Relatives in WW2

[Skaman]

Who here has relatives who served in ww2

Grandfather, moms side: Injured on juno beach, shot in the leg

Grandfather, dads side: Officer on a destroyer in the Atlantic

Great Uncle, dads side: Hurricane pilot, KIA in France 1940

all I know of....there are some great stories that go with them too, go ahead ad share yours.

I am posting this article as a pre Nov 11 remberance day, so we can refelct and remember.

[Shake n Bake]

My Grandfather died in auschwitz....He fell off the Guard tower while on duty..





















Just kidding. Please don't Ban me

[Gordon]

God, thought we got rid of this ducimus bloke.

[Gordon]

Anyhow, all respect to all ya ancestors that served.

[PsihoKeke]

Great uncle dads side: forced into Geraman Wermacht, deserted to Allies in Tunisia, returned home as member of partisan overseas brigade.

Both grandmothers brothers were drafted in NDH (croatian "independent" state) army. They were both gone missing at the end of the war, probably killed in the afterwar massacres or in last desperate fights as some cutoff NDH units tried to reach British in Austria.

[Cacman]

Grandfather Served with the British 8th army in the royal Artillery through Africa and up through Italy, inc Salerno, and Casino,

Great Uncle served at Dunkirk and through Europe

Grandmother Served on the home front in the Royal Artillery

[ShotOver]

Grandfather on mothers side: R.A.F Ground crew in England, served in Battle of Britian.

Grandfather on Fathers side: Dishonerably discharged after removing gold teeth from japanese P.O.W's.

Grandfather's Brother on mothers side: Killed in lancaster raid over Germany when their Plane was bombed by another Plane above them*.



*The Lancaster reported a malfuntion in it's bomb doors and told the plane underneath it to move out of the way, so my Granddads brother's plane didnt get the radio messege and moved into it's place and was bombed.

[spectre5]

Granpa got hit on the head in the winter war (Finland <--> Soviets)
Well never knew him, but he had the same name as i have so ;)

[Fargin]

Grandfather mothers side: Infantery officer, part of the few Danish forces that put up a fight. Imprisoned durring the war.

Grandfathers brother mothers side: Member of the youth chapter of the communist part. Escaped and survived german consentration camps. Quit the commies and helped form Socilaists people party(SF), when Soviet Union invaded Hungary.

Mothers great grandparents: Hid young wanted freedom fighters and helped them connect with safehouses on the contry side or in Sweden.

Grandather fathers side: Active in the resistance movement. Weapon drops and distribution.

[Kriz]

Grandmother and grandmfather on father's side both helped and fought with the resistance (mainly smugling actions).

[aeternum]

grandfather: 19. Waffen-SS Division 'lettische Nr 2'. got injured, got captured, escaped, survived.

[Herrmannek]

Mother site:
father of my grandmother - helped rescue jewish familiy in WWII, fought and was heavy wounded in car army in WW I.
grandmother-Farmacist/nurse in soviet/polish M.A.S.H.
grandmother brothers -partisans
grandfather teacher in military school, but don't know details
Father site:
grandmother-not military, as children taken to mandatory work to germany
grandfather-also to young to be soldier, don't know details

[Midtown]

Grandfather - Was in the "Lighting Infantry" division of the US ARMY. Participated in the Battle of the Bulge, was wounded in the hand, a week later, was wounded in battle in the leg, after he got recovered, he was then send over the the pacific and faught over there, no more wounds tho ;). Im very proud to be his grandson.

[pinkeye]

my mother's uncle served in europe in the canadian army during ww2. since he was a french-canadian, it was a taboo subject (canadians will know about this)

on my father's side, several of his uncles served in scottish regiments:
- one of his uncles fought in the pacific with the british army (alongside gurkhas, whom he claimed were just terrific and frightening in combat). would later break both of his legs during an airborne drop. he subsequently fought communists in greece in 1946 if i remember correctly.
- a second uncle served in germany at the end and after the war.
- a third uncle was a member of b squadron, 1st special air service regiment. he was killed in france in 1944 and is buried in the town of deux sevres.

