On 29 August 1914, the 2nd Provisional Infantry Brigade was placed under the command of Lieutenant Colonel M.S. Mercer; two days later, the overwhelming number of infantry recruits caused a reorganization of the First Contingent from 12 to 16 battalions, and three of the four brigades were placed under new commanders, with the command of the 2nd Brigade being left vacant for a day, until Arthur Currie was named as commander.

Brigadier General Arthur W. Currie was a prewar Militia officer with the 50th Gordon Highlanders of Victoria.  He was an insurance broker and real estate agent; he also used regimental funds for private business purposes - a situation that has been well chronicled in most histories and biographies.   He was bailed out of this stressful financial situation by fellow officers during the war.   He commanded the 2nd Brigade on arrival in France, and in September 1915 was given the First Division.  He too was not popular with Sir Sam Hughes, but his skill and determination provided continuing Canadian successes in the field. His meticulous attention to detail paid him dividends, and he was moved on to command the Canadian Corps in May 1916.   He was the first Canadian to reach the rank of full General.   In the last months of the war, he guided the Canadian Corps to an unbroken string of victories, and would have been made the supreme Allied commander of all armies in France had the war lasted into 1919.  He was knighted in 1917, inducted into the Order of the Bath and the Order of St. Michael and St. George.  He served as Inspector General of the Canadian Militia after the war, and in civil life was Principal and Vice Chancellor of McGill University from 1920 to his death in November 1933.

Brigadier General Louis James Lipsett was born at Bundoran, Ireland, on 14 June 1874 to a Welsh family. He was educated at Bedford School and Sandhurst and commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Irish Regiment (18th Foot) on 10 October 1894. He served in the Tirah Campaign, North West Frontier of India, and later in South Africa and in a variety of staff appointments. He was appointed General Staff Officer for Western Canada with the local rank of major in 1911 under the policy of standardizing training between Great Britain and the Dominions agreed to at the Imperial Conferences of 1907 and 1909. He served under Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Macdonell during this period and instructed, among others, Arthur Currie (then Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 50th Gordon Highlanders in Victoria) and Major-General Garnet Hughes (then second in command of the 50th Gordon Highlanders). On outbreak of war was offered and accepted command of the 8th Battalion, recruited largely from the 90th Winnipeg Rifles (the Little Black Devils). He succeeded Brigadier-General Currie in command 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade when latter was appointed to command 1st Canadian Division, and succeeded Major-General Mercer, when the latter was killed at Mount Sorrel, in command of 3rd Canadian Division in June 1916. Transferred back to the British Regular Army as General Officer Commanding 4th Division in 1918, he was killed at Haspres, France, 14 October 1918. Buried with full honours for his rank at Quéant in France by members of the 3rd Canadian Division in the presence of H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, General Horne, commander First Army, and Sir Arthur Currie, Canadian Corps Commander. He was awarded a CB, a CMG, and the French Légion d'Honneur and Croix de Guerre avec étoile en argent et avec palme for his services.

Brigadier General Louis J. Lipsett (at centre) with his staff

Brigadier General J.F.L. Embury, C.B. C.M.G. V.D. commanded the 95th Regiment (Saskatchewan Rifles) before serving in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.  In October 1914, he was offered command of the 28th (Northwest) Battalion whom he led into action as part of the 2nd Canadian Division.