Service Highlights
- Service Number: 648153
- Born August 8, 1894 in Toronto, Ontario.
- Son of the Charlton family of Miller Hill P.O., Muskoka, Ontario. His father is listed as James Charlton in military records.
- Attested at North Bay, Ontario on January 27, 1916.
- PreWar Work: as labourer,
- Religion; Church of England.
- Served with the 122nd Overseas Battalion, CEF, a Muskoka unit recruited for overseas service.
- Sailed from Halifax on May 28, 1917 On the SS Olympic
- Landed in France on June 28, 1917.
- Later served with the Canadian Forestry Corps in France.
- Discharged on March 24, 1919 at Toronto, Ontario, on demobilization.
- Married Delcie Maud Rhyness in Huntsville, Ontario on October 25, 1921.
- Father of Ruth Watson, Ted Charlton, Iona Charlton, Barbara O’Neill, and Bruce Charlton.
- Died April 11, 1957 in Toronto, Ontario.
- Commemorated by family through the St. Marys Legion Veterans Banner Program.
A Life and Service Remembered
Thomas Edward Charlton was one of many young Ontario men who stepped forward during the First World War and left behind work, family, and familiar places to serve overseas. Born in Toronto and later connected to the Muskoka district, he enlisted in early 1916 and entered a war that would carry him far from home.
Charlton served with the 122nd Overseas Battalion, a Muskoka battalion raised for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He Sailed from Halifax on May 28, 1917 on the SS Olympic and arrived in Liverpool on June 10, 1917. Like many battalions of that period, the 122nd did not remain intact when they were at the front, and its men were redirected where they were most needed. In Charlton’s case, his records show later service with the Canadian Forestry Corps in France
That work was not always as visible as front line infantry service, but it mattered deeply. Forestry units provided timber for trenches, roads, rail lines, dugouts, and other essential wartime construction. It was demanding labour carried out in difficult conditions, and it formed part of the vast effort that kept the Allied armies moving. Charlton’s background as a labourer would have made him well suited to that kind of service.
He returned home after the war and was discharged in March 1919. His story reflects a kind of service that could easily be overlooked, steady, practical, and essential. Today, Thomas Edward Charlton is remembered by his family in the St. Marys Legion banner program.
Major Battles and Operations
- Overseas service with the 122nd Overseas Battalion, CEF
- Service in France beginning June 28, 1917
- Wartime support operations with the Canadian Forestry Corps
- Timber production for military needs including trenches, railways, roads, and dugouts
Learn More
Canadian Great War Project
https://canadiangreatwarproject.com/person.php?pid=95271
122nd Battalion nominal roll / reference PDF
http://lindsaylegion.com/reference/muster/data/Infantry%201%20to%20125/122nd%20Battalion.pdf