IPSEN, Carl Frederick Hendrik

Carl Frederick Hendrik Ipsen was the son of Danish born Carl Hendrik Ipsen and English born Bessie Jemima, nee Westmore.  He was born in Abbotsford in 1892.

He enlisted at Melbourne on 16 February 1916.  On his attestation papers he gave his occupation as School Teacher (private), his military experience as three years in the junior cadets.  He gave his father as his next of kin who was living at Avoca, 1037 Punt Road, East Melbourne.  He was 5ft 7ins, and with a chest measurement of 31/33ins, was thin.  He had a fresh complexion, brown hair and brown eyes.

He was appointed to the 2^nd Divisional Ammunition Column at Maribyrnong as a gunner.  By the time he embarked on 27 June 1916, aboard the Barambah, he had been transferred to the 3^rd DAC.  On the embarkation roll he gave his own permanent address as the same as his father’s.

On 24 November 1916 he left England for France. On 7 July 1917 he was transferred to 8^th Field Artillery Brigade and was taken on strength of the 108^th Battery.  Other than short periods of leave he spent the rest of the war on the field, with no periods of illness or injury, and no misdemeanours.  His unit was involved in most of the main battles in France and Flanders.  In early 1919 he spent two month at Administrative Headquarters.  He returned to Australia on 1 July 1919 and arrived home on 17 August 1919.

After the war he returned to his teaching career.  In 1924 he was appointed to the staff at Wadhurst, Melbourne Grammar.  In 1931 he joined the staff of Geelong College where he was Senior English and Latin Master until 1955.  He was also in charge of the library and led the debating society.  He died at his home in Blackburn on 11 March 1956.