Becoming Part of the British Forces

Heroes Remember

Becoming Part of the British Forces

Transcript

It was all volunteers, there was no conscription in Newfoundland. Well, all the boys were going and I said I wanted to go earlier but my parents said no, no, no, and so when I was eighteen I decided I was going to go. So I went in 1940. You had no choice of who or what. The Royal Navy had a recruiting office in Saint Johns, so did the army, so did the air force. But, in order to join the Canadian Navy we knew they were there, we knew they existed, you’d have to go pay your own way up to Halifax or up some place. And then if you got turned down, you had to pay your own way home again. So everybody joined right there, the British Forces.

Description

As a young man from Newfoundland, Mr. Starkes shares his reasons for joining up and the path he chose for himself.

Charles Starkes

Mr. Charles Starkes was born in Greenspond, Newfoundland May 24, 1922. Mr. Starkes joined the Royal Navy under the British Forces from his home province of Newfoundland. He trained as Torpedoman on board a British aircraft carrier and took on the roles and responsibilities of an electrician. Mr. Starkes was part of the D-Day invasion and holds great pride for the service he provided during this time 75 years ago. After the war, Mr. Starkes returned to Newfoundland and obtained a Master Electrician license and worked in that field until retirement. Mr. Starkes now resides in Saint John’s, NL with his family.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Recorded:: June 4, 2019
Duration:: 1:13
Person Interviewed:: Charles Starkes
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: France
Battle/Campaign:: D-Day
Branch:: Navy
Rank:: Torpedo Man

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Date modified:: 2019-04-03