[Kampfhamster]

my grandfather was lucky. He was on guard duty at the border to Germany for the whole war. He almost got a pistol from a deserted german officer :|

[pinkeye]

regarding my father's uncle who served with the sas, he was part of operation bulbasket, which was launched on june 6, 1944. the objectives of the operation were for the 56 men of b sqd. 1st sas to slow down german reinforcements to normandy, assist the french resistance (maquis), and provide intelligence for bombing runs. they were tragically betrayed by a german agent and surrounded by 500 germans of an ss battalion. something like 34 members of b sqd., including my great uncle, were captured and later executed by the ss. they were shot with sten guns to make their deaths look like a friendly-fire incident or worse. the officer responsible would later be sentenced to death for this crime during the nuremberg trials.

[Trigger]

^ :(
RIP

[Operation Ivy]

Grandfather on my Dads side Was a Sherman Tank Commander in Southern Europe(mabe a reason why i like tanks so much :P )

Grandfather on my Moms side In the Navy, fought in both the Atlantic and Pacific..saw the Atomic Bomb Explosion on Hiroshima from the ship he was on.

[ArmedPacifist]

I had one family member serve in the German Military, while the rest served in either the British air force or the Canadian army.

[Vance]

Great Uncle on my dad's side was in the US Navy during WWII, aboard the Minneanapolis. Engaged many U-Boats, or so he said. He died a couple of years ago.

Grandmother on my dad's side was a ''Rosie the Riviter'', made planes.

Grandfather on my mom's side served in the US Army Air Force during WWII.

[NcDeuce]

Mother's side = Japanese-Korean-Chinese conflicts [still doing research on this]
Father's side = WW2, like almost all grandparents in the USA.

[martinexsquaddie]

granddad went off to TA annual camp 1939 came home summer of 1946
fought in france Boyes anti tank angainst panzers might as well have been a pea shooter :(. Pulled off the beaches from dunkirk by his next door neighbour who'd taken his fishing boat across from hastings. went to the desert followed by italy.

[dhfactory]

Grandfather on my Moms side Was a POW in Stalag Luft III, He was and Officer in the Air Force(not sure of exact rank)
He escaped just before the end of the war, just weeks before the camp was captured by the allies,
My grandmother recieved a telegram saying he was missing action presumed death.(still have it at home)
He managed to get back to England, and then to Australia. (months after everyone else)
Apparently he was one of the highest ranking officers in the camp, and all the other officers in the camp of his rank were executed just after he escaped. (his name was found on a list, of those to be executed)
I know my mum has a heap of medals that he was awarded, but i don't know which ones they are. I'll try and find out.

[Clay]

My papa (moms side) was a bomber pilot for the RCAF, attacked German U-boats he’s got some great stories

My other grandpa was a cook on the minesweeper. He said that they shot down some 109’s attacking their ship.

[James]

One grandfather flew bombers against the Germans.
My other grandfather was a meteorologist with the Coast Guard, and he was back and forth in the N. Atlantic for a few years.

I have a distant cousin of some sort who flew for the Luftwaffe against the USSR. He lived (lives?) in Budapest.

[Andyman]

My great granfather is William George Barker. He was a Candian pilot from WW1. He was shot down over German lines in 1917 I believe and then later mustard gas killed him. I feel pretty bad cause I don't really know everything about the guy. Anyways my dad has a picture of Barker in our living room. It is interesting cause the photo is called a dream shot. It has Barker in a chair wearing his uniform, and then superimposed in the top left corner is a pic of his wife and daughter. The photograph is supposed to suggest that he was thinking about his family while away at war. I have no idea how the picture was done or when or where.

My Grandfather (who married the daughter of Barker) was a tank gunner and entered service at 15 years of age. He was a part of the offensive in Italy but I have no idea what regiment he served with or where he went. All I know is that he has medals from Italy, France, Holland, and Germany. He's also got a few more that I have no idea what they are from. Anyways I asked him some questions (Particularily what was his most vivid memory) he told me that Holland was the most beautiful place he had ever seen and that the streets were so clean you could literally lick them with your tongue. He also said that German machinery was very beautiful, one time his company captured a German Panzer and he said all the tank crews were very impressed at the advanced technology. Not to long ago my grandfather gave me his war medals. Still to this day I think they are the best gift that anyone has ever given me.

