Ripman, HA

2nd Lieutenant Helmut Armstrong Ripman

Born Helmut Rippmann on June 30th 1879, ‘Rip’ was the third child, and eldest son, of German-born Hugo Rippmann, who worked in the wool trade, and his wife, Christiane. He was originally at the Prep before coming to the College in 1892, joining his twin brother, Christian, who had made the same transition several months earlier. He was at Dulwich for the next three years, leaving at the end of 1895, whilst a member of the Modern Remove. After school he followed his father into the wool trade, and spent the next several years working either abroad or in the North of England. Upon his return to London he became heavily involved in the Old Alleynian community, particularly the O.A.F.C., for whom he was a key player in helping to find the Club a permanent home, and later went on to captain the B XV for two years; he was also a keen member of the O.A. Gymnastics Club and, from 1911, served as Honorary Treasurer of the Alleyn Club.
At the outbreak of war Rip had attempted to apply for a commission but was turned down on account of his age; he eventually enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery in May 1916. He went over to the front for the first time in January 1917, serving with the 245th Siege Battery for several months, before returning to England in April to take up a commission. It was whilst training at Trowbridge shortly afterwards that he, along with the rest of his family, legally changed their surname from Rippmann, to Ripman, almost certainly to make it sound less ‘Germanic’. That December he returned to France, serving as 2nd Lieutenant with the 245th Siege Battery. On April 6th 1918 he was returning from an advance position near Bresle when he was severely wounded in the head by a piece of shrapnel, ultimately being taken to St. John’s Hospital, Etaples. He had been there for several weeks and had been due to be invalided home to England when meningitis set in and he died as a result on May 16th 1918. He was survived by his widow, Olive, whose sister had married his twin brother, Christian, and their son.