Charles
was born in Yorkshire in 1913. His father was killed during the 1914/8 War
so Charles would hardly have known him. In the 1930's jobs were hard
to find, so he joined the Army in the King's Own Hussars Regiment at
York Barracks in 1933, at the age of twenty. He became a skilled
rider and loved the horses. However, the Regiment parted from their
horses when they became mechanised before the War.
Charles was
first sent to Norway in 1940, but his ship was bombed and sunk and
the men had to be rescued by destroyer and landed in the Lofoten
Islands. At the end of the unsuccessful Norway Campaign Charles was
amongst those safely evacuated.
He next
fought in North africa, in tanks, then volunteered for the Long
Range Desert Group, which was the origin of SAS, training for which,
included parachuting and he then served with 'L' Troop LRDG.
He served
with tanks at El Alamein and throughout the subsequent pursuit to
the border of Tunisia and later, in Italy, where he saved the life
of an American Officer, under fire and was himself badly wounded. He
was awarded the Military Medal for his courage in action.
Charles
subsequently continued on active service in Cyprus, Egypt , Syria
and Palestine, before further parachute training, in preparation for
the invasion of Japan. He then finished his service, as RQMS,
at Chertsey.
Sadly,
Charles is now deceased.
R.I.P.
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