WW2 YOUR DAD/GRANDFATHER

I always find it quite humbling when I read about the sacrifices our forebears made either voluntary or conscripted, they just accepted their lot & got on with it. It can't have been easy for the likes of my mum either, left at home with my elder brother a babe in arms & nursing her mother through cancer which became terminal. We really do have it easy in comparison, with the current youth generation having it even easier with probably no knowledge therefore no respect for sacrifices of those that went before.
 
The importance of threads like this is that we can see that our family's experiences are not unique and possibly more important is to grab the opportunity to ask the older generations about their lives (war-time or not) before the chance is lost.

I never really asked my father about his life. His life before I became a part of it is pretty much a mystery to me. It's the same for my grandparents lives.

My interest started when I did some research on a great-uncle killed-in-action in 1917. His was a life I knew nothing about and it made me realise that I knew almost as little about his brother (my grandfather).

Fortunately, my father took the time to write down much of what he knew about his family before he died so I at least had a starting point.

I started to piece together more of my dad's life when I was given a box of old photos and discovered images of him as a child (I'd never thought of my father being a kid and doing childish things: Odd I know).

Now, I take every opportunity to talk to my mum about her childhood and her life, her family and have been told things that I could never have found out without asking.

Talk to the older generations now before it's too late. Don't be like me and end-up regretting that you didn't when you had the chance.
 
elmandarino said:
I'm fiercely proud of my grandfather although not too sure where he actually served. Like many others he joined under age and did not talk about his experiences until he was very old indeed. I really like the unofficial sheepskin, the intimidating bayonet, the gas mask holder and the fag at a jaunty angle. This was WW1 and I believe he was at the Somme but I really don't know. He was certainly in the thick of it as most of his mates did not return - according to my grandmother. The writing at the bottom is my daughter's who did a project at secondary school.
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Great photo, not so sure about the sheep on his back, he certainly doesn't want to walk though wales like that, who knows what could happen :augie :D
 
elmandarino said:
really like the unofficial sheepskin,
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bardicastle said:
Great photo, not so sure about the sheep on his back, he certainly doesn't want to walk though wales like that, who knows what could happen :augie :D
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Actually, it's not an unofficial sheepskin. They were winter issue, similar to the sleeveless, brown leather jerkin you also see being worn.
 
i must admit when i started this thread i did not expect this kind of response, i've read every single one and was gobsmacked. i hope that it will run a bit more i would especially love to hear more from our foreign visitors especially places as far afield as russia, africa, japan would be a real bonus.

anyhow i would like to thankyou all for taking the time to contribute to this thread.

GREAT STUFF:thumb2:thumb2
 
Shep said:
.... My mum was also to young, and she lived with various families throughout the War, she was even given another name by some families, as they didn't like hers :nenau .... I never gave it a second thought till my maternal Gran died a few years back, at the funeral there was a bit of a surprise with a few dignitaries and top brass in attendance. I was then told my gran was an SOE operative during the final parts of the war, she was very fluent in French yet none of the family even knew that:nenau She never ever even spoke to my mum or anybody at all about it.
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Who needs to read fiction when you've got stuff like that in your family? :eek

MikeP said:
The importance of threads like this is that we can see that our family's experiences are not unique and possibly more important is to grab the opportunity to ask the older generations about their lives (war-time or not) before the chance is lost. ....Talk to the older generations now before it's too late. Don't be like me and end-up regretting that you didn't when you had the chance.
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Bang On Mike. All my WWII age uncles, aunts, granparents etc have now died but I would love to have the chance to talk to them properly, but its too late now. :(

All my grandparents were in Reserved Occupations (farmers) and just joined the Home Guard. My dad was only 8 when the war started.
 
My father was too young at the start of WW11, but managed to get on one of the small boats which made up the flotilla for the Dunkirk evacuation. he later joined the RN and was with the Royal Naval Auxillary Service as a stoker, operating mine sweepers in the English Channel.
I remember him telling me that they were docked in Dieppe and had been 'ashore' for the evening, when they returned they noticed a large mine bobbing between his boat and the next!
After he was demobbed he joined the Territorial Army (REME).
 
Service

My dad was in the Royal Signals - joined in 1941 and served in North Africa and Italy; he ran radio stations and helped to equip agents being dropped into France so had to do parachute training. On the 4th jump broke his knee - no compensation then!

He rarely spoke about the war; although not "frontline" he used to sit in the planes on clandestine trips to France. After the war he was able to join a London Club called the Special Forces Club; just as a base instead of an hotel, not for reflected glory. I don't think many of the people already mentioned in these threads went in for that very much.

He stayed in the Army until 1965, leaving as a Major.


His younger brother joined the RAF, trained to fly in Arizona, then flew Spitfires in North Africa (drove a jeep up Cairo Railway station steps!). His diary is full of "wizard-prang" and similar; they really did talk like that!

Joined 222 Squadron flying Typhoons rocketing trains in Holland. Was KIA in February 1945; his plane was damaged and he tried to get back.....I named my son after him and my similarly mad brother.

