Manchester Hill Resources
 

Charles Heaton - Oral History


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