Infantry Brigadier

Contains numerous Illustrations and Maps

Major-General Howard “Kip” Kippenberger still stands as one of the most famous soldiers ever produced by New Zealand. He saw the brutal slaughter of the First World War as an officer of the NZEF before being seriously wounded in 1916. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, “Kip” was appointed commander of the 20th Battalion of the newly re-constituted New Zealand Forces. He led his Kiwis with distinction in Greece and Crete, before promotion to Brigadier of the 5th Brigade, which fought in the desert during the North African Campaign. In the difficult campaigning in the mountains of Italy, Kippenberger was an inspirational leader and pushed his men forward in command of an entire Division. However his luck couldn’t hold as he stepped on a landmine near Monte Cassino, despite the amputation of his two feet he remained with his men until the last of his men were returned to New Zealand.

“His own autobiographical account of his war, Infantry Brigadier, first appeared in 1949 and was acclaimed a classic in its field. Unit and campaign histories indicate how high were the standards he demanded of the authors. Taken together, they constitute a formidable achievement and will remain a monument to a man who inspired great efforts in soldiers and writers alike.”—Professor Angus Ross