ontario, then received some further training in England. In November 1917, he was sent to France, where he joined No. 46 Squadron. His first air combat wasn't until February 1918, but MacLaren successfully shot down a German fighter.

He was awarded the Military Cross for a sortie in which he destroyed a railway gun with his bombs, then shot down a balloon and two German airplanes. In September, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. When the squadron commander was killed in a crash later in the year, MacLaren was given command.

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 November 6 and was in the hospital when the Armistice was announced. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership of the squadron in the last months of the war.

MacLaren finished the war with a Military Cross and bar, a Distinguished Flying Cross and the DSO. He was also awarded the French Legion of Honour and Croix de guerre. 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 dogfight wasn't until February of 1918 and that he scored all his victories in only nine months.

When he left the 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. He 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.

He returned to Canada and formed Pacific Airways which was eventually acquired by Western Canada Airways.