Camera Workers, 1858-1950

The British Columbia, Alaska and Yukon Photographic Directory, 1858-1950

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Charnell, William Arthur[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Male 1917 - 2001  (84 years)


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  • Name Charnell, William Arthur 
    • VARIANT NAMES: Charnell, W. Arthur; Charnell, William A.
    Nickname Art 
    Birth 14 Apr 1917  Weyburn, SK Find all individuals with events at this location  [6, 7, 8] 
    Gender Male 
    Marriage 22 Sep 1945  Vancouver, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Bride: Muriel Ruther Van Gorder 
    Business Address/Year 1948-1950  Port Alberni, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Continued past 1950 
    Address:
    124 3rd Ave. South
    Charnell Studios Ltd.
    Port Alberni, BC
    Canada 
    Death 12 May 2001  North Vancouver, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [7, 8] 
    Association Charnell Studios Ltd. (Relationship: Director; President) 
    Person ID I2261  Camera Workers | C, vol. 2, 1901-1950
    Last Modified 4 Sep 2021 

  • Notes 
    • STATUS: Commercial.
    • BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: According to records' descriptions at the Canadian War Museum

      Lance Corporal William Arthur Charnell enlisted with the South Saskatchewan Regiment and moved with A company to Toronto in December 1940. In 1942 he transferred to B Company. The regiment participated in the raid on Dieppe and also landed in Normandy on 8 July 1944 as a unit of the 6th Infantry Brigade. Charnell also conducted work with the C INT C as part of the 1st Canadian A.P.I.S. (Army Photographic Interpretation Section) attached to 35 Wing R.A.F. He was awarded a certificate of appreciation by Field Marshall B.H. Montgomery on 31 October 1944. The certificate was awarded for a photo interpretation process that Charnell and a partner developed, a process that succeeded in significantly reducing the time it would normally take to interpret the photo-reconnaissance of military targets in bombing raids over German occupied Western Europe.

      According to his widow's obituary, they moved to Port Alberni after World War Two and spent five years there. He is first listed in the 1948 business directory as a director of Charnell Studios. After Port Alberni he "reentered the RCAF as an aerial photographer."

  • Sources 
    1. [S715] SUN47, (Vancouver: Sun Directories, 1947).
      Port Alberni: not listed

    2. [S780] SUN48, (Vancouver: Sun Directories, 1948).
      Port Alberni: Charnell Wm A dir Charnell Studios r 107 14th Av S

    3. [S992] BCVIC50, (Vancouver, BC: B.C. Directories, 1950), 312.
      Port Alberni: Charnell W Arth dir Charnell Studios r 107 S 14

    4. [S1104] BCVIC52, (Vancouver: B.C. Directories, 1952), 954.
      Port Alberni: Charnell W Arth pres Charnell Studios h 105 S 14

    5. [S935] Times-Colonist.
      Muriel Ruth Charnell [obituary]
      URL (accessed 4 Sep 2021): https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timescolonist/obituary.aspx?n=muriel-ruth-charnell&pid=193151939

    6. [S670] BVIPA marriage registration.
      Registration no. 1945-09-592895; digital facsimile URL (accessed 4 Sep 2021): http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/a1308250-c9d7-4f22-a0bb-3ffaf720590c

    7. [S651] (Vancouver) Sun (Newspaper), 18 May 2001, 80.
      "Charnell William Arthur (Art)"
      Obit.

    8. [S1141] COLLECTION: OOCWM.
      Charnell, William Arthur, Lance Corporal, 1917-2001
      Various archival records descriptions