Charles Tolmie was born in Scone on 14th February, 1890, the second child of Alexander Tolmie, manager of Scone Branch of Perth Co-operative Society, and Marion Johnston, his wife. Along with his sisters Mary and Margaret the Tolmie family lived on Perth Road, Scone. Charles and his sisters were educated at Scone Public School and Perth Academy.

Charles was employed as a clerk by the General Accident Insurance Company, Perth before he emigrated to Canada in 1912, where he was engaged in fruit farming. He later obtained an appointment as a draughtsman with the Niagara Engineering Company. 

Charles enlisted in Canada in 1915 with the 19th (Lincoln) Regiment, describing himself as a Carpenter, and embarked for France on 11th February 1915, where he was attached to the 4/1st Trench Mortar Battery, 19th Canadian Battalion.

The first Battle of Ypres in 1915 was the first engagement of Canadian forces in the Great War; it changed the Canadian perspective on war with the exposure to the horrors of modern warfare, including the terrors of gas.

There is no definitive record of where and how Charles was killed, however, records show that at the beginning of June the Canadian Corps were in the Ypres Salient, holding an arc of the front that stretched from St Eloi on the right to the village of Hooge on the left. On the left, the 3rd Division held the only part of the Ypres Salient still in Allied hands. Early on 14th June counter-attacks took place on Mount Sorrel, but they failed. The sector then settled down into the stalemate of static warfare. 

It is likely that Charles Tolmie lost his life, during these counter-attacks. He was killed on 24th June 1915, aged 25.

SCONE REMEMBERS MEMORIAL WALK

Charles Tolmie is remembered on the memorial sound walk around his home village of Scone, near Perth. His story is read by Allie MacLeod of the Perth Academy “Flowers of the Forest” project.