Private Ralph Gordon McLaren
Survivor of WW1
Service Biography
Ralph Gordon McLaren of Ormstown, Quebec, enlisted in Montreal on 13 January 1917 as Private 513658 in the Canadian Army Service Corps. He went overseas to England in early 1917 and served with C.A.S.C. training, reserve and depot organizations at Shorncliffe. Later in 1917 he was placed on command to No. 1 Cadet Wing of the Royal Flying Corps at Reading. On 6 February 1918 he was discharged from the Canadian Expeditionary Force in London after being appointed to a commission in the Imperial Army.
General Information
Conflict:
WW1
Regimental No.:
513658
Cause of Death (in war):
Survived
Branch:
Army
Regiment:
Canadian Army Service Corps
Battalion:
C.A.S.C. Reserve Depot
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
Ormstown, Quebec
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
21 years 3 months
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
22 years 4 months
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
Country Born:
Canada
Trade or Calling:
Chauffeur
Next of Kin:
Mother Elizabeth McLaren, P.O. Box 24, Ormstown, Quebec
Address at Enlistment:
Ormstown, Quebec
Religion:
Presbyterian
Place of Enlistment:
Montreal, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
No
Height:
5 ft 7.8 in / 172 cm
Weight:
133 lbs / 60 kg
Chest:
32.0 in / 81 cm
Expansion:
3.0 in / 8 cm
Marital Status:
Single
Prior Military Experience:
No
Saw Service in:
Great Britain
Place of Discharge:
No. 2 Canadian Discharge Depot, London, England
Discharge Type:
Resigned from service
Discharge Notes:
Discharged in England on appointment to a commission in the Imperial Army.
Battle Died/Wounded:
Length of Service:
389 days in service
Buried at:
Links
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW1 |
Private |
Canadian Army Service Corps |
Army |
C.A.S.C. Reserve Depot |
|
|
|
| Representative substantive C.E.F. unit before R.F.C. command. Later Corps Depot/R.F.C. command was administrative/commissioning-related and does not displace it as default. |
| WW1 |
Private |
Canadian Army Service Corps |
Army |
Corps Depot, Canadian Army Service Corps |
|
|
|
| On command to No. 1 Cadet Wing, Royal Flying Corps, Reading; no C.E.F. rank change documented. |
| WW1 |
Private |
Canadian Army Service Corps |
Army |
No. 2 Overseas Army Service Corps Training Depot |
|
|
|
| Initial substantive C.E.F. unit; SOS on posting effective 14 May 1917. |
Service Chronology
1895-10-01 — Born
1917-01-13 — Attested as Private 513658; joined No. 2 Overseas Army Service Corps Training Depot, C.E.F.
1917-01-25 — Embarked Canada for overseas service
1917-02-06 — Disembarked in England
1917-02-07 — Taken on strength of C.A.S.C. Training Depot
1917-02-14 — Admitted to Canadian Red Cross Hospital, Etchinghill, with gonorrhoea (V.D.G.)
1917-04-05 — Discharged from Canadian Red Cross Hospital, Etchinghill
1917-05-14 — Struck off strength on posting to the C.A.S.C. Reserve Depot
1917-05-14 — Taken on strength from the C.A.S.C. Training Depot
1917-05-26 — Struck off strength on posting within the C.A.S.C. depot organization
1917-05-26 — Taken on strength from the C.A.S.C. Reserve Depot
1917-07-12 — Executed military will, leaving his estate to his mother Elizabeth McLaren
1917-09-10 — Struck off strength to Corps Depot, C.A.S.C., having proceeded on command to No. 1 Cadet Wing, Royal Flying Corps
1917-09-10 — Taken on strength from C.A.S.C. Reserve Depot and continued on command to the Royal Flying Corps
1918-02-05 — Examined on leaving the service; physical condition recorded as good with no disabling condition identified
1918-02-06 — Discharged from the C.E.F. in England after appointment to a commission in the Imperial Army
Notes
Enlistment physical description records height 5 ft 7 3/4 in, fully expanded chest 35 in with 3 in expansion, fair complexion, blue eyes, and the hair field as 'Medium' on the form; Medical History later records weight 133 lb and chest 32-35 in. The service file records admission to Canadian Red Cross Hospital, Etchinghill, for gonorrhoea in February 1917. His military will left his estate to his mother, Elizabeth McLaren.
Additional Service Notes
Enlisted at Montreal on 13 January 1917 with No. 2 Overseas Army Service Corps Training Depot, C.E.F. He embarked from Canada on 25 January and arrived in England on 6 February 1917. He served with the Canadian Army Service Corps in England, including No. 1 Cadet Wing, Royal Flying Corps, before being discharged from the C.E.F. in London on 6 February 1918 after appointment to a commission in the Imperial Army.
Additional Next of Kin Notes
Mother Elizabeth McLaren was next of kin at enlistment, P.O. Box 24, Ormstown, Quebec. Father Peter McLaren, M.D., and mother Elizabeth McLaren were both recorded alive on the family particulars form. He assigned $15 per month to Elizabeth McLaren and named her beneficiary in his will.
Version: 2 Last modified: 2026-09-20 02:54:34
by: marc
