Charles Christopher Fowkes

Who was Charles Christopher Fowkes?

Major-General Charles Christopher Fowkes, DSO was an officer in the British Army during World War II. His nickname was "Fluffy."

Brigadier Fowkes participated in the East African Campaign commanding 22nd East African Brigade, part of Lieutenant-General Alan Cunningham's force based in Kenya. In August 1941 he was placed in temporary command of the 12th African Division and was confirmed in the role the following month. In November he led his division, supported by Ethiopian patriot forces in the final action of the East African campaign, the capture of Gondar on 27 November.

After the campaign Fowkes remained in East Africa on garrison duties until April 1943 when he was appointed to command 11th Division. It had been felt by the British authorities that African soldiers would be well suited to jungle warfare and so the division was sent in June 1943 to Ceylon for training and then in June 1944 to Burma to join Indian XXXIII Corps and take part in the Burma Campaign. From then until December, fighting in horrendous terrain through the monsoon, the division fought in the notorious Kabaw Valley and cleared the west bank of the Chindwin river establishing three bridgeheads for Fourteenth Army on the other side. The division was then withdrawn to India to regroup and rest. Fowkes fell ill and was sent on leave at the end of 1944 to recuperate. Neither the division nor Fowkes saw any further action during the war and Fowkes retired from the army shortly after the war ended.