Lieutenant-Colonel C.A. Baerman
7th Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Hussars)

As far as the regiment is concerned, I think I can justly claim that it has done a very fine job. That dash up the coast alone is an achievement of which any unit might well have been proud … I had taken over command in October, and in November we received our first rest–four days in Ghent. Then we took charge of the Nijmegen bridges, where we did a lot of damage to the Germans with the colossal fire power we had at hand.

(Montreal Star, 3 Sep 1945, 3)

Born on 21 March 1910 in Lambhill, Scotland, Charles Alexander Baerman, was a broker in Montreal. He had enlisted as a trooper in the 17th Duke of York’s Royal Canadian Hussars and served as sergeant-major since 1937. He received a commission in February 1940 and would be promoted again to captain by the time the now redesignated 7th Reconnaissance Regiment embarked for the United Kingdom in August 1941. He was promoted again to major the next year.

By 1944, Baerman served as second-in-command under Lieutenant-Colonel V.W. Hugman and then Lieutenant-Colonel T.C. Lewis, who took command in March. The regiment deployed to France in June 1944 and Baerman became acting commanding officer when Lewis was assigned to acting brigadier of 8th Infantry Brigade in October.

On 17th October, Lewis was reported missing in action and his body was found the next morning. Promoted to lieutenant-colonel, Baerman commanded the Hussars through the liberation of the Low Countries until after VE-Day. He earned the D.S.O. for his actions on 10 April 1945:  

Lieutenant-Colonel Baerman, from his Tactical Headquarters forward of Brigade Headquarters, took over the squadron, personally led it in by-passing the enemy strong point, took the strong point from the rear, wiped out the enemy with heavy casualties, and then resumed his overall command. The leadership and courage displayed by Lieutenant-Colonel Baerman throughout this series of actions have been outstanding.

He returned to Canada in July and welcomed the rest of the regiment home under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel W.C. Bowen in December.

Baerman died on 17 May 1996 in Montreal.