True and Fascinating Canadian History
Vet of the Month: February, 2015
Reg.#9520, Corporal Charles George Fairman
Charles G. Fairman was born in England on November 12th 1895. He served six years in the Royal Army Service Corps and he was a Veteran of the British Expeditionary Force (B. E. F.) during WWI.
George Fairman joined the RCMP at Regina, SK., on October 9, 1920. A good man with horses, George would later become the Assistant Riding Instructor for the Force at 'Depot' for over four years.
In the summer of 1924 George was transferred to Ellesmere Island and served there for three years. He took his discharge from the RCMP at Ottawa ON, on Oct 8 1927, and he returned to England to visit his family.
George returned once again to Canada and he re-engaged in the RCMP at Ottawa on April 25, 1930. The following year, he accompanied the R.C.M.P. Musical Ride to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Over the years, he was highly regarded and extremely dependable. He attended No. 1 Police Training Class which commenced at Regina in 1931, after completing over 15 years of "exemplary service".
On March 2, 1935, George married Miss Jean Craig Hynd at Vancouver, BC. However, he was afflicted with Bright's disease and he succumbed to it's affects at St Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON on October 30, 1942 at the age of 45 years. At the time of his death he was employed by the British Security Service at Hamilton ON.
He was survived by his widow; one daughter, Barbara, at home; his parents, two sisters and three brothers, all of England. Attending his funeral in Review Order as Pall Bearers were six members of Toronto RCMP Headquarters, "O" Division.
George Fairman served from October 9th 1920, to October 27, 1938 in 'G' Division, then at 'Depot' Division in Regina, SK., as an Assistant Riding Instructor and then finally in 'A' Division. While in the North, he was one of the original members at Craig Harbour Detachment (1922 - 1923).
As I said earlier, in his role as the Assistant Riding Instructor, he toured Argentina with the RCMP Musical Ride in 1931. Then, while stationed in Vancouver in 1935, George was one of the 'background Mounties' in the long running and ever popular Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Hollywood movie (see photo immediate below) production of 'Rose Marie'.
In the photo above are: Seated WWI Sergeant Reg.#9261 John Rowland Paton. Standing left to right are: Reg.#6081, W. Carstairs, Reg.#10552 M. M. Carmichael & Reg.#9520 C. G. Fairman. Courtesy of Volunteer Mr. Casey Walker December 10, 2016
My sincere thanks to Ms. Winnifred Evans for her notes and for the obituary of Corporal Fairman. I also want to acknowledge the help with this piece by Sheldon Boles, Vets Vancouver, BC
The photos of George in the story are from the Vancouver BC Vet Ric Hall Collection. 2015
Corporal Fairman died at the age of 47 in October, 1942. He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Hamilton, ON
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
February 23, 2015
