b. 09/01/1892 Colborne, Ontario, Canada. d. 11/06/1989 Ottawa, Canada.
Charles Smith Rutherford (1892-1989) was born on 9th January 1892 at Colborne, Ontario, Canada. His father, John Thomas Rutherford, was a farmer from Colborne, who married Isabella “Bell” Kellie on 11th January 1887 in Northumberland County, Ontario. Charles had three brothers – Wallace, James and Edward.
Charles was educated at Dudley Public School, near Colborne, before beginning work on the family farm. He enlisted in 83rd Overseas Battalion, CEF at Riverdale Barracks, Toronto on 2nd March 1916. He sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia aboard RMS Olympic on 28th April, arriving in Liverpool on 7th May.
Charles S Rutherford
VC MC MM
Having arrived in England he was transferred to the 23rd Reserve Battalion before embarking for France on 7th June 1916 and being posted to the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles as a reinforcement. He was wounded by a bullet to the right arm at Regina Trench near Courcelette on the Somme on 2nd October and was admitted to 2nd Australian Hospital, Boulogne on 4th October. He was evacuated to England and was treated at 5th Northern General Hospital, Leicester and then Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Wokingham from 24th October. He did not return to active duty until December 1916. On 29th January 1917, he transferred to 23rd Reserve Battalion and to 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles, Shoreham on 17th February.
On 22nd February, he returned to France, joining 3rd Entrenching Battalion on 25th March and 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles on 18th April. He was wounded at Avion, near Lens by a gunshot to the left cheek and temple on 7th June. He was out of the front line until 27th July, before a promotion to lance corporal.
He was awarded the Military Medal for his actions during the Second Battle of Passchendaele, Belgium on 30th-31st October 1917. During the action, Sergeant Charles Rutherford assisted Major George Pearkes, in an assault on a strongpoint, which was captured. He then held Vapour and Source Farms against repeated counterattacks. Pearkes was awarded the VC for his part in the action.
After being sent on course to Bexhill-on-the-Sea, Sussex, Rutherford returned to his unit as a Lieutenant and was placed in charge of No. 9 platoon. In early August Rutherford’s actions once again brought recognition for which he received the Military Cross. In Rutherford’s words, he describes the action which led to his MC:
“On August 9th, 1918 I went into battle and with my Company we captured two towns, the first Arvillers, the German Division Headquarters where I managed to get a paymaster and a lot of German money. The Germans were clearing out as they knew we were coming. The only things that they left behind were a box of pigeons and 300 new machine guns. This was on the Amiens Front. Then we captured a little town called Bangor and that was as far as we were to go. I was given the Military Cross for capturing these two towns.”
It was later that same month that the actions that earned him the VC took place. He earned the Victoria Cross in Monchy-le-Preux, France on 26 August 1918 with the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion whilst leading an assaulting party. Finding himself a considerable distance ahead of his men, he noted an enemy party standing before a pillbox ahead of him. Lieutenant Rutherford beckoned, revolver in hand, for them to come to him, and the enemy in return waved for him to come to them. This he did, and by masterly bluff, he informed them that they were surrounded. Incredible, the entire enemy party of 45, including two officers, surrendered to him. Rutherford then persuaded one of the officers to stop the fire of an enemy machine gun nearby. This allowed his own men to advance quickly to his support. Rutherford then captured another pillbox nearby, and another 35 prisoners, as well as a machine gun.
He was granted leave to Paris between 11th-20th September and 14 days leave to Britain from 4th November. While he was there, the Armistice was declared on 11th November. In London he met Lieutenant Colonel George Pearkes VC by chance, who informed him that he had been awarded the VC. His leave was extended to allow him to attend his investiture. The VC was presented to him by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 23rd November 1918. Charles returned to France the next day and rejoined the Battalion on 27th November.
Charles was struck off strength of the CEF on sailing to Canada on 8th March 1919 and demobilised on 20th March from 4th Military District, Toronto. He established a diary farm at Vernonville, near Colborne, which he farmed until 1939.
On 12th March 1921 he married Helen Margaret Haig from Cobourg, Ontario, and they went on to have four children – Andrew, Isobel, Kathleen and Dora. In 1934 Rutherford was appointed by the Mitchell Hepburn Government as Sergeant-at-Arms in the Ontario Legislature replacing Walter Rayfield VC, and in 1939 he was made Postmaster in Colborne. In 1940 after the outbreak of WW2 Rutherford joined the Veteran Home Guard. As well as being posted to Arvida, Quebec and Kingston, Ontario, Rutherford was also sent to the Bahamas from 1942 to 1943. In the Bahamas, part of his duty was to guard the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. He was discharged at the end of World War Two with the rank of Captain.
In 1955 Charlie left his beloved Colborne to go to Keswick on Lake Simcoe. There he and his brother-in-law ran a General and Drygoods store. In 1979 Charlie Rutherford returned to his hometown to retire. He settled into retirement on the same property that he had attended school on as a boy. The Legion Branch named in his honour welcomed him back with a motorcade and celebration dinner.
Charles attended a number of VC reunions – the VC Dinner at the House of Lords in November 1929, the VC Centenary Celebrations in Hyde Park in June 1956, and the 3rd to the 13th VC and GC Association Reunions held between 1962 and 1983. Charles was related to John MacGregor VC, whose sister, Ellen, married Charles’ cousin, Gordon McGregor.
Charles moved into the Rideau Veteran’s Home, Ottawa in 1987 when his health began to fail. He died there on 11th June 1989. His funeral, with full military honours, was held at Colborne United Church on 14th June, attended by Fred Tilston VC. He was buried in Union Cemetery, Sweets Corners, Colborne, Ontario. He was the last surviving VC of the Great War, and held the award for the longest, 71 years. He is commemorated with Charles Rutherford VC Branch No 187, Royal Canadian Legion, with plaque No 20 on the York Cemetery VC Memorial in Toronto, and with a VC commemorative stone unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire on 5th March 2015.
In addition to the VC, MC and MM he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal 1939-47, War Medal 1939-45, George VI Coronation Medal 1937, Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953, Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal 1977 and the Canadian Centennial Medal 1967. The current location of his medal group is not known.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: NOT PUBLICLY HELD.
BURIAL PLACE: UNION CEMETERY, COLBORNE, ONTARIO, CANADA.
