Major-General Louis James Lipsett arguably the best of the divisional commanders, claimed the late Canadian historian Daniel George Dancocks. Lipsett went to Bedford School, with no other than Winston Churchill, and they were very good friends. He also spoke French.
Mortally wounded on 14 October 1918, the 3rd Canadian Division, led by Lipsett’s former battalion, organized his funeral the next day at Queant Communal Cemetery British Extension.
Lipsett the 58th and last British general to die on the Western Front during the Great War. Refuting the armchair General stereotype, striking evidence British generals did not spend the entire war in the safety of luxurious château, far removed the front and the hardships of their men.
Early Life of Louis James Lipset
Lipsett born 15 June 1874 in Merthry, Wales to Richard and Etty Lipsett.
The Lipsetts had settled in south Donegal in the seventeenth century and likely of German or Dutch Protestant stock. Sarah Lipsett, Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair’s maternal grandmother, one of these Lipsetts.
Richard Lipsett, Louis’ father, established the largest general store in Ballyshannon and served as chairman of the Ballyshannon Town Commissioners.
He married Esther ‘Etty’ Plews, the daughter of the traffic manager of the Great Northern Railway in Enniskillen.
Lipsett’s father died aged 48 in 1880. The young widow took her two young children to live with her mother’s family in Masham in Yorkshire.
Second Lieutenant Royal Irish Regiment
Louis Lipsett educated first at Bedford School and then at Camberley prior to being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Irish Regiment (18th Foot) in October 1894. Passed Musketry in 1901. Passed for Promotion – Major in 1904. Finally, passed Staff College in 1904. London School of Economics 1910/11 (Oct 1910 to March 1911).
Lipsett served in various colonial campaigns, on India’s North-West Frontier and the Second Boer War, and held a succession of staff appointments.
In 1911 Lipsett posted to Western Canada as General Staff Officer to implement a policy agreed at the Imperial Conferences of 1907 and 1909, whereby military training to be standardised throughout the Empire.
During this period Lipsett responsible for training Arthur Currie, the future commander of the Canadian Corps during the Great War.
Sir Winston Churchill
While at Sandhurst, Churchill made good friends with his classmate, Louis James Lipsett. Later, with Major-General Lipsett commanding the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, which had virtually invented the large-scale trench raid, he was more than willing to share his ideas with Churchill.
Bombing school demonstration – smoke attack, 22 June 1916. MIKAN No. 3404479 
MIKAN No 3404478 
MIKAN No. 3404482 
MIKAN No. 3404480 
MIKAN No. 3404481 
Sergeant Instructors – Bombing School, 22 June 1916 MIKAN No. 3404483 
Bombing school demonstrations – attacking party, 22 June 1916 
A smoke barrage, 22 June 1916 Mount Sorrel 
Attacking under smoke, 22 June 1916 MIKAN No. 3194767 
MIKAN No. 3520924 
MIKAN No. 3520925 
Attacking under smoke, 22 June 1916. Demonstration witnessed by future Munitions Minister Winston Churchill. MIKAN No. 3520923
Lipsett arranged a bombing demonstration on 22 June 1916 in which Churchill described in a letter to his wife.
“He made a realistic attack with his bombs on a section of our reserve trenches. The splinters flew all over the place. It was like a skirmish: but no one was hurt. Lucky! The Canadians grinned from ear to ear to see me. Wonderful fellows: like leopards. I was made to give a speech and produced a really good one on the spur of the moment.”
Winston Churchill
Churchill’s impromptu speech reminded the men of the reasons Britain had gone to war, but he could offer no advice on how to wage it. During his six months as a commanding officer, Churchill spent his energies trying to improve the battalion’s defences and prevent unnecessary casualties.
Canadian Expeditionary Force
Major Louis James Lipsett examined by Lt-Col C F Wylde, CAMC on 8 September 1914 at Valcartier, Quebec. Technicallly, Lipsett enlisted with the CEF at Lark Hill on 9 January 1915. At this time 39 years, 11 months of age, standing 5′ 10″ tall with fair complexion, blue eyes, and fair hair. Small scar right forehead. NoK his mother living at The Cottage Myrthyr Tydvil, Wales.
8th Canadian Infantry Battalion
The Little Black Devils
Lt-Col Louis James Lipsett commanded the 8th Canadian Infantry Battalion, organized in Valcartier Camp in September 1914 initially composed of recruits from Winnipeg and from the 96th Lake Superior Regt. of the Active Militia.
The Little Black Devils embarked Quebec City on 1 October 1914 aboard FRANCONIA with the First Canadian Contingent. The 8th Battalion later disembarked in England on 14 October 1914 with a strength of 47 officers, 1106 other ranks.
The Little Black Devils disembarked in France on 13 February 1915 with the 1st Canadian Division, 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade. Later reinforced by 18th Canadian Reserve Battalion.
Second Battle of Ypres
Lipsett credited with issuing the first order to counteract the effects of poison gas. He ordered his men to urinate on strips of cloth and tie them to their faces to neutralise the chlorine.
