Charlesworth, Kenneth Edgar (Oral history)

British private served with General Service Corps in GB, 1942- 1943; private and NCO served with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Italy, Middle East and Austria, 1943-1946; NCO served with British Element, Allied Commission for Austria in Vienna, 1946

REEL 1 Background in Langwith, GB, 1923-1942: family; education; work on farm including learning about facts of life; reason for wanting to become estate agents; course taken in Mansfield; awareness of events in Europe; cricket; effect of war on work; joining of Home Guard; details of unit; guard duties; rifle issued; learning to drill; instructor; further details of guard duties; story of air raid; drill training in Welbeck; opinion of training; father's service in First World War; reaction to call-up and attitude toward war; advice from father; posting to Beverley Barracks; reaction of mother to call-up; last words from father. Aspects of period as private with General Service Corps in GB, 2/1942-9/1943: journey to Beverley; details of unit; reception on arrival; issue of army number; issue of uniform and kit. REEL 2 Continues: talk from Sergeant MacFarlane including opinion of NCOs; army language; description of barrack room; opinion of rations; inoculations and cleaning of room; army haircut; use of Private Cook as butt of NCOs jokes and resulting comradeship among recruits; memories of Dave Brown; morning procedures; march to and serving of breakfast; company and platoon numbers; breakfast; company commander's parade; physical training and building up of body including boxing including opinion of it; weapons theory training; opinion of Boys anti-tank rifle; grenade training; NAAFI break; lunch; details of field craft training including story of question from Major Braten; route marches and care of feet. REEL 3 Continues: formation of route marches; songs sung during route marches; tea; cleaning of kit; preparation for kit inspection; visits to NAAFI including details of pay; sports; visits into Beverley; meeting and courting of wife including competition from Dave Brown; relationship with civilians and dances in barracks; drill; church parades and memories of Regiment Sergeant Major Tweddle; story of a parade practice; learning to fire rifle; proficiency with rifle and bren; firing of rifle. REEL 4 Continues: opinion of bren gun; cleaning of weapons; rifle inspections; grenade training; mortar instruction; firing of Boys anti-tank rifle; training with Thompson Submachine Gun; knowledge of older machine guns; passing out parade and work of NCOs and officers at Beverley; posting as acting unpaid lance corporal; accommodation; number of recruits posted to Beverley; interview with War Office Selection Board at Catterick; recruits who passed board; reactions to failure; training of recruits with Sergeant MacFarlane including man picked out for bullying; description of bayonet training including opinion of bayonet use; changes to program while instructor; opinion and effects of changes. REEL 5 Continues: story of recruit refusing to wear uniform; impressions of detention centre; quality of recruits; relationship with recruits; opinion of sergeant in final platoon; details of other NCOs at Beverley; further details of changes made to training; details of work with physical training squad; details of own progression while instructor; opinion of posting; story of planned gas attack on camp; gas training; story of Major Brady's visit to the sergeants mess; opinion of Major Brady; jankers duties; news of camp's closure and choice of posting; journey to Great Yarmouth. Aspects of period as private with 70th (Young Soldiers) Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in GB, 9/1943-12/1943: removal of stripes on arrival; engagement. REEL 6 Continues: infantry training on beach; background of recruits; opinion of NCO instructors; route marches; morale; description of assault course including problems with claustrophobia; field training; opinion of training; mail; problems with unit; accommodation; rations; opinion of posting; embarkation leave; news of posting on draft; journey to Cardiff; arrival in docks and boarding of ship. Aspects of voyage from Cardiff, GB, to Oran, Algeria, aboard the SS Largs Bay, 12/1943: details of ship; sleeping arrangements; embarkation; reactions to posting abroad; seasickness; breakfast; guard duties; route taken; story of storm during a guard duty; further details of sleeping arrangements; rations; arrival at and scenes in Oran harbour; Christmas 1943. Aspects of period in transit through North Africa and Italy, 12/1943-1/1944: first impressions of Oran; search for friends from Beverley; journey to transit camp; setting up of camp; climate and handing in of khaki drill; rain and morale; description and opinion of C rations. REEL 7 Continues: details of journey to Philippeville; organisation on arrival at transit camp; training received; boarding of LCIs; story of mutinous NCOs on LCI; voyage to Naples; impressions of Naples; reason for not being allowed in town; treatment of civilians; train journey to Nola; details of camp and rations; news of posting; exercise in tomato field; journey to join battalion. Aspects of operations as private with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Italy, 1/1944-2/1944: arrival at 2nd Echelon; reception from Lieutenant Colonel Welshman at Battalion Headquarters; allocation into 16 Platoon D Company; storage of kit at 2nd Echelon; terrain; arrival with company and reception from Major Williamson; arrival in and description of slit trench at Rocca d'Evandro; make-up of section; rations; details of first Stand To; story of Major Williamson's visit; subsequent shelling and search for shelter; reactions to shelling and search for lost rifle; walk to battalion headquarters in dark; interview with Regiment Sergeant Major and its effects on ambition. REEL 8 Continues: return to company; story of attempt to meet Germans with Lance Corporal Richardson; morale and relationship with section troops; description of new position taken and duties including memories of Sergeant Smith; details of ration party duties; issue of new rifle; relief from American troops; posting to bren gun crew and carrying of ammunition; attitude to situation; formation of march to rest camp; description of sound made by minenwerfers; state of railways; physical state of troops; wash at rest camp; issue of new kit; breakfast; time in rest camp; entertainments; details of rest camp; issue of bren gun and No 2; refusal of request to fire and possible problems with bren; memories of his No 2 Private Jack Swan and formation of comradeship at camp. REEL 9 Continues: story of a