Christopher Vokes
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| Christopher Vokes | |
|---|---|
| 13 April 1904 – 27 March 1985 (aged 80) | |
 Brigadier Robert Moncel (left) and Major General Christopher Vokes, 10 April 1945 |
|
| Place of birth | Armagh, Ireland |
| Place of death | Oakville, Ontario |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service/branch | Canadian Army |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | Royal Canadian Engineers |
| Commands held | 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade 1st Canadian Infantry Division 4th Canadian Armoured Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Canadian Forces Decoration |
| Other work | General Officer commanding the Canadian Army Occupation Force in Europe |
Major General Christopher Vokes CB, CBE, DSO, CD (13 April 1904 – 27 March 1985) was a Canadian soldier.
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[edit] Family
Born in Armagh, Ireland, the son of a British officer, Major Frederick Patrick Vokes and Elizabeth Vokes who came to Canada in 1910. Major Frederick Patrick Vokes was the engineering officer at the Royal Military College of Canada. The family lived in Married Quarters at Ridout Row, Royal Military College of Canada.
Christopher Vokes' brother, Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Alexander Vokes (RMC 1926-1930, #1940) took a leading part in the assault on Dieppe in August 1942. In early 1944 he was sent to Italy as Commanding Officer of the 9th Canadian Armoured Regiment. On August 31, 1944 Frederick Alexander Vokes was seriously wounded in action and died in hospital on September 4, 1944.
[edit] Military Service
From 1921 to 1925, he attended the Royal Military College of Canada #1633 and was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Engineers. He then attended McGill University from 1926 to 1927 where he received a Bachelor of Science degree and was a member of The Kappa Alphqa Society. From 1934 to 1935, he attended Staff College, Camberley in England. [1]
In 1942, he was promoted to Brigadier and was put in charge of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade where he was part of the Allied invasion of Sicily. In 1943, he became commander of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and promoted to Major-General. He was the commander of the division during the Battle of Ortona, after which he was criticized for unimaginative tactics and frontal assaults. In 1944, he took over command of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division and fought in the Battle of the Hochwald. [1]
From June 1945 to May 1946, he was the General Officer Commanding the Canadian Army Occupation Force in Europe. Returning to Canada, he commanded the Army's Central Command and then Western Command. He retired in 1959.
He died of cancer in Oakville, Ontario in 1985.
[edit] References
- ^ a b http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0008387 Christopher Vokes
- "Major-General Christopher Vokes". Juno Beach Centre. http://www.junobeach.org/e/3/can-pep-can-vokes-e.htm.
- "Sword & Epaulettes of College No. 1633". Royal Military College of Canada. http://www.rmc.ca/other/museum/gallery/college2_e.html.
- "Maj.-Gen Christopher Vokes Tough officer led 1st Division on Sicily beach". The Globe and Mail. 1985-03-28.
