Charles Foulkes (Canadian)

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General Charles Foulkes

Charles Foulkes, CC, CB, CBE, DSO, CD, LL.D (January 3, 1903 – September 12, 1969) was a Canadian soldier.

He was born in Stockton-on-Tees, England and joined the Canadian Army in 1926. In 1937 he attended the Staff College in Camberley, England.

He fought in World War II as a member of the First Canadian Army. On May 5, 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. [1].

General Foulkes, seated 2nd from right, with other Generals of the First Canadian Army.

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 are on display at the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum in London, Ontario Canada.