From the Imperial War
Museum - Sound Archives
A recording was made in 1986
of Charles Heaton #6254, a former
British private from 2nd Platoon, A Company who served with 16th Battalion,
Manchester Regiment on the Western Front, 1914-1918; and was captured and
became a POW (Prisoner of War) in Germany, 1918 .
Charles Heaton was born in
Openshaw, Manchester in 1895. Listen carefully to his story as his manner of
speech. His expressions may somewhat different than you are used to hearing
today.
Of particular interest is
Reel 4 (#4/6) where Charles Heaton describes:
..the
German assault on Manchester Hill, St Quentin, France, 21/3/1918; ordered
not to retreat; evacuation of wounded; description of grenade landing in
trench; bringing in wounded; description of attack on German transport
column; story of being taken prisoner. 21/3/1918. Aspects of period as POW
in Belgium and Germany, 3/-11/1918: marched into Belgium; opinion of
treatment and description of conditions; memory of soup kitchen; taken to
POW camp in Germany; story of German money; description of living conditions
in camps; nature of work in kitchen; question of smuggling food out of
kitchen; description of work on building site; story of potatoes; memory of
Italian POWs.
Reel 1
Reel 2
Reel 3
Reel 4
Reel 5
Reel 6
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