Lipsett’s battalion instrumental in holding the line during the action. Chateau Trois Tour, near Brielen was the HQ of the Canadian Division under General Edwin Alderson, and later taken over by 4th Division (Lipsett’s final command) after the first gas attack in May 1915.
Chateau Trois Tour only 6000 yards from the front line and not hit during Second Battle of Ypres.
For Second Battle of Ypres, Lipsett consequently rewarded with a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, promoted to acting brigadier-general and given command of the 2nd Canadian Brigade, which he trained during the spring of 1916 to conduct major trench raids on German lines.
Appointed Companion Order of St. Michael and St. George, London Gazette 23615, 3 June 1915.
Mentioned in Despatches London Gazette 22-6-1915.
Farewell Dinner to General Lipsett
The commanding officer of the 2nd Brigade, Louis Lipsett, given a promotion to lead the entire 3rd Canadian Division in June 1916 when his superior, General Mercer, killed-in-action.
Lipsett transferred to Command 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade from 8th Battalion, and to hold temporary rank of Brigadier-General.
2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade
Brigadier-General Louis J Lipsett
3rd Canadian Division
Major-General Louis J Lipsett
To command 3rd Canadian Division and to be temporary Major-General, 9 June 1916.
Mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig’s despatches, London Gazette, 16 June 1916.
Granted leave from 28 October 1916 to 7 November 1916.
Brevet-Colonel
To be Brevet-Colonel for distinguished service in the field and Mentioned in Despatches, 4 January 1917.
On 13 January 1917, King George appointed Lipsett an Officer in Our Land Forces from 22 September 1914.
Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette No 30917, 9 April 1917.
Leaves of Absence
Granted leave from 23 May 1917 to 1 June 1917.
Major-General Louis James Lipsett granted 4 days leave, 3 July 1917. Again granted 10 days leave, returning 15 July 1917.
Granted 14 days leave on 1 January 1918, returning 15 January 1918.
Most Honorable Order of the Bath
To be an additional member of the Military Division of the 3rd Class, or companion of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath for valuable Services rendered in the Field, 1 January 1918.
Major-General Louis James Lipsett Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette No 30691, 15 June 1918.
Granted 14 days leave, 4 July 1918, returning later on 15 July 1918.
Proceeded to 4th Division Imperial Forces, 14 September 1918.
British 4th Division
In September 1918, Sir Arthur Currie and Sir Douglas Haig arranged Lipsett’s transfer to command the British 4th Division in order that the Canadian Corps be entirely commanded by Canadian-born officers.
Death of Major-General Louis James Lipsett
On 14 October 1918, Lipsett crawling along a bank overlooking the River Selle with several officers of his own staff and some of the 49th Division. At 3:15 pm the party spotted and a German machine gun opened fire from across the river. The party went to ground but a single bullet struck Lipsett in the face. Lipsett able to stagger back to his own lines but there collapsed from massive blood loss and never regained consciousness. The last British general to be killed during the Great War.
Memorial Service, St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster
On the day of Major-General Louis J Lipsett’s death, a Memorial Service held at St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster commemorating the arrival of Canadians, and Major (at the time) Lipsett in Plymouth on 14 October 1914.
Funeral of Louis James Lipsett
Lipsett buried the following day in Quéant Communal Cemetery British Extension with his funeral attended by dozens of officers from the British and Canadian armies in France including General Julian Byng and Lipsett’s close friend Lt-Gen Arthur Currie. The burial party provided by the unit he had entered the war in command of, the 8th Battalion, CEF, and amongst the mourners Edward, the Prince of Wales.
As standard practice, all soldiers, regardless of rank treated the same in CWGC cemeteries. Normally, an officer even with the rank of General buried between his men. However, at Quéant, Lipsett the only soldier buried in a dedicated plot – Plot VI.
The gym at the former Kapyong Barracks in Winnipeg named in his honour.
Ballyshannon County
Major-General Louis James Lipsett remembered here on the family headstone located in the graveyard at St. Anne’s Church (Parish of Kilbarron), Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, Ireland.
Private William Alfred Lipsett
The Major-General cousin to Private William Alfred Lipsett 20330 of the 10th Battalion. William killed in action at the Battle of Kitchener’s Wood, 23 April 1915, and remembered on an adjacent family headstone, and the Menin Gate Memorial.
William the son of Robert and Martha E. Lipsett, of Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, Ireland. Former graduate of Trinity College, Dublin and Barrister-at-Law.
Biography of William Alfred Lipsett
Major-General Louis J Lipsett Honours
- Commander of the Order of the Bath
- Commander of St. Michael and St. George
- Distinguished Service Order
- Natal Native Rebellion Medal 1906
- Officer’s Cross of the Legion of Honor
- Croix de Guerre (French) – London Gazette 31222 dated 11 March 1919
- Croix de Guerre (French) – London Gazette 31465 dated 21 July 1919
- Croix d’Officier
- India Medal 1895 with clasps “Punjab Frontier” and “Samana 1897”
- Queen’s South Africa Medal
- May or may not have been issued King’s South Africa Medal
- King George V Coronation Medal 1911
- 1914 -15 Star
- British War Medal
- Victory Medal with Emblem
- Five times Mentioned in Despatches
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