Charles Smith Rutherford (9 February 1892 – 11 June 1989) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

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forces.

Early years

Rutherford was born on a farm in Colborne, Ontario on 9 January 1892. He joined

The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada ("In peace prepared") , colours = None (Rifle regiments have no colours) , march = , mascot = , battle_honours = See #Battle honours , website ...

in 1916 and was posted to the

5th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF The 5th Battalion Canadian Mounted Rifles were a mounted infantry unit of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during World War I. The unit was raised from volunteers of the 7th and XIth (Canadian) Hussars from the Eastern Townships of Queb ...

World War I

He began his service in the ranks, and as a

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

was awarded the

Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...

on 23 February 1918. After being commissioned, he was also awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

, the full citation was not published until after that of his VC, in a supplement to the ''

London Gazette London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

'' of 10 January 1919 (dated 11 January 1919): Rutherford was 26 years old serving in the 4th Battle of the Scarpe near Monchy,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, when he was awarded the

. On 26 August 1918, while commanding an assaulting party, he found himself a considerable distance ahead of his men and at the same moment saw a fully armed strong enemy party outside a pill-box in front of him. By masterly bluff, he managed to persuade the enemy that they were surrounded and the whole party of 45, including two officers and three machine-guns, surrendered. The lieutenant then observed that gunfire from another pill-box was holding up the assault, so with a Lewis gun section he attacked it capturing another 35 prisoners and their guns. The full citation was published in a supplement to the ''London Gazette'' of 12 November 1918 (dated 15 November 1918): He later achieved the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Post World War I

From 1934 to 1940, Rutherford was the Sergeant at Arms of the

Ontario Legislature The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

when Mitchell Hepburn was Premier. He was the first sergeant to eject a member of the Legislature. During World War II he served with the Veterans Guard of Canada, reaching the rank of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. C.S. Rutherford was the last recipient of the Victoria Cross from World War I to die, on 11 June 1989 at the age of 97. He is buried at The Union Cemetery, Colborne, Ontario, Canada. The location of Rutherford's medals is not public knowledge.

References

External links

Charles S. Rutherford's digitized service fileCharles S. Rutherford biography on DHH
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rutherford, Charles Smith 1892 births 1989 deaths Canadian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross Canadian recipients of the Military Medal Canadian recipients of the Military Cross Canadian Expeditionary Force officers People from Northumberland County, Ontario Queen's Own Rifles of Canada officers Queen's Own Rifles of Canada soldiers Canadian military personnel of World War I Canadian military personnel from Ontario