First World War

World War I marks a pivotal passage in Raymond Chandler’s biography: after growing up and studying in England, he served in France with the Canadian Expeditionary Force and later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. The account places this wartime service between his early life abroad and the professional and literary careers he pursued after returning to the United States.

Service in France

During World War I, Chandler served in France with the First Division of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The biographical account identifies both his location and unit, establishing military service as a substantial part of his life before his return to the United States in 1919.

Transfer to the Royal Flying Corps

Chandler later transferred from the Canadian Expeditionary Force to the Royal Flying Corps. The account gives no further detail about his duties or the circumstances of the transfer, but its sequence is clear: service in France came first, followed by his move to the aviation corps.

Place in Chandler’s Life

The war years form a hinge between Chandler’s English youth and his later life in California. After returning to the United States in 1919, he settled in California and eventually became a director of independent oil companies. When the Depression ended his business career, he turned to writing in 1933, at age forty-five; his first novel, The Big Sleep, appeared in 1939. The biographical record presents World War I not as an isolated episode but as part of the chronology that preceded these later changes, without claiming that the war directly caused them.