Series 6 - General Charles Foulkes Papers

General Charles Foulkes (CB, CBE, DSO, CD, LLD, DSc) was born in Stockton-on-Tees, England, on 3 January 1903. He was educated at the Central Collegiate Institute, London, Ontario, and at the University of Western Ontario. He was commissioned as a lieutnant in The Royal Canadian Regiment in 1926. In 1938, he attended the Staff College, Camberley. Captain in 1939, after holding various staff appointments and commanding The Regina Rifles, he was promoted brigadier in September 1942 to command the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade. In April 1943, he became Brigadier General Staff, First Canadian Army. He was promoted major-general in January 1944 and commanded the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division in the U.K. and in North-West Europe until November 1944, when he was promoted lieutnant-general and assumed command of the 1st Canadian Corps in Italy. This corps moved to North-West Europe in February 1945 and, as part of the First Canadian Army, completed the liberation of Holland. He was appointed Chief of the General Staff on 21 August 1945. On 1 February 1951, he was appointed Chairman, Chiefs of Staff, responsible for co-ordinating inter-service operational and strategic matters. He was also Canadian Military Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He was promoted to the rank of general on 26 January 1954. He retired in January 1960 and for a number of years gave lectures on defence matters. In 1968-69 he was visiting professor on strategic studies at Carleton University, Ottawa. He died on 12 September 1969.