Sad that these guys are approaching the end. I want to do a documentary on my grandfather just to keep his past alive. I think I'm gonna do it sometime this winter or maybe in the spring.

[Russian Texan]

My grandfather was a communist :)
He finished the war as a Lt.Colonel in the Red Army in Berlin. Wounded, recepient of multiple medals. Proud of him.

[California Joe]

Holy ****, some impressive family credentials around here. My dad was a heavy equipment operator, spent the war years building the ALCAN Highway. Yeah, my DAD, not grandpa. See, I'm 40 and my Dad was 50 when I was born....

[Clay]

Holy ****, some impressive family credentials around here. My dad was a heavy equipment operator, spent the war years building the ALCAN Highway. Yeah, my DAD, not grandpa. See, I'm 40 and my Dad was 50 when I was born....
can you say viagra!

[California Joe]

Heh, I'm the oldest. I have 2 younger brothers... :D

[Aussie2093]

My Grandfather on Fathers side was the boss of a factory that made airplanes for the R.A.A.F. during WWII. Nice and simple. :)

[Nawlins]

All 5 of my grandfather's brothers on my dad's side. My grandfather didn't go because he had just gotten married and had a child. Only one of my great uncles was killed, all the rest came back with no major injuries (thank God). One of them was a pilot (he's retired now, obviously, but he still flies a Cessna), and he has some really great pictures of the old WWII-era planes.

Also, my grandfather on my mother's side, though he was in the Navy and I think he spent most of the war on a ship.

[Boat]

Grandfather, mothers side: Tank driver, served in europe with the canadian army (Fort Garry Horse Regiment)

Grandfather, fathers side: Airframe mechanic in the RCAF.

Great Uncles, fathers side: One drove a truck for the RCAF overseas, he managed to bring back quite a few prizes.
The other was a sniper with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, he died awhile ago and I never got a chance to ask him about it, but he was definitly in combat.

[EvanL]

Grandfather on my Fathers side- Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME). Served in India and throughout Asia, and i think even in Egypt for a bit.

Grandfather on my moms side- Served with Lake Supperior regiment (now known as lake supperior scottish regiment). Spent some time training to invade ST. Pierre and Miquelon, a small french island off the coast of Canada. They were worried the Vichy french gvmnt would use it as a staging point to invade Canada. Landed at Juno beach on D-day, fought all the way up Belgium into Holland where he got seperated from his platoon once while saving a jeep on a bridge. Spent a few weeks in hiding in the bassment on a hotel being used by the Nazis as a command post. Fed sandwiches by a lady that worked there. He got back with his unit and i dont know what happened after that.
On a very interesting note, he had the 2nd best shot in the Canadian army. Very cool guy. Never got to meet him though. He died before i or any of my cousins were born. Got struck by lightning 3 times and never died.

[Andyman]

wow that guy is a survivor. What are the odds of getting struck by lightning three times and living.

1/10000000000000000000000000000

[Mace]

My Grandfather on my Mothers side served with the Royal Artillery and helped to shoot down German V2 rockets over London. My Grandmother also served but i dont know who with, and her brother served in Burma with the Royal Engineers, and was killed by an enemy grenade.

My Great Uncle on my Fathers side flew Typhoon ground attack aircraft with the RAF and was lucky to survive, apparently a very large percentage of Typhoon pilots were killed due to the dangerous nature of the missions. If I recall correctly he was the only one or one of very few to survive on particular mission.

[perdurabo]

Grandpa from fathers side served in AK (Homeland Army the biggest underground army in 2ww:D) his nickname was sunshine :) and his CO was teddybear :) no joke! -died in car accident in late 60'
grandma's brother served(he was only 16,5 old!) in cavalery in polish
army wounded under Berlin his got Virtutti Militari cross the highest Polish order(?)
mothers side
Grandpa partisian somewhere in polish woods;-)
grandma also partisian in AK in Lvov
others prabably partisians/army but don't live close to me so don't know

[Vance]

wow that guy is a survivor. What are the odds of getting struck by lightning three times and living.

1/10000000000000000000000000000
Actually, people rarely die from lightning attacks.

