James Howden MacBrien
| Sir James MacBrien | |
|---|---|
 Sir James MacBrien | |
| Born |
30 June 1878 near Myrtle, Ontario |
| Died |
5 March 1938 (aged 59) Toronto, Ontario |
| Buried at | Ottawa, Ontario |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service/branch | Canadian Army |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Commands held | Chief of the General Staff |
| Battles/wars |
Second Boer War World War I |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order Order of St. John |
Major General Sir James Howden MacBrien 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
Educated in Port Perry,[1] MacBrien initially joined the Militia but then transferred to the North-West Mounted Police and, during the Second Boer War, to the South African Constabulary.[2] Returning to Canada he was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Dragoons.[1]
He also served in World War I as a General Staff Officer and then, from 1916, as commanding officer of 12th Infantry Brigade.[2]
After the war he was appointed Chief of the General Staff.[2]
He also served as the eighth Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, from August 1, 1931 to March 5, 1938.[1] MacBrien died in Toronto.
Family
In 1907 he married Nellie Louise Ross and in 1928 he married Emily Emely Hartridge.[1]
References
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Willoughby Gwatkin |
Chief of the General Staff 1920–1927 |
Succeeded by Herbert Cyril Thacker |
| Police appointments | ||
| Preceded by Cortlandt Starnes |
Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police 1931–1938 |
Succeeded by Stuart Wood |