I think the public is only just realising what our parents/grandparents did to give us what we have now. We may never understand it fully because life is so easy these days. Iraq & Afghanistan give us a small glimpse, but all we ever hear is "why?", not "thank you".

A
 
just remembered a few things about another great grandad of mine.

as kids we used to visit him in a little bungalow in Cottonmill - St Albans.

the house was full of indian stuff that I am sure would be very valuable, elephants foot, ivory, spears, brass stuff, medals.

he was a career soldier who fought in the north west frontier, WW1 and was even in WW2.

I remember him telling us about some drug crazed tribesmen who were not taking much notice of the new Lee Enfields, so the martini henry with the .45 lead bullet was re-issued.

He used to drink a case of Barley wine a day and sat in a wicker chair with a drain tray under it (he was pretty old) and stank of boozy piss.

all my uncles say he was a grumpy old c**t who would fight anyone but I imagine he had a few interesting tales to tell.
 
turnipbmw said:
just remembered a few things about another great grandad of mine.

as kids we used to visit him in a little bungalow in Cottonmill - St Albans.

the house was full of indian stuff that I am sure would be very valuable, elephants foot, ivory, spears, brass stuff, medals.

he was a career soldier who fought in the north west frontier, WW1 and was even in WW2.

I remember him telling us about some drug crazed tribesmen who were not taking much notice of the new Lee Enfields, so the martini henry with the .45 lead bullet was re-issued.

He used to drink a case of Barley wine a day and sat in a wicker chair with a drain tray under it (he was pretty old) and stank of boozy piss.

all my uncles say he was a grumpy old c**t who would fight anyone but I imagine he had a few interesting tales to tell.
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well that was certainly different from the rest of the stories:D:D
 
I've enjoyed this thread, so I thought I would add what I know about my Grandad and my great uncles.
My Grandad on my Dads side was RSC (royal army service corps) he joined up in 1915 and saw service in France and worked his way from Ypres back to the Somme in time for the 'big' push. At this point the info I have on him is a bit vague, he was wounded at the Somme and spent a week in no mans land trapped between the lines, the 'water' he drank from a shell hole affected his stomach and he was also wounded with Shrapnel to his abdomen. He was rescued and sent back to Amiens to the hospital, he spent some time there and so the story goes he fell in love (lust!) with a very pretty French nurse.. he wrote to his comanding officer asked permission to marry the lass and permission was granted, this is where thing's take an odd twist, he was being sent to a recovery centre and she went with him to the train, in the crowds of thousands of men they became seperated, he told me that he was holding her hand and the crowd got so thick that her fingers slipped from his, he could'nt sit up as the wounds prevented him doing so... she was pushed away in the crowd and despite his best efforts to get to her he could'nt, he never saw her again! she vanished (maybe killed or posted away) despite this he never forgot her and I remember talking to him about her before he passed away.

My great uncle Frank wasn't so lucky, he served with the RGA (Royal Garrison artillery) and was 17 when he signed on, his service records show he spent time at Woolwich before being posted to France, the Battery he was with was fairly decimated and he was transfered to the Northumbrian Heavy battery, being a Kent boy he felt a bit lonely amongst the Northern lads. Nothing much happens until the 2nd battle of the Somme when his battery was to suffer a gas attack, he never got his mask on in time and his lungs were badly burnt, evacuated to Bolougne he was put on a boat that took him to Newcastle, in the mean time he was posted as a deserter! (idiots didn't even know he had been sent to blighty) My great Grandma had been told he was wounded and I've seen the letter she wrote to his commanding officer asking where he was. (incredibly moving letter, had me in tears) he was sent down to the hospital at Chatham, he even spent a bit of time back home, he fought against the burnt lungs, but sadly he died (it took him two years to die) and is buried in Harty church on the isle of Sheppey, he's the only military grave there in the tiny church yard. (see the link and you can see his grave) I've been to the service on the 11th November many times and find it very moving.

http://thames.me.uk/s00010_files/Harty_Church.jpg
 
My paternal grandfather served in WW1 in Belgium with the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a signaller throughout the whole war.

His brother also joined the CEF in 1916 leaving his farm in Canada, he served as a rifleman and died of his wounds at Vimy Ridge in April 1917. I never knew he existed until a few months ago, I then took the GS to France and found his grave.

My father joined the RAF in 1942 and served most of the war in the far east, flying P47 Thunderbolts in operations against the Japanese. He was demobbed in 1946 in Poona, India.
 
My dad was in the home guard than he was called up in 1941.
dvr plane d platoon 310 coy rasc (arm bde) bla.
D Day plus nine
Called up for korea x force. Didnt need him sent him home after two weeks.
 
Hi All

I had a English Father (RAF) and and German Mother ( Red Cross)

The story in short regarding my mother was that during the war years she was a German Red Cross Nurse and work in many Hospitals throught the Ruhr area in Germany . As the War progressed the Red Cross attended to any soldiers / Airmen English / German / French / American.

This was here that she meet my father and they fell in love.

He was injuried whilst repairing a airfield and was shot by a german airplaine early one morning ( some of his fingers shot off). It was while he was in hostpital that they fell in love and when the war was finish they married and moved to England afterwards.

