Malcolm Mercer

Malcolm Smith Mercer
Born	17 September 1859 Etobicoke, United Province of Canada
Died	3 June 1916 (aged 56) Mount Sorrel, Belgium
Allegiance	Canada
Service/branch	Canadian Militia Canadian Expeditionary Force
Years of service	1881 to 1916
Rank	Major General
Unit	The Queen's Own Rifles
Commands held	The Queen's Own Rifles 1st Canadian Brigade 3rd Canadian Division
Battles/wars	First World War Western Front Second Battle of Ypres Second Battle of Artois Battle of Festubert Battle of Givenchy Battle of Mount Sorrel  †
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath

Major-General Malcolm Smith Mercer CB (17 September 1859 – 3 June 1916) was a Canadian general, barrister and art patron who practiced law in Toronto and led the Canadian Contingent, then later the 3rd Canadian Division, during the first two years of the First World War before he was killed in action at Mount Sorrel in Belgium. Mercer was an experienced Canadian Militia commander and had demonstrated a great flair with training and organising the raw Canadian recruits during the opening months of the war. He also demonstrated courage under fire, visiting the front lines on numerous occasions at the height of battle and personally directing his forces in the face of poison gas attacks and heavy shellfire.

Mercer remains the most senior Canadian officer ever to die in combat and was unfortunate to be killed at the opening engagement of the largest battle of his career, when he was trapped by shellfire during a front line reconnaissance and overrun during the subsequent German attack. The division Mercer created and trained remained one of the best units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force under his successor Louis Lipsett and Mercer was remembered by the men under his command, many of whom attended his funeral in the aftermath of the Battle of Mount Sorrel.