Charles H. Belzile
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General
Charles H. Belzile, CM
, CMM
, CD
(born March 12, 1933) was a Canadian
soldier
and a former head of the Canadian Army
. He is an honorary member of the Royal Military College of Canada
student #H22547.
, Quebec
, Belzile graduated from the Université de Montréal
in 1953.
in 1951. He was then assigned as a platoon commander in Korea
. Upon his return from the Korean theatre, he assumed a number of staff and command positions including that of Adjutant
with 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and staff officer at Quebec Command Headquarters
in Montreal
.
In 1968 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel and appointed Commanding Officer
, Royal 22e Régiment
in Valcartier
. In 1972, he was appointed Commander
, Combat Arms School, at CFB Gagetown
, New Brunswick
as a colonel
. He was later appointed to several high-profile positions in Canada and abroad. He commanded 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
in the former Federal Republic of Germany as a brigadier-general. As brigadier general he was Senior Canadian Officer at Headquarters, Central Army Group (CENTAG) in Hammonds Barracks, Seckenheim, Germany. As major-general in 1977 he took command of Canadian Forces Europe. In 1981 he was promoted lieutenant-general and appointed Commander, Mobile Command
, the title under which the army was known at that time. He retired from active duty in 1986.
, from 1987 to 1992. Since 1992 he has been President of CH Belzile Consultants. In 1994 he became part of a team on a study to improve the efficiency of the Irish Defence Forces. He served on the Special Commission on the Restructuring of the Canadian Forces Reserves. He was a member of the Special Advisory Group on Military Justice and Military Police Investigation Services. He was appointed Colonel Commandant
of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets
from 1993 to 1998. In 1998, he was appointed head of the Military Police Services Review Group. He has served as president of the Canadian Battle of Normandy Foundation (now the Canadian Battlefields Foundation), President of the Conference of Defence Associations and as a member of the Canadian War Museum
Advisory Council.
. He has also been made a Commander of the Order of Military Merit
. He was a recipient of the Vimy Award
, which recognizes a Canadian who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the defence and security of the nation and the preservation of our democratic values.
On 24 November 2001, he was appointed Honorary Grand President of The Royal Canadian Legion
. He is a recipient of the French Légion d’Honneur.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Charles H. Belzile, CM
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, CMM
Order of Military Merit (Canada)
The Order of Military Merit is a military honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest order administered by the Governor General-in-Council, on behalf of the Queen of Canada...
, CD
Canadian Forces Decoration
The Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...
(born March 12, 1933) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
and a former head of the Canadian Army
Canadian Forces Land Force Command
The Canadian Army , previously called Land Force Command, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of the Army is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers...
. He is an honorary member of the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
student #H22547.
Education
Born in Trois-PistolesTrois-Pistoles, Quebec
Trois-Pistoles is a town in and the seat of the Les Basques Regional County Municipality within the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec. It is also the county seat. The town is located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Belzile graduated from the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
in 1953.
Military career
Belzile was commissioned in The Queen's Own Rifles of CanadaThe Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a militia regiment within the Canadian Forces, based in Toronto, Ontario. The regiment is part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only Primary Reserve regiment in Canada to have a parachute role. The regiment consists of the reserve...
in 1951. He was then assigned as a platoon commander in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. Upon his return from the Korean theatre, he assumed a number of staff and command positions including that of Adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
with 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and staff officer at Quebec Command Headquarters
Land Force Quebec Area
Land Force Quebec Area is responsible for all Canadian army operations and administration in the region within the province of Quebec. LFQA is headquartered in Montreal.- Regular Force :* Land Force Quebec Area Training Centre - Courcelette...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
In 1968 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel and appointed Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
, Royal 22e Régiment
Royal 22e Régiment
The Royal 22nd Regiment is an infantry regiment and the most famous francophone organization of the Canadian Forces. The regiment comprises three Regular Force battalions, two Primary Reserve battalions, and a band, making it the largest regiment in the Canadian Army...
in Valcartier
CFB Valcartier
Canadian Forces Base Valcartier is a Canadian Forces Base located in the municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, approximately north of Quebec City...
. In 1972, he was appointed Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
, Combat Arms School, at CFB Gagetown
CFB Gagetown
Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, referred to as CFB Gagetown is a large Canadian Forces Base located in southwestern New Brunswick.- Construction of the base :...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
as a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. He was later appointed to several high-profile positions in Canada and abroad. He commanded 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group was a formation of the Canadian Army, then Mobile Command of the unified Canadian Forces. The formation served as the main forward deployed land element of Canada's armed forces, and was stationed in West Germany from 1957 until it was disbanded in...
in the former Federal Republic of Germany as a brigadier-general. As brigadier general he was Senior Canadian Officer at Headquarters, Central Army Group (CENTAG) in Hammonds Barracks, Seckenheim, Germany. As major-general in 1977 he took command of Canadian Forces Europe. In 1981 he was promoted lieutenant-general and appointed Commander, Mobile Command
Commander, Mobile Command
The Commander, Mobile Command was the head of the Canadian Forces Mobile Command, the former name for Canadian Forces Land Force Command. The appointment was entitled Chief of the General Staff until 1964 when the appointment became Commander, Mobile Command with the unification of Canada's...
, the title under which the army was known at that time. He retired from active duty in 1986.
Later career
Following his retirement from the military, he held a position of Vice-President with SNC Industrial Technologies of Le Gardeur, QuebecLe Gardeur, Quebec
Le Gardeur was a town in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the L'Assomption River in the Regional County Municipality of L'Assomption, and connected to Montreal by Route 138, Autoroute 40, and Via Rail on the Canadian National rail line....
, from 1987 to 1992. Since 1992 he has been President of CH Belzile Consultants. In 1994 he became part of a team on a study to improve the efficiency of the Irish Defence Forces. He served on the Special Commission on the Restructuring of the Canadian Forces Reserves. He was a member of the Special Advisory Group on Military Justice and Military Police Investigation Services. He was appointed Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets
Royal Canadian Army Cadets
The Royal Canadian Army Cadets is a Canadian national youth program sponsored by the Canadian Forces and the civilian Army Cadet League of Canada. Administered by the Canadian Forces, the program is funded through the Department of National Defence with the civilian partner providing support in...
from 1993 to 1998. In 1998, he was appointed head of the Military Police Services Review Group. He has served as president of the Canadian Battle of Normandy Foundation (now the Canadian Battlefields Foundation), President of the Conference of Defence Associations and as a member of the Canadian War Museum
Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Located in Ottawa, Ontario, the museum covers all facets of Canada’s military past, from the first recorded instances of death by armed violence in Canadian history several thousand years ago to the country’s most recent...
Advisory Council.
Honours
In 2000, he was made a Member of the Order of CanadaOrder of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. He has also been made a Commander of the Order of Military Merit
Order of Military Merit (Canada)
The Order of Military Merit is a military honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest order administered by the Governor General-in-Council, on behalf of the Queen of Canada...
. He was a recipient of the Vimy Award
Vimy Award
The Vimy Award is an award presented by the Conference of Defence Associations Institute to the “Canadian who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the defence and security of and the preservation of democratic values". The award has been presented annually since 1991...
, which recognizes a Canadian who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the defence and security of the nation and the preservation of our democratic values.
On 24 November 2001, he was appointed Honorary Grand President of The Royal Canadian Legion
Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
. He is a recipient of the French Légion d’Honneur.