I knew him because I am a member of the Legion that carries his name. I belong to the Colborne Branch which is named after Capt. Charles S. Rutherford VC, MC, MM.
That alphabet soup after his name is; Victoria Cross, Military Cross and Military Medal. Charlie, as he was known, was the only Canadian to have earned all three of those medals during WW1.
I knew Charlie in his later years. I was a young, wet behind the ears Associate member of the branch. An Associate in those days was the son or daughter of a veteran. My father served in the Italian campaign during WW2.
I greatly admired Charlie. To meet him without knowing his history, you’d see him as a very quiet, gentle old man with a very dry sense of humour. I remember a Remembrance Day dinner and the President of the day handing him the mic to say a few words to those attending.
He commented that he had just returned from a gathering of George Cross winners in England. They had enjoyed a very nice lunch at Buckingham Palace he told us, and then passing quickly past the fact he had had lunch with Her Majesty the Queen, he informed the gathering Prince Philip had given him the most wonderful recipe for muffins.
For those who don’t know, Remembrance Day is November 11th. That time of year can be very unpredictable when it comes to weather. It can range from mild shirt sleeve weather with temps around 70F to bitterly cold and snow. We never know what to expect but we do know the parade and service at 11am will take place. On the return march the parade will pass a saluting base.
One of the most memorable for this then young Legionnaire involved Charlie. He had been asked to take the salute, but, by this time he was well into his 90s and we had to ask a backup in case the weather was too inclement for him. The day was cold, windy and snow was falling. We didn’t expect to see Charlie on the saluting base which was the steps of the Post Office.
As we left the town square and formed up for the return march, I caught sight of Charlie being helped out of his car and up onto the steps. As we marched past, eyes right in salute, I was astounded to see this man returning the salute without a topcoat, just his Legion uniform.
That made a lasting impression on me. To this day, I do not wear a topcoat on parade on November 11th. It is a personal reminder of the humble service of a great Canadian warrior.
Charles Smith Rutherford was born February 9, 1892 near Colborne. His family were farmers. He enlisted into the Queen’s Own Rifles in March 1916 and later transferred to the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles (CMR). By June 1916 he had been sent overseas and was serving in France.
He saw action at Ypres, the Somme and was wounded during the Regina Trench. He returned to duty in time to participate in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April of 1917. Vimy Ridge was one of the most brutal battles Canada engaged in and is widely considered to be our coming of age as a nation. The Canadians took the objective that other countries had failed to take.
During the Battle of Passchendaele near the end of October 1917 the 5th CMR lost 60% of its fighting strength in a single day. Then Sergeant Charles Rutherford was awarded the Military Cross. The MM was an award to non-commissioned ranks for bravery in battle on land. We don’t have a citation of what his actions were that earned him this award.
Sent to England for leave and to take a course he was promoted to Lieutenant. He returned to his unit and given command of the 9th Platoon. His unit went into action during the Battle of Amiens between August 8th and 11th. It was a surprise attack which dealt Germany its worst defeat since the beginning of the war. In their sector, the Canadians pushed the Germans back 12km. In a war that was often fought over meters of ground, that was a huge accomplishment.
Rutherford earned the Military Cross during the Battle of Amiens. On January 11, 1919 the London Gazette published the following citation:
Lt. Charles Smith Rutherford, M.M., 5th Bn., Can. Mtd. Rif., Quebec Regt. As our right flank was " in the air " for over 4,000 yards, this officer was detailed with his platoon and a Tank to clear up a village. This he did most successfully, killing a large number of the enemy and taking several prisoners. The coolness and determination which he displayed in clearing up the village and his marked control over his men at all times cannot be too highly commended.
A detail not included in the citation was that Charlie took a paymaster prisoner at the German Division Headquarters along with a large sum of German money and captured 300 new machine guns.
By August 26th the 5th CMR were near Arras preparing to take part in the Battle of the Scarpe. It was along a line of bunkers, machine gun nests and dense thickets of barb wire the Germans hoped were impenetrable.
Charlie managed to get separated from his men and found himself in a clearing with a German bunker. At a Legion dinner in his honour in 1977 he described his version of what happened.
He said that he was carrying only his sidearm at the time and there was this German officer at the door of this bunker. The officer indicated that Charlie was to surrender and be his prisoner. Charlie looked around the clearing and made motions to indicate that the clearing was surrounded and then suggested to the officer that no, he and his men were to be prisoners. To his surprise, the Germans surrendered to him.
For his actions that day, Charles Rutherford was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for valour in the Commonwealth.
The London Gazette printed the following citation on November 12, 1918:
Lt. Charles Smith Rutherford, M.C., M.M., Quebec R. For most conspicuous bravery, initiative and devotion to duty. When in command, of an assaulting party Lt. Rutherford found himself a considerable distance ahead of his men, and at the same moment observed a fully armed strong enemy party outside a " Pill Box " ahead of him. He beckoned to them with his revolver to come to him, in return they waved to him to come to them. This he boldly, did, and informed them that they were prisoners. This fact an enemy officer disputed and invited Lt. Rutherford to enter the "Pill Box," an invitation he discreetly declined. By masterly bluff, however, he persuaded the enemy that they were surrounded, and the whole party of 45, including two officers and three machine guns, surrendered to him. - Subsequently he induced the enemy officer to stop the fire "of an enemy machine-gun close "by, and Lt. Rutherford took advantage of the opportunity1 to' hasten the advance of his men to his support. . . . • • Lt. Rutherford then observed that the right, assaulting party was held up by heavy ""machine-gun fire from another " Pill Box." Indicating an objective to the remainder of his party he attacked the " Pill Box " with a Lewis gun section and captured a further 35 prisoners with machine guns, thus enabling their party to continue their advance. The .bold- and,- gallant action of this officer contributed very materially to the- capture of-the main .objective and was a wonderful ' inspiration to all ranks in pressing home the attack on a very strong position.
Charlie was discharged in February 1919 as part of the general demobilization following WW1. He served as the local postmaster for a time. Served again on guard duty during WW2 and later served as Sgt-at-Arms of the Ontario Legislature. There are some who believe his ghost is at the Queen’s Park Legislature to this day.
He died in June 1989. That was the last public event my late husband would attend. Charlie was the last of the Canadian VC holders from WW1 to die. He received full military honours including being borne by gun carriage from the church to the cemetery.
While it was the proper honours for a Canadian hero, it somehow seemed a sharp contrast between the quiet humble man and the very public nature of the ceremony. He was a character I’ll never forget and I’m a better person for having known.