Goodman, Charles: my Army recollections (December 1, 1979, and January 16, 1980)
ABSTRACT: Maj. Charles Elsworth Goodman The Saint John Fusiliers (M.G.) South Saskatchewan Regiment Royal 22e Regiment Goodman_C_0172_01.mp3 (Reel 1, Side 1) Born on Feb. 5, 1926 in Montreal. Always keen to be a soldier and, after several years as a high school cadet, joined a militia signal company in Saint John, N.B. Claiming to be of age he answered a call for signallers by the Saint John Fusiliers and found himself transported to Nanaimo Military Camp in Dec. 1942. Very little signal equipment; what was available was obsolete. Moved to Patricia Bay and then to New Westminster where they were very comfortable. Further postings to Prince George and Vernon where he transferred to the Rocky Mountain Rangers. Overseas as a reinforcement, posted to the South Saskatchewan Regiment. Moved to Normandy in July 1944 as a reinforcement for the regiment, through Caen to Ifs. Goodman_C_0172_02.mp3 Night patrols; describes the sounds of battle and the general experiences of a rifleman in action. Method of moving into battle. Moved to Rocquancourt, then to Falaise where they "mouse-holed" house to house. Recounts terrific slaughter in the Falaise gap. Description of bombing attack by friendly aircraft. Pockets of serious fighting at the River Seine. (90:00) Goodman_C_0172_03.mp3 (Reel 1, Side 2) His company reduced to fourteen men at the Seine. Became company signaller and carried a radio for the remainder of the war. Liberation of Rouen. Dieppe and the parade of the 2nd Canadian Division through town. Channel ports. Close calls with enemy mines. (30:00) Company headquarters nearly wiped out. Goodman drove off an enemy tank with a PIAT at the Antwerp-Turnhout Canal. (45:00) Goodman_C_0172_04.mp3 Many small battles as they moved through Belgium and into Holland. Very close fighting during a German counterattack. Moved toward the Scheldt where he was wounded in the leg by shellfire. Unauthorized return to his unit. Nijmegen, a cold, miserable winter. Reichswald Forest. Liberated a concentration camp transit camp in Holland. Suffering from general fatigue, he was transferred to the carrier platoon. His carrier was mined, but luckily he was uninjured. Remembers a feeling of "letdown" when the war ended. (48:00) Goodman_C_0172_05.mp3 (Reel 2, Side 1) Immediate postwar activities in Holland. Joined the Occupation Force as a member of the North Shore Regiment commanded by Bucko Watson. Moved to Wilhelmshaven to guard naval vessels. (Note incorrect warship type reference to the heavy cruiser, Prinz Eugen.) Guard duty and identity checks of Germans. Non-fraternization policy. (25:00) Leave in various European centres. In late Apr. 1946 the battalion returned to Canada. Transferred to the 7th District Signal Company at Saint John, N.B. Parachute training. (45:00) Goodman_C_0172_06.mp3 Commissioned as a second lieutenant and posted to the Royal 22e Regiment, although he did not speak French. Sent to Laval University to learn. Before he finished the course he was posted to the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment in Korea. With some apprehension he found himself in the front lines again. Posted to the mortar platoon, then second-in-command of A Company. Main activity involved night patrols, very hard on the nerves of junior N.C.O.'s and officers. The Chinese were similarly engaged and were excellent at fieldcraft. Explains booby traps made by his platoon. Describes Chinese attacks. Shellfire relatively light compared to World War II. When unit returned to Canada he was appointed the junior liaison officer at Commonwealth Division Headquarters. An excellent learning position. Comments on the diversity of the headquarters staff. Returned to action with the 1st Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment as a platoon commander in C Company. Good soldiers, same routine. (45:00)
Rank: Major.
An interview/narrative of Charles Goodman's experiences during World War II and the Korean War. Major Goodman served with the Saint John Fusiliers (M.G.), South Saskatchewan Regiment and the Royal 22e Regiment. Interview took place on December 1 and 5, 1979 and January 16, 1980.
Interviewer: Gantzer, David
Interviewee: Goodman, Charles, b. 1926
- In Collection:
- 6 sound recordings (MP3)
- 45.50884, -73.58781
- Two original sound tape reels (ca. 270 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 2 sound cassette copies : standard, mono. in Special Collections.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- GCE_172
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds
- January 13, 2010
- Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 44 kHz. In .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 24 kHz. Digitized by JF, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Transferred from audio reel to audio cassette between 1987-1997. Interview migrated to digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2010. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
- Rights
- This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
- DOI
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