Sergeant Charles Meachem
Died of Illness in WW2
Date of Death:
Service Biography
Charles Meachem was born in London, England, on 5 January 1911 and came to Canada as a child. Before the war he worked in farming, gold mining, operated a quick-lunch business, and worked as a nitrate operator in the munitions industry. He had previously served with the 48th Highlanders from October 1932 to June 1933. He enlisted in the Canadian Army at Montreal South, Quebec, on 20 September 1943 as D-142753. After initial training he served with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, qualified as a cook and hospital cook, and spent nine months overseas in the United Kingdom. Following repatriation he continued serving in Canada as a cook, cook instructor and kitchen NCO, attaining the rank of Sergeant. He was discharged at Montreal South on 9 August 1946 on demobilization. Charles Meachem died of carcinomatosis at Christie Street Hospital, Toronto, on 18 November 1947; Veterans Affairs subsequently recorded his death as related to his Canadian Army service. He is buried in St. John's Norway Cemetery, Toronto.
General Information
Conflict:
WW2
Regimental No.:
D-142753
Cause of Death (in war):
Died of Illness
Branch:
Army
Regiment:
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
Battalion:
No. 4 District Depot
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
London, England
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
32 years 8 months
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
35 years 7 months
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
36 years 10 months
Country Born:
England
Trade or Calling:
Nitrate operator
Next of Kin:
Olive Meachem (common-law wife), Nitro, Quebec
Address at Enlistment:
44 Riverview Street, Nitro, Quebec
Religion:
Church of England
Place of Enlistment:
Montreal South, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
No
Height:
5 ft 8.0 in / 173 cm
Weight:
175 lbs / 79 kg
Chest:
40.0 in / 102 cm
Expansion:
2.0 in / 5 cm
Marital Status:
Married
Prior Military Experience:
Yes
Saw Service in:
Great Britain
Place of Discharge:
Montreal South, Quebec
Discharge Type:
Regular/End of Service
Discharge Notes:
Battle Died/Wounded:
Length of Service:
1054 days in service
Buried at:
St. John's Norway Cemetery
Links
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW2 |
Sergeant |
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps |
Army |
No. 4 District Depot |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Acting Sergeant |
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps |
Army |
Camp 45 / No. 4 District Company RCASC / cook-instructor postings |
|
|
|
| Original effective date was amended to 2 Feb 1946. |
| WW2 |
Corporal |
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps |
Army |
Canadian repatriation / cook establishments |
|
|
|
| Rank shown as Cpl on post-repatriation movement sheet; exact substantive/temporary status to retain as source-supported only. |
| WW2 |
Temporary Corporal |
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps |
Army |
Overseas — 5 CITR / RCASC establishments |
|
|
|
| T/Cpl effective 27 Jan 1945 is legible; exact overseas unit abbreviations remain literal as written in the file. |
| WW2 |
Private |
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps |
Army |
Overseas — 1 CASCRU / 5 CITR (source abbreviations retained) |
|
|
|
| Exact source abbreviations retained; no expansion supplied because the file does not establish one. |
| WW2 |
Private |
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps |
Army |
A-19 Canadian Army Service Corps Training Centre |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Trooper |
Royal Canadian Armoured Corps |
Army |
No. 1 Canadian Armoured Corps Training Regiment |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Trooper |
Royal Canadian Armoured Corps |
Army |
No. 26 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Trooper |
Royal Canadian Armoured Corps |
Army |
No. 4 District Depot |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
|
|
Army |
|
|
|
|
Awards
| Conflict |
Award |
Action |
Date of Award |
Date of Citation |
Source |
| WW2 |
Defence Medal |
Recorded / awarded |
|
|
Canadian Army awards card |
| WW2 |
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp |
Recorded / awarded |
|
|
Discharge certificate / awards card |
| WW2 |
War Medal 1939-45 |
Recorded / awarded |
|
|
Canadian Army awards card |
Service Chronology
1911-01-05 — Born.
1932-10 to 1933-06 — Served with the 48th Highlanders (Reserve Force).
1943-09-20 — Enlisted for General Service as Trooper D-142753; taken on strength No. 4 District Depot.
1943-10-07 — Struck off strength No. 4 District Depot for No. 26 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre.
1943-10-08 — Taken on strength No. 26 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre.
1943-11 — Admitted to military hospital with tonsillitis and subsequently discharged to duty.
1943-12-09 — Transferred from No. 26 CA(B)TC to No. 1 Canadian Armoured Corps Training Regiment.
1944-06-01 — Qualified Cook Group C.
1944-06-15 — Transferred to A-19 Canadian Army Service Corps Training Centre and remained temporarily attached to No. 1 Canadian Armoured Corps Training Regiment.
1944-07-20 — Ceased attachment and returned to A-19 Canadian Army Service Corps Training Centre.
