Charles Westcott

Charlie near Alamein - CopyCHARLES WESTCOTT was a sapper in the Royal Engineers, laying and clearing mines.  At the 2nd Battle of Alamein he was responsible for clearing the path for the tanks to break out.  In 2012 he visited the battlefield again for the first time in seventy years.

Charlie recalls being caught between the deafening barrage of the opening night of the battle and the German counter-attack.  He lost a lot of pals, including his friend, Muschamp, who was running beside him.

Charlie, along with other veterans, reads extracts from the poem, ‘In the Desert Today.’  The desert was known for mirages and tricking people into seeing things that were not there.
This poem talks about the things that were to be seen, both its natural beauty
and the horrors of warfare.

Click here to read ‘In the Desert Today.’

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