Charles Herman Macneil was born on 16 October, 1892, at Cape Breton, in Nova Scotia, Canada, the eleventh of fourteen children to Mr Malcolm Jeremiah Thomas Macneil, BA, JP, and Martha Marie Bissett Macneil (née Bissett), of River Bourgeois, in Nova Scotia. By the time World War One started he was a student-at-law, training to become a barrister at Winnipeg University. In 1915 he was living at 440 Victor Street, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and by 1916 resided at Suite 5, Waldorf Apartments, in Winnipeg.

One of his younger brothers, Colin Francis Alexander Macneil (1888), served as a Captain, with the Canadian Army Medical Corps. Charles Herman Macneil was unmarried.

Charles Herman Macneil's service record states that he had previously served with the 90th Winnipeg Rifles, but it does not state when, or in what capacity.

On 17 March, 1916, Charles Herman Macneil enlisted at Winnipeg, in Manitoba, in the 221st Battalion, Canadian Infantry, as a Private, No. 288098. After just one month's service, on 18 April, 1916, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant, and transferred to the 11th Reserve Battalion, Canadian Infantry. He was described as being: 5' 8" tall; with dark brown hair; blue eyes; a fair complexion; and a chest measurement of 34"/38". His religion was Roman Catholic.

One year later, on 18 April, 1917, he embarked at Halifax, in Nova Scotia, aboard SS Anconia, bound for England. On 28 June, 1917, he was transferred into the Manitoba Regimental Depot, for administrative duties, whilst he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps.

Charles Herman Macneil then underwent training to learn to fly, at the Grahame-White School, in Hendon, Middlesex, where, on 6 September, 1917, he qualified to fly on a Grahame-White Biplane. He was then issued with his Royal Aero Club certificate, No.5236.

Charles Herman Macneil was then posted to the Royal Flying Corps airfield at Thetford, in Norfolk. Whilst flying from there, on Saturday, 27 October, 1917, he was killed when his aircraft crashed at East Harling, in Norfolk. He was aged 25.

His death was reported on in The Diss Express, dated 2 November, 1917, "A verdict of accidental death was returned at a Norfolk village inquest on 30 October on the body of Lieut. C. H. McNeil (sic) of the Canadians, attached to the Royal Flying Corps, who was killed whilst flying a biplane."

His service qualified him for the British War Medal, which was sent to his father, together with a memorial plaque and memorial scroll. The Canadian Memorial Cross was sent to his mother.

Charles Herman Macneil was buried in Thetford Cemetery, in Norfolk, his grave marked by a private memorial in the form of a rough-hewn granite cross.

He is also commemorated on the River Bourgeois war memorial, in Nova Scotia, Canada, as well as in the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance.