Lieutenant-Colonel Alex Dupuis
12th (Three Rivers) Tank Regiment

There is no fault to find with this officer’s moral character and he is hard working. He, however, seems entirely lacking in initiative and drive. His office acts solely as a Post Office with the result that much work that should be done by him is passed to this H.Q. I consider this officer is out of his depth in his present command.

(Confidential report, 21 Feb 1941)

Born in Quebec City on 31 October 1888, George Elzer Alexandre Dupuis was a decorated First World War veteran with a Military Cross and Bar. He had joined the 22nd Battalion in France as a reinforcement officer on 1 July 1916. Although twice wounded he remained on duty and by April 1917 had been promoted to acting major. When many of the senior officers were wounded during the battle of Amiens, Dupuis briefly took command of the battalion from 28 August to 10 September 1918.

In 1928, Dupuis restarted a military career with the Permanent Force and commanded the Royal 22nd Regiment from 1932 to 1938. Just over a year later he was appointed to command Régiment de Trois-Rivières, replacing Lieutenant-Colonel H.J. Keating who had reached mandatory retirement age.

Prior to full mobilization as part of the armoured corps, Dupuis relinquished command in April. The prewar commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel J.G. Vining came out of retirement to again take command of Le Régiment de Trois-Rivières. Although too old for a battalion command, Dupuis was assigned a reinforcement group in the United Kingdom in May 1940. He would soon be judged too old and out of his depth for this appointment as well. He was sent home in March 1941.

“I understand an excellent record in his Battalion during the last war,” Major General P.J. Montague offer in consolation. “He has been in the permanent force of Canada ever since. He is bilingual and I recommend that he be given suitable employment in Canada.” Back in Canada. Dupuis commanded Les Voltigeurs de Québec and later a reserve brigade on the home front.

At a reunion of 22nd Battalion First World War veterans, Dupuis declared, “We have reason to be proud of our regiment. I am sure that members of the 22nd will march to honor for the glory of the regiment.”

He died in Quebec on 28 April 1959.