The life of Charles Frederick Best MM

Charles Frederick Best was born on 26th July 1911 at 20 Cambridge Road, Eastbourne, the only son of Charles Thomas Best, a grocer's assistant and Ellen Pannell, although he did have half sisters as his father was a widower and had daughters from the previous marriage.

He was educated at Willowfield Central School in Eastbourne leaving in 1927 aged 16 getting a job in 1928 as a Draftsman at the Eastbourne Gas Company in Terminus Road, which subsequently became the South Eastern Gas Board.

Charles joined the 208th Company Royal Engineers Territorial Army at the Ordnance Yard, Eastbourne in 1928 serving with them for seven years. During this time he became a good small bore shot, being a member of the winning team in the Small Bore Branch of Sussex County Rifle Association competitions. They won the County League Division IV in 1931, Country League runners up Division II in 1933 and winners again in 1934.

In approximately 1936 he transferred to the 229th (Eastbourne) Field Battery Royal Artillery at The Goffs TA Centre and at the outbreak of war was called up and went to France in January 1940 as part of the BEF and a small preliminary reconnaissance party.

He returned, going out again in March 1940 having been embodied with the battery as part of the 58th (Sussex) Field Regiment Royal Artillery, and ultimately the 251/84 (Sussex) Medium Regiment Royal Artillery. Returning to England in May 1940 via Dunkirk, he spent the next two years training in the UK and in 1942 set sail again, this time for Egypt aboard the SS Laconia as part of the Divisional Artillery of the 44th (Home Counties) Division, to act as reinforcements for the 8th Army and landing at Cairo on 26th July having been at sea for eight weeks.

His unit joined the Eighth Army and fought their way through to Tripoli. It was whilst waiting for the advance into Tripoli that he wrote the first of two papers A Reservist Would Like To Know. Best saw action in most areas of Africa including El-Alamein and Enfidaville where on 11th May 1943 he won his Military Medal together with four other members of his troop, an officer who received the MC and two mentioned in despatches. He was also on parade, lining the route when Churchill and Montgomery visited Tripoli following its capture.

Best returned home to the UK for a spell and then embarked upon the Normandy landings on D+2, 8th June 1944. He fought his way through France and Holland becoming embroiled at Nijmegen for a fortnight during Operation Market Garden, living on German rations and Ersatz coffee, then into Germany, the 84th (Sussex) Medium Regiment firing the first shot into the country! During World War Two, Best was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Africa Star with 8th Army Clasp, France and Germany Star, the Defence and War Medal. He also received the clasp to his Efficiency Medal for which he had qualified in about 1939.

In October 1945 he was demobbed and returned to his civilian job as Gas Mains Superintendent which to his frustration was now a reserved occupation and prevented him re-joining the post war TA. He now lived at 57 Willowfield Road, Eastbourne and was involved in local Regimental Associations, as secretary of the 58/84th Regiments' Reunion Club and was the main organiser of the first reunion dinner in 1946 for over 400 old comrades. He was also a member of the Royal British Legion, Royal Artillery Association and the War Memorial Committee who were responsible for providing a Regimental War Memorial in St. Mary's Church in Eastbourne in July 1949.

On 27th March 1948 Charles married an old friend, Helena Mary Preston, who had been in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) during the war. They married in St. Mary the Virgin Church, Willingdon and moved to 30 Cooper's Hill, Willingdon which they purchased in March 1949. They had one Son Winston Charles Best born on 6th October 1949.

Charles wrote the second of his papers, Civil Defence and the nationalised gas industry in 1948. This he circulated together with his first to many of the 'Great and the Good' of the day including politicians, ex Senior Officers and was constantly attempting to re-join the TA but prevented from doing so because of his civilian occupation, the Ministry of Labour relented however in May 1951 and he was called up for Z Class Reserve training attending one practice camp at Stiffkey in 1952 as a Battery Sergeant Major once again.

Charles wrote one of his last letters on 9th October 1952. Shortly after this in November he was admitted to Princess Alice Hospital in Eastbourne for routine surgery, but never fully recovered and sadly died on Monday 24th November 1952 aged 41 years old leaving his wife and three year old son.

He was buried following a Church Service with semi military honours at St. Mary the Virgin Parish Church, Willingdon on Friday 28th November 1952.