Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Sir Frederick Oscar Warren Loomis (February 1, 1870 – February 15, 1937) was a Canadian soldier who fought in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Military career

He enlisted as a private in the Canadian Militia in 1886 with the 53rd Sherbrooke Battalion of Infantry and was made a Provisional Lieutenant in 1897. He was commissioned a year later and transferred to 5th Regiment, Royal Highlanders of Canada in Montreal in 1903 and was later promoted to Major in 1905. At the outbreak of war in August 1914 he enlisted for active service at the front and was given command of the

13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), CEF The 13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) of the Canadian Expeditionary Force was an active service battalion during the First World War. History The battalion was formed from volunteers from the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada (The ...

. Promoted to rank of Colonel in January 1916, he was given command of a training brigade in England. In May 1916, Loomis was promoted as a Brigadier General and took command of the newly formed 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade. In July of that same year, he was appointed to command of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade and would see the brigade through the battles at the

Ypres Salient The Ypres Salient around Ypres in Belgium was the scene of several battles and an extremely important part of the Western front during the First World War. Ypres district Ypres lies at the junction of the Ypres–Comines Canal and the Ieperlee ...

, Somme,

Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of ...

, Arlleux,

Hill 70 The Battle of Hill 70 took place in the First World War between the Canadian Corps and five divisions of the German 6th Army. The battle took place along the Western Front on the outskirts of Lens in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France ...

, and Passchendaele during 1916 and 1917. In 1918 he was engaged in battles at Amiens and Arras. In September 1918, Loomis was promoted to Major General and was given command of the

3rd Canadian Division The 3rd Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of all army units in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as all units extending westwards from th ...

and commanded the division during the last two months of the

, leading the division through the Battle of Cambrai and succeeding battles culminating in the capture of Mons on November 11, 1918. He was knighted by

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

in 1919 for his service during the war and retired from the Canada Militia later in May of that year.

Honours and Legacy

On November 11, 2018, the hundredth anniversary of the

Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada , colors = , march = Quick: " Hielan' Laddie"Slow: "The Red Hackle" , mascot = , battles = Second Boer WarFirst World WarSecond World War War in Afg ...

, with bagpipes and drums playing, marched through the streets of Mons to the building that was Major-General Frederick Loomis’s headquarters during the First World War. There a ceremony was held for the unveiling of a plaque commemorating this building as the HQ of the 3rd CDN Division. He is portrayed in a painting in the Canadian Senate Chamber leading the Royal Highlanders of Canada (Canadian Expeditionary Force) into Saint-Nazaire in 1915. Mount Loomis on the Alberta–British Columbia border is named after him.

Military career

Honours and Legacy

References

See also