​​​​The fighting for Rorichum took place on the morning of 3 May 1945, during a crucial advance by the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders. The German forces launched a determined counterattack, sending about 100 soldiers to reclaim the village, which was being held by A and C Companies of the Highlanders.

​At around 05:00, Private Mathews and his section noticed the German advance, covered by intense artillery fire. The enemy attempted to storm the section's position in the first house of the village by charging across an open field. Quick-thinking and resolute, Private Mathews organised his defense, and his section halted the enemy advance with effective machine gun fire, forcing the German troops to withdraw, leaving many dead or wounded on the ground.

​However, the action did not end there. A few minutes later, Private Mathews observed a German officer leading a small group of soldiers along a deep ditch to the left flank of his position. The ditch was outside the effective range of their weapons, and Mathews knew they would be vulnerable if the enemy advanced undetected. Without hesitation, he left the relative safety of his cover and sprinted across a wide road toward the ditch, all while coming under heavy fire.

​Despite the danger, Mathews reached the ditch and immediately engaged the enemy at close range. He killed the German officer and wounded several of the other soldiers. The rest of the enemy, demoralised by this bold action, withdrew. In total, nine German soldiers were killed, several were wounded, and 20 were taken prisoner.

​For his extraordinary courage and quick thinking in the face of danger, Private Mathews was nominated for the Military Medal. His heroic actions helped ensure the success of the Canadian forces in the final stages of the war, just days before the official surrender of Germany.

​By 20:35 on the evening of 4 May 1945, news of the unconditional surrender reached the Canadian Army when a broadcast from the BBC confirmed the end of the conflict. This momentous event came shortly after an official signal from the 21st Army Group, marking the final chapter of the war in Europe.