[Minjin]

My great uncle on my dad's side was a Lancaster Pilot in the war. Unfortunately for me, (but completely understandable) he refuses to talk about it at all due to the obviously painful memories, so I will not likely ever hear any of what he would otherwise have had to say.

His wife was a Radar Technician during and after the war...they met in the Air Force so that is a kinda cool story.

My mom's parents helped the Dutch resistance give aid to Jews and what not.

[Trigger]

Grandfather - Bomber crew in the Pacific.
Great Uncle - Infantry. Many campaigns in the jungles of the Pacific. 4 Bronze Stars.
Both gone now.

I'm really impressed with all of your accounts. Excellent thread.

[James]

So, it's been almost a year, and I think there are a lot of new members here. Can anyone add to this thread?

[TheKiwi]

Sure, happy to.

Grandfather on fathers side: Technician with RNZAF. Spent most of his time in Fiji (that must have been a hardship for him). Never got to know the guy, he died a month after I was born).

Grandfather on mothers side: Infantry with NZEF. Time in the desert, then in Italy.

[Wilco]

None in World War II I don't belive, but my Great Uncle on my dad's side was killed in Vietnam when his jeep struck a landmine.

[mocking_loudly_died]

Jack Rees
Wing Commander / 51 squadron RAF - swift and sure
UK DFC
USA DFC

[Gatling]

My grand father 's brother: bataillon somali , troupe coloniale, french army ww2

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

my grandfather fathers side

my grandfather mothers side

my grandmother mothers side made bombs in a warehouse for the planes...

[Midav]

My German grandfather was a pilot in the Luftwaffe and flew JU-88's. Great uncle on German grandmother's side, Infantry, was killed at El Alamein. Great uncle on German grandfather's side was killed in the Soviet Union. Don't know what his specialty was.

My American grandfather was a Navy instructor pilot (both were pilots, pretty cool huh?) but don't know what he flew. Two great uncles, both on my American grandfather's side, were Infantry and served in Europe. Both survived.

So far, that's all I know about my family during WW II.

[Elmo]

Grandfather father's side, june 10, 1944 Valkeasaari (Karelian Isthmus) survived one of the biggest artillery barrages of WWII (the whole brigade,JRI, was practically annihilated. He was REALLY lucky). He was supposed to become an agricultural scientist but ended up a Lt. Col. sad.

[Abolith]

Ok here goes

Grandfather on my fathers side : Fought in the Pacific as a POM-POM gunner, as well as serving in shore duty (Armed sailors that went ashore W/marines) I guess that is why I like Marines so much (would rather have a marine watchin my back than anyone else) and I still have his original M1 carbine (Inland with Machined sights not those cheap stamped ones)


GreatGrandfather on my fathers side, my dad's grandfather on his mother's side : (if that made any freakin sense let me know); Served as a FW109 Pilot in the Luftwaffe. Rank was Oberleutnant. I do know that he shot down at least 2 spitfires and one P51 in his career. His fate I am sorry to say is Unknown to me at this time.


So my grandfather was in a war with his father-in-law on the other side. crazy world we live in.

[James]

It seems like we're getting more input from Krauts these days. Thanks guys. It is interesting to me, because some of yur relatives could've fought against my grandfather and others that were already listed here.

[DE_Six]

We had one thread like this since, last spring, I think.

Anyway, here goes.

My grandfather served in the German Heer in 1944. 116. Panzer-Division, Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 116. Not for long, though, he was taken POW in Aachen (his hometown) by Americans in December 1944.

That's it. Not many soldiers in my family.

[Abolith]

It seems like we're getting more input from Krauts these days. Thanks guys. It is interesting to me, because some of your relatives could've fought against my grandfather and others that were already listed here.

Or served with....

[jobes]

my grandfather on my mothers side joined the sas when they first asked for volunteers,he was one of the small few that returned from the fated first drop.
we know he was also in malta and germany but other than that we dont know much about his exploits as he died in 85 from cancer and never really talked about his ww2 experience.

