Brig-Gen James MacBrien | Soldiers | Great War

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Officer and Policeman

Brig-Gen James MacBrien graduated from Port Perry High School in 1896 and got his first job as a Bank Clerk at the Western Bank in Port Perry.

R.N.W.M.P.

MacBrien started his military career as a Private with the 34th Ontario Regiment in 1878, and with the RNWMP in 1900 then the South African Constabulary then back to Canada in 1906 to marry his High School sweetheart Nellie Louise Ross.

Serving member of Royal Canadian Dragoons, Permanent Force of Canada, at the outbreak of War, attached to the British War Office with the Grading as a General Staff Officer, 3rd Grade, from August 1914 to 30 September 1914.

Great War

MacBrien went to France with the First Canadian Contingent, 22 September 1914. A big man, standing 6 feet tall. During his medical exam, noted: scar on right leg below knee, teeth filled with gold. Cut on palm of left hand, broken toe-nail. Large left foot.

(Visit of H.M. The King to the Canadian Corps, Reninghelst) Canadian Corps Staff Officers being presented to the King. August, 1916. L.-Col. A.E.G. Mackenzie, O.C. 26th Cdn. Inf. Bn., Brig.-Gen. H.E. Burstall, C.B., G.O.C.R.A. Cdn. Corps; Lt.-Gen. Hon. Sir J.H.G. Byng, K.C.B., KCMG., MVO, His Majesty The King, Brig.-Gen. G.J. Farmer, C.M.G.; Brig.-Gen. W.B. Lindsay, C.M.G., Brig.-Gen. A.C. Currie, C.M.G., Brig.-Gen. P.P. de B. Radcliffe. RA., BG., GS, Cdn. Corps; Colonel G.L. Foster, C.B., Lieut. Sir B.S. Brooke, Bt.,ADC. Cdn. Corps Commdr., Brig.-General R. Rennie, MVO., DSO; Brig.-General H.D.B. Ketchen, Colonel P.E. Thacker, C.M.G., Lieut.-Col. N.W. Webber, D.S.O., Lieut.-Col. G.R. Frith, D.S.O.; Lieut.-Col. G.S. Kearsley, D.S.O., Brig.-Gen. F.W. Hill, D.S.O., Brig.-Gen. J.H. Elmsley, D.S.O.; Lieut.-Col. R.J.F. Hayter, D.S.O., **Lieut.-Col. J.H. MacBrien, D.S.O.** MIKAN No. 3521735

Record of Service

Temp. Lieutenant-Colonel, 29 September 1914.

T.o.S. HQ, 1st Canadian Divison, 1 October 1914. D.A.A. & Q.M.G.

Proceeded to France with HQ, 1st Canadian DSivision, 7 February 1915.

DSO

Awarded DSO 22 June 1915, LG 29202. Mentioned in Despatches, 22 June 1915, LG 29200.

Appointed Assistant Quartermaster General, HQ, Canadian Army Corps, 3 September 1915.

Since 17 Jan 1916 MacBrien was a Lieutenant Colonel and Assistant Quartermaster General.

Appointed A.A. & Q.M.G., 3rd Canadian Division HQ and to retaining temporary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, 17 January 1916.

Lt.-Col. MacBrien, 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade

Appointed to Command 12th CIB, 20 September 1916.

To be Brigade Commander and to be Temp. Brig.-General from 20 September 1916.

First Wound Stripe

Wounded during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, but remained at duty, 13 April 1917.

Transferred from General List to Canadian Reserve Cavalry Regiment and posted to Royal Canadian Dragoons and to be shown Seconded to 12th Infantry Brigade, 21 May 1917.

T.o.S. Canadian Cavalry Regimental Depot as posted from C.R.C.R. and Seconded to 12th Infantry Brigade, 21 May 1917.

To be Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, 1 January 1917. Mentioned in Despatches, 4 January 1917, LG 29890.

MiD

Mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch, 9 April 1917.

To be Brigadier-General, 3 December 1917.

To be Companion of The Order of St. Michael and St. George, 1 January 1918, LG 30450.

Proceeded to 11th senior Officer’s Course, 3 January 1918, returned 11 January 1918.