battle patrol at Rocca d'Evandro; reactions to situation; length of stay at rest camp; journey to and across the Garigliano; positions taken; selection and preparations for patrol; march forward making noise; reaction of Germans and noting of positions; return to positions; reaction to seeing first casualty; knowledge of mines; story of pig captured and killed for dinner; story of patrol near German lines; move into mountains and climate; description of positions built; position taken over Castel Forte; attack on German column; methods of keeping warm and problems with rainwater; supply of rations; German habits and shelling of rum mule; issue of rum ration; activities at position; arrival and role near Serasolla; position taken as bren gunner; allocation of Private Copestake as No 2; advice given about position. REEL 10 Continues: scenes from position; reason for not sending message back; challenge of approaching troops and attempt to fire on them; firing of rifle shots and resulting activity; interview with Sergeant Smith; shelling from Germans; later trouble over situation; later talk with Private Copestake; opinion of probable actions of Private Swan; relief from Leicestershire Regiment; discovery of bren gun's fault; positions dug at Serasolla; German counter attack on previous position; memories of Guards Lieutenant Colonel and Guards attack; reaction to withdrawal of Guards; period in position; details of march to Naples; knowledge of destination; issue of new bren gun; voyage to Egypt. Aspects of period as private with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Middle East, 2/1944-8/1944: train journey to Qassassin; reaction to situation; climate and details of cinema; mail and reaction to news of fiancée volunteering for Middle East; route marches and reinforcements; contact with civilians. REEL 11 Continues: stories from leave in Cairo; train journey to Palestine including grapefruit taken from orchards; arrival and swimming in Nathania; relationship with Jewish civilians; reinforcements; care taken against rifle theft; story of Guards officer's attempt to take rifles; further memories of the Guards officer; opinions of officers; opinion of Sergeant Smith; memories of Corporal Richardson; change in troops receiving Dear John letters; memories of Corporal Phipps; posting to Haifa; accommodation; situation in Haifa; details of patrols; story of incident involving Private Swan in a bar; problems with new boots; story of kit inspection; damage to feet from forced march to Dead Sea; training in hills and knowledge of return to Italy; posting in Beirut; story of firing a tank gun; reasons for not wanting to be in a tank; training with tanks. REEL 12 Continues: story of visit to barbers in Damascus and charge for being improperly dressed; punishment later written on charge sheets; opinion of military police; contact with civilians; return journey to Italy; reactions to return. Aspects of operations as private with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Italy, 8/1944: journey from Naples to Gothic Line; camouflage of camp and hiding tracks; briefing for coming attack and improvement in morale; American bombing of Canadian 1st Division; crossing of River Metauro; advance beyond river; clearance of Germans from a house; wounding during return to company; description of wound; evacuation and opinion of German artillery. Aspects of hospitalisation in Italy, 8/1944-1/1945: treatment received in forward dressing station; talk with padre; organisation at field hospital; treatment; boarding of hospital ship at Rimini; description of ship; details of Taranto General Hospital; scenes in initial room; problems with wound; journey to Caserta; accusation of malingering from doctor and reaction; test and operation; period while semi-conscious; transfer to convalescent camp at Nola. REEL 13 Continues: memories of Royal Tank Regiment corporal and visits to Naples; working out odds for horse racing game and money made; description of game; visits to opera; story of meeting Field Marshal Alexander in Naples NAAFI; fitness training; own progress; transfer to No 1 IRTD. Aspects of period as private with No 1 Infantry Reinforcement Training Depot in Italy, 1/1945-5/1945: description of depot; organisation of training; discipline; visit to dentist; posting to 1st Battalion Loyal North Lancashire; reaction to posting; discovery of 2/5th Battalion's whereabouts; journey to battalion and knowledge of risks. Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Italy, Italy, 5/1945: reception on arrival in D Company Headquarters; changes in 16 Platoon and reaction; death of Jack Swan; reception from new troops; appearance of name on battalion orders; reactions to seeing action again; memories of German POW Camp; guard duties at camp; concern about being killed close to end; reactions at end of war; journey into Austria including scenes in Alps. Aspects of period as private and NCO with Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Austria, 5/1945-3/1946: first activity on arrival; difference between civilians in Italy and Austria. REEL 14 Continues: contact with German troops; arrival in Judenburg; posting as company and then battalion clerk; setting up of orderly room in bank including first try of schnapps; duties as clerk; spread and activities of battalion; story of patrol searching for Nazis; accommodation; non- fraternisation order; withdrawal of Russians and reception from civilians; guard duties on River Mürz; impression of Russian troops; accommodation and orderly room in Leibnitz; duties relating to release documents; first troops to leave; promotions up to sergeant; arrival of Sergeant "Smudger" Smith in orderly room; details of messes; story of company sports day; memories of adjutant and Colonel Welshman; arrival of battalion orders; opinion of work as clerk; memories of Sergeant "Smudger" Smith and Provost Sergeant; typing proficiency; details of corporals mess; attitude toward demobilisation; leave in GB and marriage; suspension of battalion; posting received; journey to Vienna in commandeered Volkswagen. REEL 15 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with British Element, Allied Commission for Austria in Vienna, 3/1946-9/1946: accommodation; journey to work at Schönbrunn Palace; duties sorting files including staff under him and contents of files; offer from Lietenant Colonel Cook to stay on; secrecy of files; leisure activities; description of a Quadripartite Parade including reaction of civilians to The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; return journey to GB; demobilisation at Aldershot; gratuity; civilian work; lasting effects of war; discussion on decision to leave army.