[Freibier]

Grandfather, mothers side:
Was a journalist, wrote anti Hitler articles and got imprisoned in KZ Dachau, later KZ Flossenbürg. In February 1945 he got the choice of either getting shot on the spot or to "volunteer" to the eastern front in a penal bataillion. He said that he had to fight tanks with hollow charges and panzerfaust, wasn't even issued a rifle. Deserted in March '45 and when he came back to his hometown, the war was over. Since he had no Nazi Background, he became the first Bürgermeister of my hometown after the war.
Grandfather, fathers side:
Tanker, served with 2. Panzerdivision from 1940-1945.
Got EK II for action in Russia and EK I in Normandy.
Wounded in Russia, Normandy and Ardennes.
Was taken prisoner in Fulda 1945.

[Erkeengel]

Some distant member of my family was one of the Norwegians that voluntered to fight along with the Finnish soldiers in the "Winter war", he even got decorated for several times bringing medical supplies to a mother with a sick boy behind enemy lines.

[Marsuitor]

Grandfather Father side: Served on RN PT boat around Singapore. Got himself out of there before the Japs arrived and later served aboard a destroyer running escorts in the Atlantic.
Grandfather Mothers side: Not sure what he did, he passed away before i could ask.

In addition numerous grand-uncles on the fathers side served in the British forces during WW2. One as a RAF Lancaster squadron commander, another served as Wing Commander. Yet another was a glider pilot in the Paras, and the last one i can think of was in the Royal Artillery during the war and ended his career in 1972 as a paymaster some battallion RA.
I have no clue on what my Norwegian relatives did during the war.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Grand Father was in a logistics unit in WW2. Got busted for stealing **** and discharged. Made a fair bit of money to :D

[James]

Grandfather, mothers side:
Was a journalist, wrote anti Hitler articles and got imprisoned in KZ Dachau, later KZ Flossenbürg. In February 1945 he got the choice of either getting shot on the spot or to "volunteer" to the eastern front in a penal bataillion. He said that he had to fight tanks with hollow charges and panzerfaust, wasn't even issued a rifle. Deserted in March '45 and when he came back to his hometown, the war was over. Since he had no Nazi Background, he became the first Bürgermeister of my hometown after the war.
Grandfather, fathers side:
Tanker, served with 2. Panzerdivision from 1940-1945.
Got EK II for action in Russia and EK I in Normandy.
Wounded in Russia, Normandy and Ardennes.
Was taken prisoner in Fulda 1945.

Wow.

[Royal]

Both my grandfathers were infantrymen on the western front in WWI.

Maternal volunteered in 1915 and survived, he became a miner after the war and so was a reserved occupation in WWII.

Paternal lied about his age in 1917 and joined a different unit to his brothers. He was shot through one lung, but survived. They sent him back to school when they realised how old he was and he'd recovered. He joined the TA as an officer in the 20's and was another of those who went on summer camp in 1939 and never came home. He was awarded an MC with the BEF in France but was killed at El Alamein.

My father served as a national serviceman in Northern Ireland during the OIRA campaign in the 50's.

[Hullebullen]

My paternal grandfather served in Finland as part of the Swedish volounteer corps in a AA company...

[Operation Ivy]

Pap Pap Tank commander in souther Europe (one reason why i love tanks)
Pop Pop Served in North Africa then to the Pacific where he saw the first atomic bomb go off

[memphiz]

Moms Side:
-Grandma was a Scottish nurse serving in England
-Grandpa Belgian/Canadian serving in the RCE (Royal Canadian Engineers)
-Grandpas brothers all served, one was murdered on a Naval ship, and the other brother had a landmine thown at him...RIP..

Dads side:
-Great Grandpa was a Winnipeg Grenadier, was sent to defend Hong Kong in 1939, was POW for 4 years held by the Japanese. He survived.
-^his son (My dads Uncle, Grandmas Brother) was in the Airforce, his eyesight wasnt good enough to pilot, and was to tall to be a rear gunner, so he went into logistics..still Alive


I will have many pictures over the next little while

[Lexi]

Dido was in the German Army..
Grandpa was too young to join.

Dido was sent to a PoW camp outside of Sicily and escaped New Years night when the guards got drunk. Him and another Ukrainian man climbed the Alps and went down into Austria where my great uncle was doing missionary work...

Dido = Grandpa in Ukrainian...

Cheers from the extremely bored,
Lex