Once again Mentioned in Despatches, 28 May 1918, LG 30706.

2nd Wound Stripe

Wounded 28 September 1918, GSW Right leg.

Invalided to England, 1 October 1918.

Ceases to be Seconded to 12 CIB HQ on being admitted to hospital, 2 October 1918.

Proceeded to France to rejoin 12 CIB, 2 November 1918.

Having proceeded Overseas on discharge from Hospital and Seconded to 12th CIB.

Germany

Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Currie with H. R. H. Prince Arthur of Connaught and other senior officers. Brigadier General J. H. MacBrien is stood in the second row, fifth from the left, directly behind Currie.

General Sir Arthur Currie with Divisional Commanders and Brigadier-Generals. January, 1919. MIKAN No. 3404966

Proceeded to England for duty and detached to C.C.R.D., 12 December 1918.

Graded for purposes of pay under S.P. Class 2, 21 December 1918.

Appointed Chief of General Staff, O.M.F. of C., 1 August 1919. He was the youngest Chief of General Staff at the age of 42.

Department of National Defence

As Chief of General Staff of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada from 1919 to 1920, he was a key figure in the creation of the Department of National Defence.

To be Temp. Major-General, 1 August 1919.

From 12th Brigade, proceeded to England on Duty and is detached to Canadian Cavlry Regimental depot, Kinmel, 22 February 1919.

Kinmel Park Riots

The Canadian Military Court of Inquiry under Brigadier James MacBrien heard evidence that there had been rumours that some soldiers, to obtain earlier departures, had used bribery. MacBrien also heard that troops had not been kept informed about the reasons behind the delays in redeployment, that officers had absented themselves to enjoy leave in London, as opposed to taking care of the troops. Allegations made that the mutiny would have been contained if a standing piquet of sufficient size had been maintained or if the camp leadership had taken an active role in suppressing the collective violence.

Damage to 'tin town' Kinmel Park — Damage to ‘tin town’ Kinmel Park

13 Riots

The Court of Inquiry conducted its initial investigation at Kinmel Park Camp
immediately after the mutiny and later reconvened at the Overseas Ministry Headquarters in London on 31 March. The findings of the Inquiry attributed the causes of the mutiny to a number of issues:

Delays and postponements of sailings coupled with rumours of cancellations until the 3rd Division returned to Canada provoked great discontent. This was coupled with the last sailing previous to the mutiny being 25 February and no information regarding future sailings arrived prior to 4 March, too late to assuage the discontent.
Soldiers had an impression that their stay in Kinmel Park Camp would be brief, which was not always the case and coupled with these extended stays was the administrative issue that individuals did not receive pay after their initial repatriation issue until embarkation for Canada.
The Court mentioned that some soldiers experienced delays in repatriation due to loss of personal documents.
There were delays in pay also attributable to lost papers.
An inability to procure tobacco on credit was referred to as a problem.
Poor food due to a lack of qualified cooks was cited as a contributing factor.

Queen Alexandria’s Hospital, Appendicitis, 10 March 1920. Returned to Canada, 1 May 1920. Disembarked at Quebec, 9 May 1920.

Canada

In 1923 appointed the first Chief of Defence Staff. In 1926 at the age of 48 Major General James MacBrien enrolled in Flying Training at Camp Borden and became a fully qualified Military Pilot. He retired in 1927 to pursue his interest in aviation and became a founder of the Canadian Aviation League. Flew solo on several trips across the country and can be considered one of Canada’s true builders of air travel in Canada.

R.C.M.P.

On August 1, 1931 recalled by Prime Minister R B Bennett to serve as Commissioner of the RCMP.

Brig-Gen James MacBrien died on March 5, 1938 while still in office and buried with full military honours in Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa.

J H MacBrien the 8th Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from 1931 until his death in office on 5 March 1938.

Awards

Brig-Gen James MacBrien had an extensive and outstanding career as an exemplary officer and policeman, decorated with a Distinguished Service Order in 1915, and awarded the Companion of St. Michael and St George in 1918, and both the Chevalier of the Legion d’Honneur and the Companion of Bath in 1919. In addition, he had become a Companion of Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in 1934 and knighted a year later by King George V.

Brig-Gen James MacBrien in the Great War