.gif)
Charles Foulkes (Canadian)
Encyclopedia
Charles Foulkes, was a Canadian
soldier, and an officer of The Royal Canadian Regiment
.
, England
and joined the Canadian Army in 1926. In 1937 he attended the Staff College
in Camberley
, England.
In 1939, Foulkes was serving as a major with the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division
. He went on to be a General Staff Officer with 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
. After serving as a Brigade
Commander
from August 1942, he was appointed General Officer Commanding
2nd Canadian Infantry Division
in January 1944 and led the division through the Normandy Campaign
. In November 1944 he was made General Officer Commanding I Canadian Corps
in Italy
.
On 5 May 1945, Foulkes summoned German General Blaskowitz
to the Hotel de Wereld
("Hotel the World") in Wageningen
to discuss the surrender of German forces in the Netherlands. His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard, acting as commander in chief of the Dutch Interior Forces, attended the meeting as well. Blaskowitz agreed with all of the proposals made by Foulkes. However, nowhere in the building - some sources claim: nowhere in the whole town - could a typewriter be found. Thus the surrender document could not be typed. The next day both parties returned, and in the presence of both General Foulkes and Prince Bernhard, Blaskowitz signed the surrender document which in the mean time had been typed.
After the war, Foulkes was appointed Chief of the General Staff
and, in 1951, first Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff
. He retired in 1960.
In 1968 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada
. He died in Ottawa in 1969.
His medals and other personal artifacts are on display at the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum
in London, Ontario
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
soldier, and an officer of The Royal Canadian Regiment
The Royal Canadian Regiment
The Royal Canadian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the Primary Reserve...
.
Military career
Foulkes was born in Stockton-on-TeesStockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and joined the Canadian Army in 1926. In 1937 he attended the Staff College
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
in Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
, England.
In 1939, Foulkes was serving as a major with the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division
1st Canadian Infantry Division
The 1st Canadian Infantry Division was a formation mobilized on 1 September 1939 for service in the Second World War. The division was also reactivated twice during the Cold War....
. He went on to be a General Staff Officer with 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
3rd Canadian Infantry Division
The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Canadian Army from 1940 to c.1945.- History :The formation of the division was authorized on 17 May 1940...
. After serving as a Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
from August 1942, he was appointed General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
2nd Canadian Infantry Division
2nd Canadian Infantry Division
The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the First Canadian Army, mobilized on 1 September 1939 at the outset of the Second World War. It was initially composed of volunteers within brigades established along regional lines, though a halt in recruitment in the early months of...
in January 1944 and led the division through the Normandy Campaign
Normandy Campaign
The Battle of Normandy or Normandy Campaign includes the following:* Operation Overlord - The Western Allied campaign in France from June 6 - August 25, 1944...
. In November 1944 he was made General Officer Commanding I Canadian Corps
I Canadian Corps
I Canadian Corps was one of the two corps fielded by the Canadian Army during World War II. From December 24, 1940 until the formation of the First Canadian Army in April 1942, there was a single unnumbered Canadian Corps...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
On 5 May 1945, Foulkes summoned German General Blaskowitz
Johannes Blaskowitz
Johannes Albrecht Blaskowitz was a German general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
to the Hotel de Wereld
Hotel de Wereld
Hotel de Wereld in Wageningen was the site of the capitulation of the German troops in the Netherlands on 5 and 6 May 1945, and the end of German occupation during World War II....
("Hotel the World") in Wageningen
Wageningen
' is a municipality and a historical town in the central Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland. It is famous for Wageningen University, which specializes in life sciences. The city has 37,414 inhabitants , of which many thousands are students...
to discuss the surrender of German forces in the Netherlands. His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard, acting as commander in chief of the Dutch Interior Forces, attended the meeting as well. Blaskowitz agreed with all of the proposals made by Foulkes. However, nowhere in the building - some sources claim: nowhere in the whole town - could a typewriter be found. Thus the surrender document could not be typed. The next day both parties returned, and in the presence of both General Foulkes and Prince Bernhard, Blaskowitz signed the surrender document which in the mean time had been typed.
Chief of the General Staff (Canada)
The Chief of the General Staff was the most senior member of the Canadian Army from 1904 until 1964 when the appointment became Commander, Mobile Command with the unification of Canada's military forces. The position was renamed Chief of the Land Staff in 1993....
and, in 1951, first Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff
Chiefs of Staff (Canada)
The Chiefs of Staff Committee was a collection of the heads of each military service in Canada prior to the beginning of Unification: the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
. He retired in 1960.
In 1968 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. He died in Ottawa in 1969.
His medals and other personal artifacts are on display at the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum
Royal Canadian Regiment Museum
The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum is a military museum located at Wolseley Barracks in London, Ontario, Canada, the historic home of the The Royal Canadian Regiment .-History:...
in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
.