Charles Edwin ‘Ted’ Sale

Charles Edwin ‘Ted’ Sale, born 25th May, 1923 in Nuneaton, volunteered for the Royal Navy in early 1942 after deliberately getting sacked from his Reserved Occupation job at Alfred Herbert’s Ltd., Coventry.

Charles had previously attempted to join-up by lying about his age (then 17) in 1940. He signed-up as ‘HO’ (Hostilities Only) as a Telegraphist and passed all his training with flying colours. He was then based in North London before several drafts to sea on the Attacker-Class Escort Carrier, HMS Ravager and Tribal-Class Destroyer, HMS Ashanti.

Charles then volunteered for the Submarine Service and subsequently served on the U-Class Submarine, HMS Una, V-Class Submarine, HMS Virulent and finally, A-Class Submarine, HMS Alcide.

Charles served in Home waters, and many of the Oceans and Seas of the world, and was based in the UK, Malta, Greece, India and Ceylon (Sri-Lanka).

He remained in the Navy after the end of the war in September 1945, and in 1946 was assigned as Signalman to Admiral of the Fleet, Sir George Creasey, at HMS Dolphin (Fort Blockhouse) in Gosport, near Portsmouth.

He was awarded for service spanning many areas of conflict and received five, of a maximum six, campaign medals - the 1939-1945 Star, the Burma Star with ‘PACIFIC’ Clasp, the France & Germany Star with ‘ATLANTIC’ Clasp, and the War Medal 1939-1945.

Charles was off shift and at home in Nuneaton during the infamous night of 14/15th November 1940, when Coventry was very heavily bombed, but working on shift at Alfred Herbert’s Ltd. on April 8th 1941 when Coventry was again heavily bombed. During this air-raid he assisted with casualties, dousing of incendiary bombs and fire-fighting with the Alfred Herbert’s works Fire Brigade. He was very nearly killed or seriously wounded when an incendiary bomb exploded near to him – his colleague lost his legs as a result. Charles also assisted in unloading ambulances which were bringing the dead and injured to the Alfred Herbert’s First Aid Post on the factory site during the air raid, as the local and regional hospitals were overwhelmed and suffering from direct hits during this raid, and others.