And here am I to tell the tale.

It also intresting that my 1 uncles on my mothers side died in Starlingrad and the other 2 weeks after the war finished someware in poland. My auntie made bombs in the factory untill that was bombed out.

I went back to germany this year and found the house that she was born it and meet the family that lives there.........

Its a strange world :)

Bigboy
 
Scott_Dog said:
My paternal grandfather served in WW1 in Belgium with the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a signaller throughout the whole war.

His brother also joined the CEF in 1916 leaving his farm in Canada, he served as a rifleman and died of his wounds at Vimy Ridge in April 1917. I never knew he existed until a few months ago, I then took the GS to France and found his grave.

My father joined the RAF in 1942 and served most of the war in the far east, flying P47 Thunderbolts in operations against the Japanese. He was demobbed in 1946 in Poona, India.
Click to expand...

Vimy ridge went there last year what an amazing place well worth the visit
 
FW190 said:
I've enjoyed this thread, so I thought I would add what I know about my Grandad and my great uncles.
My Grandad on my Dads side was RSC (royal army service corps) he joined up in 1915 and saw service in France and worked his way from Ypres back to the Somme in time for the 'big' push. At this point the info I have on him is a bit vague, he was wounded at the Somme and spent a week in no mans land trapped between the lines, the 'water' he drank from a shell hole affected his stomach and he was also wounded with Shrapnel to his abdomen. He was rescued and sent back to Amiens to the hospital, he spent some time there and so the story goes he fell in love (lust!) with a very pretty French nurse.. he wrote to his comanding officer asked permission to marry the lass and permission was granted, this is where thing's take an odd twist, he was being sent to a recovery centre and she went with him to the train, in the crowds of thousands of men they became seperated, he told me that he was holding her hand and the crowd got so thick that her fingers slipped from his, he could'nt sit up as the wounds prevented him doing so... she was pushed away in the crowd and despite his best efforts to get to her he could'nt, he never saw her again! she vanished (maybe killed or posted away) despite this he never forgot her and I remember talking to him about her before he passed away.

My great uncle Frank wasn't so lucky, he served with the RGA (Royal Garrison artillery) and was 17 when he signed on, his service records show he spent time at Woolwich before being posted to France, the Battery he was with was fairly decimated and he was transfered to the Northumbrian Heavy battery, being a Kent boy he felt a bit lonely amongst the Northern lads. Nothing much happens until the 2nd battle of the Somme when his battery was to suffer a gas attack, he never got his mask on in time and his lungs were badly burnt, evacuated to Bolougne he was put on a boat that took him to Newcastle, in the mean time he was posted as a deserter! (idiots didn't even know he had been sent to blighty) My great Grandma had been told he was wounded and I've seen the letter she wrote to his commanding officer asking where he was. (incredibly moving letter, had me in tears) he was sent down to the hospital at Chatham, he even spent a bit of time back home, he fought against the burnt lungs, but sadly he died (it took him two years to die) and is buried in Harty church on the isle of Sheppey, he's the only military grave there in the tiny church yard. (see the link and you can see his grave) I've been to the service on the 11th November many times and find it very moving.

http://thames.me.uk/s00010_files/Harty_Church.jpg
Click to expand...

shame you didn't get a name, what with the internet and red cross opening new files last year, who knows.

what beautiful place to be buried
 
WWII
My Father, now a frail 87yr old, served in the Reconnaissance Corps. Often working up to and past the front line. Fought across North Africa with the 1st Army (he would never go on the beach when I was a kid) Then on to Italy, initially on the beach landing at Solerno, later on to the Hell Hole of Anzio.
Again being the first there he and his mates set off to look for Jerry. They drove straight to Rome, liberated a few bottles of vino kissed a few girls and went back to tell the gaffers that the place was empty (of the bad guys at least) only to be overshadowed by bloody ALAN WICKER and his camera, who took a different road and of course got all the glory.
When they eventually they got out of there it was back home to marry my Mam and then back out to Palestine to patrol some main road from somewhere to somewhere else.
Took a very long time for him to start talking about it and I am sure he misses a lot out.

My Mother served in the ATS in an ordinance supply depot at Chillwell in Notingham.

Both are very proud of there service. This year, due to failing health, will be the first year my dad is not out selling poppies, but they will both be at the cenotaph in Sheffield on Remembrance Sunday wearing their berets, cap badges and medals.

My dad had a younger brother serving with the Coldstream Guards. He was killed at the age of 19, 28 days before the end of the war.
 
Hi everyone, i would like to tell you about my Dad...

He was in the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal in WWII...he was orphaned at 13 and he looked after his younger brother...they both joined the Army at the start of the war (Dad was born 1919)..from Birmingham they got billeted to Derby as 2 young soldiers...there they met two sisters....the two sisters married the 2 brothers...I digress...from what i know Dad did some of his war service in Northern Ireland...he got posted there after he had married mum in 1942, he was something to do with Stormont Castle - so my Mum told me..wish i knew more.

I know that my paternal Great Uncle was killed in the first world war, but unfortunately, i know very little.

It has been a great thread to read, thanks for starting it.

Luci
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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