1944-07-21 — Attached for Hospital Cook course.
1944-08-15 — Qualified Hospital Cook Group C.
1944-08 — Selected/moved for overseas serial; exact administrative serial wording preserved on source.
1944-10-21 — Taken on strength overseas; qualified Cook Group C and suitable for RCASC operational employment.
1944-11-13 — Cook Group C qualification and attachment recorded with 1 CASCRU.
1944-12-31 — Taken on strength of 5 CITR from 1 CASCRU; trade-pay/cook entry recorded.
1945-01-27 — Appointed Temporary Corporal.
1945-06-30 — Suffered accidental burn to right ankle while on military duty; injury assessed as minor.
1945-07-16 — Overseas service ended for repatriation to Canada.
1945-09-11 — Taken on strength from X-4 List RCASC, Canadian Army Pacific Force, at No. 4 District Depot.
1945-10-09 — Struck off strength Holding Establishment to HWE.
1945-10-10 — Taken on strength HWE from Holding Establishment.
1945-11-06 — Struck off strength to CIBTC 44.
1945-11-07 — Taken on strength at Training Centre 44, St. Jerome, from No. 4 District Depot.
1945-12-28 to 1946-01-02 — Granted five days New Year's leave with ration allowance.
1946-01-14 — Struck off strength to No. 3 Ordnance Ammunition Company, RCOC.
1946-01-15 — Taken on strength No. 3 Ordnance Ammunition Company from No. 15 Infantry Training Battalion.
1946-01-22 — Returned to No. 15 Infantry Training Battalion.
1946-01-30 — Struck off strength to No. 4 District Depot.
1946-01-31 — Taken on strength No. 4 District Company RCASC; attached to Internment Camp 45.
1946-02-02 — Appointed Acting Sergeant; effective date corrected by subsequent orders from the original 1 February entry.
1946-03-12 to 1946-03-25 — Granted 14 days privilege leave with ration allowance.
1946-03-21 — Next of kin changed from Mrs. Olive Meachem (wife) to Mrs. Frank Wark (sister), 96 Wiley Avenue, Toronto.
1946-04-17 — Struck off strength to No. 4 District Company RCASC, proceeding to No. 6 Infantry Training Battalion.
1946-04-19 — Attached to No. 6 Infantry Training Battalion and granted Cook Group C trade pay.
1946-05-06 — Qualified Cook Group B and granted Cook Group B trade pay.
1946-05-21 to 1946-05-22 — Transferred through Holding Establishment Cook's Pool.
1946-05-22 — Attached to No. 4 E&S&W Company, RCE for duty at St. Johns.
1946-06-14 — Struck off strength No. 4 District Company RCASC, proceeding to A-19 CASC Training Centre.
1946-06-15 — Taken on strength and attached for assessment/training at A-19 CASC Training Centre.
1946-07-08 — Ceased attachment from No. 4 District Company RCASC / A-19 CASC Training Centre sequence.
1946-07-09 — Taken on strength No. 4 District Depot (Cook's Pool).
1946-08-09 — Made substantive Sergeant and discharged on demobilization to return to civil life.
1947-11-18 — Died of carcinomatosis at Christie Street Hospital; Veterans Affairs later recorded the death as related to Canadian Army active service.
Notes
Completed Grade 8 at a rural school in Ontario after four years of schooling in England. Civilian experience included mixed farming, gold-mine work as screener and cage helper/deckhand, operating a quick-lunch business, and nitrate work in a munitions plant. The medical examination noted amputation of the two distal phalanges of the fourth left finger.
Additional Service Notes
Served 25 months in Canada and 9 months overseas in the United Kingdom. He trained initially with the Canadian Armoured Corps and transferred to the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps in June 1944. He qualified Cook Group C on 1 June 1944 and Hospital Cook Group C in August 1944, then served overseas in the United Kingdom as a cook. After repatriation he continued in Canadian cook and instructional duties, was appointed Acting Sergeant effective 2 February 1946, qualified Cook Group B on 6 May 1946, and was made substantive Sergeant on 9 August 1946, the date of his demobilization discharge.
Additional Next of Kin Notes
Common-law wife Olive Wilson had been publicly known as Mrs. Olive Meachem since 15 June 1938; in September 1943 he formally declared that she would continue to use that name. They had no children. His father was Moses Meachem, a labourer, and his mother was Lilian/Lilly Meachem. After his death his widow was recorded as Mrs. B. Meachem at 523 Letourneux Avenue, Montreal; his sister Mrs. Frank Wark was designated for medals and his mother Lilly Meachem received the Memorial Cross.
[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]
Son of Moe and Lily Meachem, of London; husband of Olive Meachem, of Montreal
Version: 4 Last modified: 2026-09-19 19:18:47
by: marc
