Talk:Jock McLaren/Archives/2012/February

Not a hoax

Amazing how quickly some WPers react. I had not even finished my first edit after creating the page and someone already has gone in and added boxes questioning whether this was a hoax or not.

I am a member of the WikiProject Military history/United States military history task force, with an interest in guerrilla activities in the Pacific during World War II. As my mother is an Australian, I also have an interest in that country's military history. I am sitting here with a copy of the book that I listed as a reference in the article I just created. To my knowledge, this is not a hoax. Thomas R. Fasulo (talk) 16:52, 3 April 2010 (UTC)

I just did a Google search and the National Library of Australia has a copy of this book. Please see http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/949774 Thomas R. Fasulo (talk) 17:01, 3 April 2010 (UTC)

Due to the above, I deleted the "possible hoax" box. Thomas R. Fasulo (talk) 17:22, 3 April 2010 (UTC)

General notability

I believe that this article meets the general notability guidelines as McLaren's actions significantly impacted guerrilla activities in the south Pacific theater, as recognized by the Australian government awarding him the Military Cross twice. Thomas R. Fasulo (talk) 17:22, 3 April 2010 (UTC)

2/10 ?

The book that I used as a reference lists McLaren as assigned to the 2/10 Field Workshops while with the 8th Australian Division. However, the 8th Australian Division page lists:

2/10 Field Regiment (under artillery)

and

2/10 Field Company (under engineers).

I do not know enough about the order of battle of an Australian division to determine which it might be. Thomas R. Fasulo (talk) 23:45, 20 April 2010 (UTC)

Another source

Robert Kerr "Jock" McLaren's service record summary can be found on the WW2 Nominal Roll here: [1]. This provides details such as birth date, rank, locality on enlistment, NOK, regimental/service numbers etc. It seems McLaren became part of Z Special Unit later in the war, but the summary doesn't mention 2/10th (it only mentions last unit). However, all is not lost, more information might be available on the National Archives (sometimes they have digital copies of full service records online). I'll have a look later tonight and let you know what I come up with. Also, there might be more information in some paper sources on Z Special Unit. AustralianRupert (talk) 22:27, 15 August 2010 (UTC)

Another source can be found here: [2]. It is from the Australian Dictionary of Biography Online and has quite a decent amount of biographical information from which it would probably be possible to write a B class article. From this source it clarifies the first unit that McLaren served in during the Second World War as the "2/10th Ordnance Field Workshops". The 8th Div's orbat can be found here: [3]. AustralianRupert (talk) 10:22, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Saw you added more info - especially biographical information. Great. I've started adding the page references, but I am concentrating on my day job this week as I'll be taking all next week off. I'll finish the page numbers as I have time. I'm adding more citations per paragraph instead of just at the end as when I originally wrote this I combined material from many different areas of the book in one paragraph. Never really expected to expand this article further, but happy to do so now. Then I'll see what else I can find with the references you provided unless you get those done first.Thomas R. Fasulo (talk) 11:39, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

Question? Does your reference describe him as an Australian Army officer at the beginning of the war as stated in the introduction? In the U.S. Army, an animal veterinarian would be an officer. I once led a "Staff Ride" of Army veterinarians at our local Civil War battle site. They were all officers. According to the book I have he was enlisted when he was captured at Singapore and was then promoted to an officer in the U.S. Army when he was fighting in the Philippines under Col. Fertig. It was only in mid-1945 that he was released back to Australian Army control. Thomas R. Fasulo (talk) 11:50, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

