McLaren later noted that among the personal effects he took to war were assorted oil and water colour paints, a small paint box and palette, brushes, sketch boards, wigs and theatrical make-up.

"A week after I joined the battalion, a runner came to my hut, telling me to report to a Major Agar Adamson. On being paraded before Adamson, he handed me a letter he had received from Professor James Mavor, informing him that I soon be joining the battalion and that I had a certain abilities as a painter, writer and actor. I was then assigned to draw maps of the local terrain... and when he had finished a tour in the trenches and we went back into the reserve area, I was asked to organize little impromptu concerts and entertainment."~ Jack McLaren