Louis Lipsett - Early Military Career

Early Military Career

Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland, to Richard and Etty Lipsett in June 1874, Lipsett was raised in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, and Bedford, England, following his father's death in 1887. He was educated at Bedford Grammar School and took the Sandhurst entrance examination against the wishes of his tutors, entering the college and graduating 35th from his class of 120. In 1894, Lipsett was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Royal Irish Regiment, and took ship to India where he served for the next five years on the Northwest Frontier, participating in the Tirah Campaign against the Afridi. During these campaigns he conducted himself with distinction, being promoted to lieutenant but also contracting a near-fatal bout of cholera.

In 1899 he and his regiment were ordered to South Africa for service in the Second Boer War. Although he did not serve in any significant actions Lipsett performed his duties well, in 1901 was promoted to captain and on his return to England in 1903 was recommended to the Staff College, Camberley. In 1905 he returned to South Africa as a staff officer (Deputy-Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General), to aid in the reconstitution of colonial government, a task he performed until 1907, when he was posted back to his regiment. Based at Aldershot, Lipsett conducted both regimental business and operated as an aide-de-camp to the commander of the 2nd Division, Theodore Edward Stephenson.

In 1911, Lipsett responded to the call from the Colonial Office for young staff officers to operate in colonial military academies, as military education had been standardised throughout the British Empire in 1909. Lipsett was sent to Canada and promoted to major (in 1913), working hard to improve training in the Dominion. He instigated numerous new training courses and special schools, establishing close ties with the Canadian military establishment and personally training most of the next generation of Canadian staff officers and generals.