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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Michael George McLaren

In memory of:

Rifleman Michael George McLaren

July 8, 1944

Military Service


Service Number:

H/53504

Age:

32

Force:

Army

Unit:

Regina Rifle Regiment

Additional Information


Born:

May 29, 1912
Peterborough, Ontario

Enlistment:

October 29, 1940
North Bay, Ontario

Son of John and Margaret McLaren of Peterborough, Ontario.

Commemorated on Page 389 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information


Cemetery:
Grave Reference:

XI. G. 3.

Location:

Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery is about 1 kilometre east of the village of Reviers, on the Creully-Tailleville-Ouistreham road (D.35). Reviers is a village and commune in the Department of the Calvados. It is located 15 kilometres north-west of Caen and 18 kilometres east of Bayeux and 3.5 kilometres south of Courseulles, a village on the sea coast. The village of Beny-sur-Mer is some 2 kilometres south-east of the cemetery. The bus service between Caen and Arromanches (via Reviers and Ver-sur-Mer) passes the cemetery.

It was on the coast just to the north that the 3rd Canadian Division landed on 6th June 1944; on that day, 335 officers and men of that division were killed in action or died of wounds. In this cemetery are the graves of Canadians who gave their lives in the landings in Normandy and in the earlier stages of the subsequent campaign. Canadians who died during the final stages of the fighting in Normandy are buried in Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery.

There are a total of 2,048 burials in Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery. There is also one special memorial erected to a soldier of the Canadian Infantry Corps who is known to have been buried in this cemetery, but the exact site of whose grave could not be located.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

Send us your images

  • Photo of Michael George McLaren– As a follow up to the article Looking for Rifleman Ray McLaren in the June 2001 Peterborough Historical Society Bulletin - the Peterborough Centennial Museum & Archives (PCMA) found our missing man!  As you may recall, Ray McLaren's name appears correctly on the Peterborough Cenotaph and in the Book of Remembrance but does not show up in any of Ottawa's memorials.  Having contacted the National Archives, we took a chance on another McLaren with a different first name who shared the same Regimental information, location and date of death.  The hunch paid off.  In Ray's Service Records, there is a declaration made by his father stating that Ray had changed his first name to Michael in order to enlist.   For unknown medical reasons, he could not enlist under his given name so, he went to North Bay and changed his name to Michael.  Ray joined the Canadian Forester Corps (CFC) in October 1940 at North Bay.  From there, he was sent overseas and spent time in Scotland and England where he did land in the occasional spot of trouble!  From the CFC, Ray was transferred  to other services including an anti-aircraft unit.  Ray landed in France on the 15th of June 1944 and his final transfer was to the Regina Rifle Regiment as a reinforcement.   The Regina's objective was to capture the ancient city of Caen, but the fighting proved very difficult, and the advance was slow.  Ray died in action during the battle to seize the Abbaye d'Ardenne, on July 8th 1944.  The PCMA is pleased to have been able to bring closure to Ray's story.  He is indeed remembered in Ottawa, albeit as his alias Michael.
  • Grave Marker– The grave marker (2010) at the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery located outside Reviers, about 4 kilometres from Juno Beach in Normandy, France. May he rest in peace. (K. Falconer & J. Stephens)
  • Beny-Sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery– The Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, located at Reviers, about 4 kilometres from Juno Beach in Normandy, France. (J. Stephens)

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

To learn more please visit our help page. If you have questions or comments regarding the information contained in this registry, email or call us. For inquiries regarding the names and information found in the RCMP Honour Roll, please email the RCMP.

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