Charles Foulkes | |
---|---|
General Charles Foulkes
|
|
Born |
, England |
3 January 1903
Died | 12 September 1969 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
(aged 66)
Allegiance |
British Empire Canada |
Service/branch | Canadian Army |
Years of service | 1926–1960 |
Rank | General |
Unit | The Royal Canadian Regiment |
Commands held |
Chief of the General Staff Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff I Canadian Corps |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards |
Companion of the Order of Canada Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Canadian Forces Decoration Commander of the Legion of Honour (France) |
General Charles Foulkes, CC, CB, CBE, DSO, CD (3 January 1903 – 12 September 1969) was a British-Canadian soldier, and an officer of The Royal Canadian Regiment.
Foulkes was born in , 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.