Who was Charlie Hutchison?

Early life

Charles William Duncan Hutchison (1918–1993),  known to the world as Charlie Hutchison, was a Black-British man born in the village of Eynsham near Oxford, to a British mother and a Ghanaian father. His upbringing was extremely difficult, having been taken into foster care at age 3 before spending his early teenage years in an orphanage. Outraged by the poverty that his family had suffered and threatened by the rise of fascist street movements across Britain during the 1930s, Charlie became involved in anti-fascist and working class political activism.

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Spanish Civil War

Following the start of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) which saw a fascist uprising backed by Hitler and Mussolini, Charlie Hutchison was one of the 2,500 British & Irish volunteers who travelled to Spain to fight against fascism. Using his training as a soldier in Britain's Territorial Army, Charlie made history as the only known Black-British volunteer to fight in the Spanish Civil War. He was also among the youngest volunteers, one of the earliest to arrive from Britain, and one the longest serving. He survived frostbite, multiple shrapnel wounds, and even a battle in which half of the men that fought alongside him were killed. Not only did he save countless lives as an ambulance driver but he also received overwhelming praise from his commanders and fellow soldiers, Charlie was also the target of a smear campaign by Britain's Daily Mail newspaper. After the war he returned to England to work as a lorry driver.

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Second World War

Come WWII, Charlie joined the British Army and served from 1940 to 1946. He assisted anti-aircraft specialists in the British channel during the Dunkirk Evacuation, and was once arrested for stealing clothes and giving them to refugees whose homes were destroyed in the Blitz. He spent time in India, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, before taking part in the liberation of France, Belgium, and the allied invasion of Germany. In 1945 Charlie was a member of a unit which delivered life-saving supplies to the sick and starving survivors of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

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Later life

Having experienced almost a decade of bloodshed across the globe, Charlie left the military in 1946 and went onto live a long and happy life in South England. He married the love of his life and had three children, supporting his new family using the engineering skills he had learnt during wartime. Using his newfound financial stability, Charlie bought a home and cared for foster children with his wife. He passed away in 1993, leaving behind many children and grandchildren who lovingly remembered him.

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Rediscovery

Charlie was a humble man who never fully opened up and shared his wartime experiences. As a result his existence was almost entirely forgotten until his achievements in Spain were uncovered by historian Richard Baxell. This led to a project of rediscovery headed by London school children of NewVic College. The details of his life were then painstakingly pieced together by historians using letters, newspapers, photographs, military and government records, and interviews with his relatives. The exact details of his life are still being researched, with new discoveries being made frequently.