together with a low attendance rate, led to the school authorities asking him to leave high school. Returning home to Oxford, he worked on the family farm. Always interested in military history, Kippenberger joined the local unit of the New Zealand Cadet Corps and found that he enjoyed soldiering. His father did not approve of his interest but regardless, Kippenberger enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) in late 1915 at the age of 18. Because only men between the ages of 19 and 45 were required to register for service, he falsified his age to ensure that he would be eligible for duty overseas. First World War From January to April 1916, Kippenberger underwent basic training at Trentham Military Camp as part of the 12th Reinforcement of the NZEF. On 1 May, he embarked for Europe to join the New Zealand Division. However, during transit his transport ship was unexpectedly diverted to Egypt. For two months, his contingent was based at the training camp of the Australian Imperial Force at Tel-el-Kebir but had very little to do with only a few hours of training each day. The 12th Reinforcement left in July for Sling Camp in England, where it underwent more intense training. Western Front Kippenberger finally arrived on the Western Front in September 1916, as a private in the 1st Battalion, Canterbury Regiment. His arrival at the front coincided with the Somme Offensive. He took part in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette which began on 15 September and remained in the front lines for over three weeks before the regiment was withdrawn. His unit suffered heavy casualties during this time; Kippenberger was one of just five soldiers left in his platoon after the battle ended. After rest and recovery, the regiment moved to the Fromelles sector of the front in mid-October. Here Kippenberger volunteered for sniper duty despite not being known for his accuracy as a marksman. He served in this capacity until he was badly wounded in the arm by shrapnel on 10 November 1916. Although he eventually recovered from his wound, at the time it was serious enough that he was repatriated to New Zealand and discharged from the NZEF in April 1917. Civilian life Kippenberger appreciated the need to establish a career for himself and to this end, decided on a profession in law. In early 1918 he enrolled at Canterbury College to study law