Karl Kippenberger, loved by his fellow soldiers.

Karl Kippenberger, a most loved and distinguished solider should never be forgotten not only for his heroism but for the way he took care of his men.  He was educated at Christchurch Boys High School and when WWI broke out he was only 17 and had to wait 2 years where he enlisted as a private in the Canterbury Regiment and the day he arrived at the French trenches his brother was killed.

New Zealand has never had a commander that so well understood his men and was so beloved by them.  It was hard to believe that this calm, mild and studious man become such a disciplinarian and leader who held the confidence and faith in his men.  Helped by his experience in WWI he could assess each individual and when he saw his first recruitment arrive at 'Burnham Camp', still in their skivvies and far from sober, he took one look at them and said "this lot is going to be the best infantry in the world."
A man who could accept his responsibilities in this spirit could not fail to earn the confidence of his men in return. From then on he always seemed to create an impression that he and his men were sharing the adventures and hardships they went through.  He would weed out the inefficient and discipline hard those that needed it yet he could preserve the comradely spirit between himself and his unit and retain a soft spot for a 'hard case'.  The tone of his command was not weakened by his natural courtesy by his willingness to take everyone into his confidence as far as he could.
I just wanted people to know of this courageous man who was actually loved by his fellow soldiers.

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