As a Grenadier Guard he "served with distinction" in four fields of the Crimean War of 1854: at Alma, Balaclava, Sebastapol and Inkerman.

Tippinge is known today for the drawings, paintings and letters which he sent home, illustrating at first hand the experiences of the British Grenadiers in 1854.

[1] In Bridgwater on 2 October 1861 Tippinge married Flora Louisa Calvert (Marylebone 22 September 1839 or Italy 1842 – Cowes 8 May 1935).

[3][nb 3] She was the daughter of Nicolson Robert Calvert (4 August 1800 – 1858) and Elizabeth Blacker (1807 – 1883) of Quinton Castle, County Down, Northern Ireland.

The Hampshire and Berkshire Gasette said, "Mrs Tippinge is the talented organist, and has spared no pains nor expense in making improvements in the instrument", including the presentation of a clarionette stop.

[12] In 1881 Flora Tippinge took part in a concert in aid of St Mary's Church, Tufton restoration fund, singing various duets.

"A very agreeable variation was made in the programme by the substitution of a comic trio, Three Young Maids of Leeds by Mrs Tippinge and others ...

[20]: 75–93  On the Grenadier Guards' departure from London for the Crimea campaign, he reported:[20] We paraded at 3.45 am ... it was pitch dark and slightly drizzling ... we did not march till past five all the way up the Strand to the station, the windows of all the upper stories were filled with females waving their handkerchiefs, men in demi-costume cheering, and during the distance of all our March there were heads innumerable of undefined genders, making demonstrations and waving adieux to us.

I, like many others, was lifted completely off my legs and went into the station on the shoulders of the rabble, whom the police treated most roughly for all their pains.

According to Tippinge:[20]: 22  You have no idea there of the difficulty of putting on your beast's back all that you require, and to pack it in such a manner as to be able to go up and down hills, cross rivers, or go through trees or other obstacles.

[20]: 22 The Brigade arrived at Varna, Bulgaria on 13 June 1854, finding the camping conditions wet and unhealthy.

Tippinge reported that the Commissariat had hired 140 bullock wagons on the army's behalf, to carry ammunition and any sick and wounded men.

In those conditions, in up to 97 degrees Fahrenheit, the soldiers had to make "3000 Gabions in 10 days" for fortifications, as well as performing training operations in "burning heat".

There was a "terrible fire at Varna which destroyed half the town, and a great deal of the stores" of the French and British armies.

The soldiers broke into the spirit stores, and some of them died at the casks, vowing eternal fidelity and that nothing but death should part them.

Tippinge said:[20]: 30  The tents are all dripping wet, everything inside ditto, and your clothes sticking to the skin, as if glued on.

If it depends upon British pluck, and military zeal, I'm sure we'd all succeed and then I hope we may see some prospect of a termination of the war.

Then the French line of steamers and transports, numbering about the same as our own, in addition to several Turkish men of war, and their force of about 10,000.