The way I read it is that McLaren did not serve in the veterinary role upon enlistment in the Australian Army at the start of World War II (he was certainly a vet in civilian life, but I don't think that he undertook this role upon enlistment (the source doesn't clarify, however, and I'm still to find the full service record online. The summary service record, just states rank on discharge in Jan 1946 [4]). The Australian Dictionary of Biography Online source confirms McLaren's "enlisted" status at the start of the war, stating quite clearly that McLaren was promoted to sergeant in July 1943 (having presumably served as a private, lance corporal, corporal prior to this). His rank of temporary captain was a field commission while attached to the US forces on the Philippines in January 1944, although the source it doesn't seem to state that it was a field commision in the US Army (and to me this wouldn't make sense given that he was a sergeant in the Australian Army at the time). I wouldn't have thought that his being under US Army "control" as it were would actually change his status to a US Army soldier, rather he'd just have been considered an Australian Army soldier on "detachment" and therefore taking orders from an American chain of command (indeed, it seems that his unit was still listed as being the 2/10th Field Workshops at this time: [5]). The fact that he was awarded a Military Cross while serving in the Philippines indicates to me that the commission was an Australian Army commission because the Military Cross could not be awarded to enlisted personnel at that time (they received the Military Medal instead). Nevertheless, the promotion to captain seems to have been confirmed, or made "substantive" in the Australian Army, later in 1945 prior to McLaren's involvement in the Australian operations at Balikpapan. In regards to the introduction, remember that it is a "lead" which should be considered separate to the body of the article. So even though the body is in chronological order, the lead is not necessarily so. It is not so much a chronological summary of events, but is rather meant to demonstrate in a nutshell who the person was and why he was notable. Hence the description that McLaren was a decorated Australian Army officer, even though he began his career with enlisted rank. I've tweaked the lead a little bit. Hopefully this makes it clearer. Feel free to take a crack at rewording if you feel it needs it. AustralianRupert (talk) 12:58, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

I think you hit it right on the head. I'm skimming through the book again trying to find the page numbers for the citations I left. On page 92, there is this statement soon after McLaren stayed on Mindanao and others left for Australia:

"From Australia came a commission for McLaren, and orders for Blow, Gillon, and himself, the only Australians in Mindanao, to take up duties as members of the Australian special forces." Thomas R. Fasulo (talk) 23:55, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

BTW — Blow refers to Lt. Rex Blow listed as Commander, 1st Battalion, Tawi Tawi in first posting by LT. Col. Suarez, U.S. Forces in the Philippines. Blow ended the war as Captain (H/Maj.) D.S.O., M.I.D. Gillion was Lt. Leslie Gillion, first posted by Suarez as 2 I.C. (Second in Command?) 1st Battalion. Gillion ended the war as Captain D.S.O., M.I.D. Thomas R. Fasulo (talk) 11:34, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

Lieut Rex Blow also escaped from Berhala Island. He escaped on 24 or 26 June 1943 (I have differing refs) with Capt R E Steele, Lt L M Gillon, Lieut C A Wagner and Sgt W Wallace (the latter had escaped from the camp in Sandakan and had been transferred by pro-Allied Chinese to Berhala Island) after having been hidden in the jungles of Berhala Island for 3 weeks. They went to Tawi Tawi and joined McLaren. Blow went on to lead a Z Special Unit op (Agas 4) in North Borneo (he had been a District Officer there pre-war). Jasper33 (talk) 13:44, 7 December 2010 (UTC)

Silver Star?

A Melbourne newspaper article, see External links section, states McLaren received the Silver Star from Douglas MacArthur. This is the only source for this. If someone knows of a source to confirm this award, please add it. Thomas R. Fasulo (talk) 12:10, 25 August 2010 (UTC)

British Task Force?

I've been considering, that shouldn't Jock McLaren have the "British Task Force" added to the "Associated task forces (nations and regions)", since he served with the British in World War I? Feedback would be appreciated. Adamdaley (talk) 23:09, 26 December 2010 (UTC)

Hi, I don't have a problem with this being added. AustralianRupert (talk) 00:36, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

 Done. British Task Force for World War I has been added. Adamdaley (talk) 01:44, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

First World War?

The article claims that McLaren served in the First World War, yet the only cited reference that follows this does not substantiate the claim and given his age during the period of the conflict I doubt this was the case. Is there an available, reliable source that supports McLaren served in the First World War? Cheers, Abraham, B.S. (talk) 03:22, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

On page 1 of Richardson's book, the statement is made that McLaren served in the 51st Highlanders during WW I. He probably served during the end of the war as in 1914 he would have been 12 years old. But in 1918, he would have been 16 and many lads that age served. In WW II, a U.S. Navy sailor was 12 years old when he joined and received a number of decorations, including one for valor, before his age was discovered. I have added a citation for WW I to the article. Thanks. Thomas R. Fasulo (talk) 11:26, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

True Age? I just accessed a couple of online newspaper articles (Melbourne, Singapore) which were dated 1948. Both listed McLaren as being 50 years of age. One was from a January issue. This would make him born in January of 1898 or another month in 1887. Even 1898 would make him 16 years old in 1914. I wonder. Thomas R. Fasulo (talk) 01:48, 23 August 2010 (UTC)