Kassy Matchett went on a search for the name Charles Magrath Fendall at the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium, several years ago. She was excited to find her fourth cousin listed on the wall alongside more than 54,000 other World War I casualties who died on Flanders Fields. Like so many other British and Commonwealth soldiers, the grave of this 23-year-old Canadian killed in action in 1915 is unknown.
As Canada prepares to mark Remembrance Day and the U.S. commemorates Veterans Day on Nov. 11, let’s revisit this fallen soldier’s life.
Cousin Charlie, as my mother called him, was born in India in 1894. His father, my great-uncle, Charles Pears Fendall, was serving with the British Army. Although Cousin Charlie served in the British Army, he chose not to make it his career. Instead, he immigrated to Canada with my grandparents, Arthur and Emily Fendall, in 1910.
The Fendalls all settled near Okotoks, Alberta.
of stooked oats.
A young man with a promising future
Before World War I started on July 28, 1914, Cousin Charlie worked for different farmers in the Okotoks area. He also participated in community activities such as skating and target practicing. He regularly attended church with my grandparents, too.
Cousin Charlie was carving out a new life in his adopted country. Someday, he planned to homestead a farm.
A strong, affable young man, Cousin Charlie made friends quickly, relishing his new lifestyle. It was a far cry from the confines of the military careers of his father, great-uncle and great-grandfather.
A news item in The Okotoks Review on Sept. 11, 1914, announced Charlie’s intention to leave Okotoks and rejoin his regiment in Britain. The report read: On Thursday evening, a number of the Okotoks football team assembled at W.G. Naylor’s to present Charlie Fendall, one of their members, with a small token of their esteem on his leaving to join His Majesty’s forces. The presentation of a shaving kit was made on behalf of the team by Rev. R. Alderson. Mr. Fendall replied to what was a veritable surprise in a few well-chosen words.
A deadly war gutted a generation
Royal Field Artillery.
News shocks community
Almost a month elapsed before the news of Cousin Charlie’s death reached Okotoks. An article in the Jan. 14, 1916, issue of the local paper carried the announcement. The Review regrets to report the death of Chas. Fendall, nephew of A.J. Fendall, who was killed in action on Dec. 14th. News was received here last week to that effect.
A pathetic feature of the sad event was that letters to Mrs. and Miss Gladys Hemus were found on him to be mailed if he should be killed. The letters got here the same time as the sad news.
Was Gladys Cousin Charlie’s sweetheart? Perhaps. Charlie and Gladys were about the same age and neighbors. I do recall that mother treasured the friendship of Hemus family members all her life.
Dealing with their grief
Cousin Charlie’s death left a deep void in the lives of my grandparents and their daughter. The young man had been their only relative in Canada. For a long time, the family mourned Charlie, whom they had loved dearly.
A few months before the World War I armistice was signed on Nov. 11, 1918, Mother garnered newspaper coverage for a thoughtful expression of charity. According to a Calgary newspaper, Mother raffled off ‘her most cherished doll to raise money for the poor Belgian babies and soldiers held captive by the Germans.’ The seven-year-old raised $7.50. The sum was split with $5.25 going to the Belgian fund and $2.25 to the Allied Prisoners of War.
To honor Charlie
Cousin Charlie’s ultimate sacrifice is remembered in three countries: England, France and Canada.
In recent years, students from Foothills Composite High School in Okotoks have hammered crosses bearing the names of fallen local soldiers like Cousin Charlie on a major thoroughfare in preparation for Remembrance Day on Nov. 11.
Then came the glorious banners
The Okotoks Legion Branch #291 has partnered with the Town of Okotoks to honor past and present military members with stunning banners. Families like ours purchased several of these flags in memory of loved ones like Cousin Charlie so their sacrifices will not be forgotten. The colorful memorials are displayed around Remembrance Day each year from light standards on Veterans Way in Okotoks.
Thank you to the Okotoks legion and the Town of Okotoks for making this moving annual commemoration possible.
It’s a very long time ago since World War I was fought in Belgium’s Flanders Fields. I wonder if poppies still blow, between the crosses row on row, as Canadian poet John McCrae once wrote?
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Read more about traditions:
- Thanksgiving Arrived Early for This Author - November 17, 2023
- You Don’t Know What You’re Missing - November 3, 2023
- Alberta Cattle Roundup Memories - October 20, 2023
When it comes to story telling, you are terrific. I am excited to learn they are collected in a new book.
Thanks, Linda. I have learned so much from masters of the craft like you! What a joy it is to know there are more stories out there waiting to be captured!
It is our duty to Remember our family members, neighbors and friends who have given their life in war for our freedom. However, when this duty if filled with such a memorable and stirring story, it helps others to feel the sacrifice of the soldier. You have an amazing talent to bring these stories and memories to life. Thank you.
Thanks, Gesine. We heard Mother talk about Charlie when we were kids, so it’s as if we, too, knew him. The void Charlie’s death left in the lives of my grandparents and mother was, indeed, deep and heartfelt. They emigrated with the expectation that Charlie would be part of their family and they’d look after one another. That didn’t happen. A similar story has played out in the lives of millions of others who lost loved ones in wartime.
Another beautifully, heartfelt and compassionately written story Elaine. How blessed we are all to be here to enjoy our freedoms; the lives so many sacrificed for us must never be forgotten. That’s amazing that Kassy was able to travel and touch one of her own amongst the many many names.
God bless.
Yes, Deb, we are very fortunate. Sometimes with so much going on around us, it’s good to be reminded of that. Kassy says there were definitely no poppies blooming when she and Adam visited Flanders Fields. It was bitterly cold in November 2018. The other day she and I talked about how the soldiers must have faced the same conditions in WWI. Think how miserable it must have been in those trenches. I miss your Uncle Winston, especially with Remembrance Day taking place next week. Hugs!
Another wonderful story.
I appreciate your comment, Anne. Through your research, you have become so familiar with young men and women whose wartime stories are practically obscured by time. For each one you have saved, we are grateful!
Again, I loved this piece about “Cousin Charlie.” What a story of heroism you paint as we approach November 11. I ESPECIALLY loved the final paragraph!
I’m sure through the years, Brenda, that you taught John McCrae’s poem. It’s one of the very few that I memorized in school with pleasure and still recall.
We are so blessed to have the freedoms the young men fought. I think of the young men in my family, and imagine them going to war at their young lives and it’s unimaginable.Thank you for bringing one young man to life with your story.
Yes, it’s easy to visualize the World War I soldiers headed off to fight a war that was supposed to be over in a few months. Many of those who lived to come home dealt with their horrible memories all their lives.
This is a wonderful story for this time of remembering our veterans, both Canadian and American. There have been so many losses and sacrifices made on the behalf of the rest of us. You’ve given us a vivid picture of Charlie and so many other promising young men who gave “all”. Beautifully written, Elaine! Thank you.
Your words are well-chosen, Carolyn. There truly ‘have been so many losses and sacrifices made on behalf of the rest of us.’ We will continue to remember these selfless acts for the greater good.
So young. Cousin Charlie is my 4th cousin also.
‘They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them’.
What a meaningful verse, Janine. Thank you for sharing it and reminding us that to remember those who sacrificed their lives is a privilege.