James Howden MacBrien

{{Infobox military person

| name = Sir James MacBrien

| image = James Howden MacBrien.jpg

| caption = Sir James MacBrien

| rank = Major-General

| branch = Canadian Militia

| commands = Chief of the General Staff

| battles = Second Boer War
World War I

| family =

| nickname =

| allegiance = Canada

| birth_date = {{birth date|1878|06|30|df=y}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|1938|03|05|1878|06|30|df=y}}

| birth_place = near Myrtle, Ontario

| death_place = Toronto, Ontario

| placeofburial = Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario

| serviceyears =

| laterwork =

| awards = Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Distinguished Service Order
Order of St. John

}}

Major General Sir James Howden MacBrien {{postnominals|country=GBR|KCB|CMG|DSO|CStJ}} (30 June 1878 – 5 March 1938) was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Militia (renamed the Canadian Army in 1940) from 1920 until 1927.

Military career

File:The people's war book; history, cyclopaedia and chronology of the great world war (1919) (14595271860) (cropped).jpg 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.]]

Educated in Port Perry (Port Perry High School),{{Cite web |url=http://www.scugogheritage.com/misc/pioneers_m_to_p.htm |title=Port Perry / Scugog Township Heritage Gallery |access-date=2010-04-10 |archive-date=2019-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201013530/http://www.scugogheritage.com/misc/pioneers_m_to_p.htm |url-status=dead }} MacBrien initially joined the Canadian Militia with the 34th Ontario Regiment but then transferred to the North-West Mounted Police and, during the Second Boer War, to the South African Constabulary.{{cite encyclopedia |last=McAndrew |first=William J. |title=James Howden MacBrien |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |date=7 October 2014 |publisher=Historica Canada |edition=online |url= https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/james-howden-macbrien}} Returning to Canada he was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Dragoons.

He also served in World War I as a general staff officer and then, from 1916, as commanding officer of 12th Infantry Brigade. He was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel in January 1917.{{London Gazette|issue=29886|page=18|date=29 December 1916|supp=y}}

After the war he was appointed Chief of the General Staff.

He also served as the eighth Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, from August 1, 1931 to March 5, 1938. MacBrien died in Toronto.

Family

In 1907 he married Nellie Louise Ross and in 1928 he married Emily Emely Hartridge.

References

Bibliography

{{cite book|first1=Frank|last1=Davies|first2=Graham|last2=Maddocks|title=Bloody Red Tabs: General Officer Casualties of the Great War 1914–1918|publisher=Pen and Sword Books|year=2014|orig-year=1995|isbn=978-1-78346-237-7}}