Framed Colour Portrait Photograph of D-Day Veteran Charles E...

1/2

Hammer

£45

Fees

Framed Colour Portrait Photograph of D-Day Veteran Charles Eagle. Overall size including frame 76cm x 56cm. This is his story
"I was made sergeant on my 19th birthday, the day I became a man. We entered a large cornfield. As the lads waded waist high through the corn all hell let loose. Snipers, mortars and withering fire from both sides from machine guns that cut through the corn like an invisible scythe. Men were falling all around. I jumped out of the bren gun carrier and ran alongside. Wasn’t sure why but I felt very uneasy, sixth sense perhaps! A couple of minutes later it was hit by mortar fire and the young driver killed.

We were under orders to not stop for anyone and we kept advancing. Some of the injured were screaming and some men silently pleaded for help as they lay helpless in pain. I must confess that these awful sights and sounds have never left me.

We reached a ditch and when I looked up a figure filled the sky. It was a German Major pointing his pistol at us. In perfect English, (we later discovered he was Oxbridge educated!) he said ‘Young man, don’t do anything stupid and it will be alright’ We were surrounded by German soldiers pointing their rifles at us and we surrendered. They took us to some nearby woods. They treated us well and were quite friendly chatting away to us. Only a short time ago we had been trying to kill each other and now one of our lads was passing boiled sweets around. Then the cigarettes were handed around. The Germans clearly preferred British tobacco to their own! The next day, the Major presented me with his pistol and explained that they were now surrounded by allied forces and were now our prisoners. We marched back over a hundred German to our lines and yelled. “Hold your fire. Make way for the Durham Lights” . “YOU COULD BE BLOODY GERMANS” came the shout with a thick Scottish brogue. “Don’t be so bloody daft Jock, get an officer down here” I replied. After a few heart pounding moments, because everyone was on edge, a lieutenant appeared".