Duncan Mark MACLAREN

MACLAREN, Duncan Mark

Service Number: 1182
Enlisted: 14 May 1915
Last Rank: Trooper
Last Unit: 10th Light Horse Regiment
Born: Burnside, South Australia , 11 March 1895
Home Town: Adelaide, South Australia
Schooling: St Peter’s College, Adelaide, South Australia
Occupation: Farm Labourer
Died: Died of wounds, Romani, Romani, Frontier, Egypt, 6 August 1916, aged 21 years
Cemetery: Kantara War Memorial Cemetery
Kantara War Memorial Cemetery Row E, Grave No. 462, Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Suez Canal, Egypt
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hackney St Peter's College Fallen Honour Board, Kings Park 10th Light Horse Regiment Memorial WA, St Peters Heroes War Memorial, St. Kilda East All Saints Anglican Church Mausoleum Memorial
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World War 1 Service

14 May 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1182, 10th Light Horse Regiment
2 Sep 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Trooper, 1182, 10th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: ''
1 Dec 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Trooper, 1182, 10th Light Horse Regiment, Egypt and Palestine - Light Horse and AFC Operations
6 Aug 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Trooper, 1182, 10th Light Horse Regiment, Battle of Romani, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1182 awm_unit: 10 Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1916-08-06

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Biography

Bother of Earnest Henry Lea MacLaren

From the book Fallen Saints -  Duncan Mark MacLaren was born at Burnside, South Australia and with his brother, Earnest attended St Peters College in Adelaide. Prior to the war, he had served as a senior cadet in E Company 78th Battalion and after leaving school gained employment as a farm hand / trainee pastoralist at Balingup Western Australia.

He enlisted at Bridgetown, Western Australia on 7 May 1915 and a week later joined the 8th quota of reinforcements for the 10th Light Horse Regiment at Blackboy Hill. 

Trooper MacLaren sailed with that quota aboard HMAT Anchises from Fremantle on 2 September and joined D Troop, B Squadron, 10th Light Horse Regiment at Anzac on 13 November.  After the evacuation, he returned to Egypt with his unit and in May 1916 spent a week in 3rd Light Horse Field ambulance being treated for Eczema.  

On 5 August, a day after his brother Earnest was killed at Pozières, Trooper MacLaren was shot in the chest and although he was quickly evacuated to the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance Hospital at Hod Hassantin, he died there the next day; he was 21 years of age.

On 23 August 1916, the OIC Base Records wrote to Mrs MacLaren advising her that her son Duncan had been wounded.

…It is not stated as being serious and in the absence of further reports it is to be assumed that all wounded are progressing satisfactory. … [i]

In another letter to Mrs MacLaren dated 28 October 1926 the OIC Base Records wrote:

 … an isolated grave containing the remains of three Australian soldiers was located at Bir-el-Nagid, and from certain evidence adduced at the time it has been decided to accept the burials in question as those of your son and two other members of Light Horse Regiments, Lieutenant A.D. Palmer and Lance Corporal J.P. Frost respectively. … [ii]

During their short lives, the MacLaren brothers had attended the College, served in the cadets, fought for their country and died within two days of each other in different countries.



[i] National Archives of Australia: B 2455, MacLaren, D M / 1964120, viewed 4 October 2005
[ii] ibid

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