Charles Foulkes
3 January 1903(1903-01-03) – 12 September 1969 (aged 66)
General Charles Foulkes
Place of birth	Stockton-on-Tees, England
Place of death	Ottawa, Canada
Allegiance	British Empire
Service/branch	Canadian Army
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

Charles Foulkes, CC, CB, CBE, DSO, CD (3 January 1903 – 12 September 1969) was a Canadian soldier, and an officer of The Royal Canadian Regiment.

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.

When the Second World War started, Foulkes was serving as a major with the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. He later rose rising to command of I Canadian Corps.

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^[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 and other personal artifacts are on display at the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum in London, Ontario Canada.

[edit] External links

• Juno Beach Centre Biography
• Order of Canada Citation

[edit] References

1. ^ Monument Wageningen