Charles Urquhart Sr

British War Medal 1914-1918, Victory Medal 1914-1918

Lovat Scouts, Langan, Inverness-shire, Scotland 1907-1910

Canadian Army Service Corps

WW I

Charles Urquhart was born in Lochlagen, Invernesshire, Scotland 20 October 1890 to David and Christina (Smith) Urquhart. He had 4 brothers (Donald, John, Alexander and James) and 2 sisters (Colina and Christina). Before coming to Canada in 1912, he had been a member of a famous body of men, Lord Lovat’s Scouts, Imperial Yeomanry 1907 – 1910. He was a fearless rider and acted as a galloper to the officer commanding. A keen naturalist, he was well versed in bird and animal lore, was fond of sport and was known as a skillful exponent of rod and gun. His intimates knew him also as a poet of no mean ability: he had written some touching lines, mostly bearing on the hills, lochs and streams of his native Scotland that he loved so well.

Up until the time he volunteered for service he farmed at Roland, Manitoba with his brother-in-law, A.J. Epps.

He enlisted in the Canadian Army Service Corps (CASC) 13 March 1917, trained in Canada and arrived in England on S/S “Scotia” 06 February 1918 and was sent to France 23 June 1918. The main duty of the CASC in France centered on the transportation and supply of food, forage, ammunition, equipment, clothing and engineering material and stores. Corps personnel also repaired motor vehicles and each division had an ambulance repair workshop. While in France as a member of the CASC, Charles did suffer gassing while in the trenches. On 09 November 1918, just before the end of the war, he was transferred to the CASC 3rd Division Train and then to the 4th Division Train on 26 February 1919 where he served until repatriated. He was given leave in France and then posted to England from where he departed for Canada on the S/S “Olympic” 06 June 1919. Charles was discharged from Military District 10, Winnipeg, 17 June 1919.

On return from the war, in 1919, he started farming for himself south of Homewood, Manitoba where he carried on until his “illness” overtook him.

Charles married Elizabeth Bain from Newtonmore, Invernesshire, Scotland 27 May 1920. They had 2 sons, David Smith and Charles Arthur Ian (called Ian). Charles developed pleurisy right after he returned from the War and it was thought this had occurred because his lungs had been weakened from the gassing. Charles was a man of excellent physique and had never known ill health until he was admitted to the Ninette, Manitoba Sanatorium for treatment of Lung trouble. Charles Urquhart Sr. died 16 days later, 20 May 1929, he was 39. He is buried in the Fairview Cemetery at Roland, Manitoba next to the grave of his father. Charles Urquhart Sr. is listed on the Roland, Manitoba Cenotaph.