Fergus Blair McLaren

Second Lieutenant

Conflict:

WW2

Additional Information:

Son of George McLaren and of Hilda McLaren (nee Blair), of Clinton, Otago, New Zealand. M.A., Clerk in Holy Orders.

References:

CWGC

Pringle (1957)

New Zealand Nominal Rolls (WW2)

BDM Online

NZ WAR GRAVES

Biographical Notes:

“Included in the casualty list published yesterday was the name of Second-lieutenant (the Rev.) Fergus Blair McLaren, of Dunedin, who was killed in action in Greece. The Presbyterian Church of New Zealand is, as a result, deprived of one of the finest of its young men. Born in April, 1914, he received his education at the Mornington School, Otago Boys' High School and Otago University, graduating from the University with an M.A. degree in 1937. He then spent three years in the Theological Hall at Knox College, being president of the Theological Students' Association in his final year. When war broke out he abandoned a plan he had made to go to Edinburgh to complete his studies, for he felt compelled to offer his services in what he considered to be the cause of right and of Christendom. In the belief that he could best help his fellows by enlisting as a private, he did so immediately after he had attained ministerial status and been licensed by the Presbytery of Dunedin to preach in the Mornington Church. He was chosen in the Trentham Camp to train for a commission at Trentham. and when he was awarded one was regarded as one of the most promising of the younger officers.
Lieutenant McLaren was highly popular among a wide circle of friends, particularly men and boys in Dunedin and Central Otago. and was justly esteemed for his quiet yet fearless championing of ideals that were held by him to be just and righteous. He was an active member of the Dunedin branch of the Institute of International Affairs and of the Dunedin branch of Toc H*. He had passed through all ranks in the Scout movement from Wolf Cub to Rover Leader and Scoutmaster, and was a recognised authority on Scouting, particularly in its open-air aspects. He was extremely interested in social work, especially in the public works camps, and was W.E.A. tutor during one summer vacation in the Central Otago camps. He was the type of young man that can ill be spared from the world of to-morrow, but he has left a noble and inspiring memory.” [Otago Daily Times, Issue 24606, 14 May 1941, Page 6] [*Toc H is an abbreviation of Talbot House, an international christian organisation - NZWGT]

Public Contributions:

Submitted by: Robert McLeod

Relationship to casualty: Amateur Historian

From the Official War History of the 20th Battalion and Armoured Regiment Page 72: "While the companies were moving independently to their positions a squadron of fighter-bombers made a sudden a...ppearance and viciously machine-gunned and bombed the village and the marching column. There were numerous civilian casualties. B Company was particularly unfortunate, being caught on transport at the beginning of the raid and suffering some twenty casualties. Captain Rice's 8-cwt truck led the little convoy through Markopoulon to B Company's positions. The company sergeant-major, WO II Shirley, describes the attack: On the outskirts of Marcopoulon our route branched off the main road to Porto Rafti and we proceeded about two miles along this dirt road. On the left was a gradually sloping ridge dotted with an occasional tree while on the right was fairly flat ground with some rocky formations. On one flat piece there was a grape orchard. Ahead and further out on the right were some trees. We halted, and because of the towing the trucks were nose to tail. 12 Platoon under Lieutenant Fergus MacLaren had failed to arrive and Captain Rice sent me down the road to look for them. At the same time he called a meeting of platoon commanders. We did not debus as soon as we stopped for the men were dead weary at this stage and very confused. In another two minutes Captain Rice would have finished his conference and the platoons would have been in their defensive positions. I was only about a hundred yards down the road when a number of aeroplanes swooped very low over the ridge. The men were still on their trucks awaiting dispersal orders but immediately the attack began they scattered and took what cover they could on both sides of the road. The attack continued for some considerable time, the planes swooping very low up and down the road and strafing the road itself, the trucks and the men. All the vehicles except the OC's 8-cwt were ‘brewed up’ by incendiary bullets, which also set fire to crop in which some of the men were sheltering. The Porto Rafti road was getting a doing over at the same time and it later transpired that 12 Platoon were on this road, having mistaken the turn off. It was here that Lieutenant Fergus MacLaren was killed. In the main group Captain Ayto had been badly shot through both knees and was carried clear of the road to the side of a hill. He later died of wounds. Three of the men killed we buried in the grape vines and evacuated the other killed and wounded to the beach in the ‘pick-up’. It was altogether a very nasty raid." Read More

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Casualty

Service Number:

12865

Name:

Fergus Blair McLaren

Rank:

Second Lieutenant

Date of Birth:

10 April 1914

Place of Birth:

Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand

Education:

Mornington School

Next of Kin:

Mrs H McLaren (mother), 19 Blair Street, Mornington, Dunedin

Religion:

Presbyterian

Date of Enlistment:

Not known

Locality on Enlistment:

19 Blair Street, Mornington, Dunedin

Place of Enlistment:

Dunedin, New Zealand

Marital Status:

Single

Occupation on Enlistment:

Presbyterian Minister

Unit:

New Zealand Infantry, 20 Battalion

Casualty Details

Cause of Death:

Killed in action

Date of Death:

27 April 1941

Day of Death:

Sunday

Age at Death:

Conflict:

WW2

Embarkation Details

Embarkation Body:

Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF)

Text in italics supplied by Cenotaph Online, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Cemetery

Cemetery:

Athens Memorial

Cemetery Reference:

Face 13.

Cemetery Location:

Greece