Author Topic: WWII relatives (Read 5538 times)

SD67 · « **Reply #30 on:** February 08, 2008, 02:00:41 AM »

My Father was a career military man, Artillery, served for 2 tours in Vietnam with 108th field battery 4th Feild regiment.
My ex Father in-law flew typhoons. I do not remember the unit. He passed away back in 1993.
My Grandfather Trained pilots with the RAAF in Early WWII. It was from him and his that I got my initial love of flying. I still have his flying helmet. He passed away when I was young, I do not recall the date.

oakranger · « **Reply #31 on:** February 08, 2008, 02:35:08 AM »

My dad uncle was the army in June of 1941. he was inducted into the Army Air Corp 803rd Engineer Brigade. In October of 1941, he was shipped to the Philippine Islands. He became a P.O.W. of the Japanese in May of 1942 survived the Bataan Death March to Camp O Donnell Prison then to Cabanatuan Prison. Walter was sent to Pusan, Korea, via Hell Ship Tottori Mara, then to Hoten (Mukden) Prison in Manchuria. He was liberated in August, 1945. and discharged from the service in May, 1946, and awarded the Bronze Star for Valor.

My grandfather was a MP in 9n battion, 3 rd Army. He was around Patton most of the time. He served north africa, sicily, italy, normany, north france and the rhine. His unit also libriate death march. We still have pix of the death camp that he took.

Wife uncle was in the army. fought in the battle of the boulge. He and a captin hide in a farm house in the attic for three days. The germans where using the farm as a post. On the third day, a German officer went to the attic for a smoke and found them. He was sent to Stab 9A prison camp. It was a mixture of americns, russians, brits and italiens. Since he is a voger german and speake fluent german, he was ranked third in commoan in the camp. The germans let him go to a near by villege to do some work. All the people in the villege and german gurds treated him like a friend. when the camp was liborated, the commanding german officer handed his hand gun to him.

wooly15 · « **Reply #32 on:** February 08, 2008, 09:33:07 AM »

Not a relative but interesting. We bought an old home and while researching the original family, I found out that their son died in Stadkil Germany in 45. He was with the 87th infantry. From what I could find, I believe they took part in the battle of the Bulge. His name was 1st Lt J. Dillard Green.

bergy · « **Reply #33 on:** February 08, 2008, 09:46:43 AM »

My grandfather lost his right leg at normandy, the only thing he would talk about was being in the hospital for rehabilitation. The experience was so overwhelming for him that he couldn't watch a war movie or documentary. He died in 1981, I was only 14 at the time, and I wish I could have learned more about his experience. My grandmother said he almost drowned getting to the beach, and he was shot just getting out of the water. ~~Joe Licia, gone but not forgotten.~~

Mister Fork · « **Reply #34 on:** February 08, 2008, 09:53:15 AM »

WWI
Two great great uncles that served with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment - Michael and Patrick (they're somewhere here in this picture I'm told)

[From Wikipedia & the Royal Newfoundland Regiment]
On July 1, 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme in World War I 801 soldiers of the 1st Newfoundland Regiment rose from the British trenches and went into battle at Beaumont-Hamel, nine kilometres north of Albert in France. The next day, only 69 men answered the regimental roll call: 255 were dead, 386 were wounded, and 91 were listed as missing. Every officer who had gone over the top was either wounded or dead.

Michael and Paddy were killed on that day. They were 18 and 19.
WWII
Grandfather (mom's side) - worked as a Quartermaster with the Royal Navy Coast Guard in Newfoundland - primarily searching for U-Boats and rescuing passengers from sunk ships off the Atlantic. Lots of great stories on how they would be rescuing people from life boats and U-Boats would fire torpedoes at them - sometimes forced to leave the people in the boats for a few hours until it was safe to do so. Many died of exposure waiting to be rescued.

chase4 · « **Reply #35 on:** February 08, 2008, 10:17:04 AM »

My Granmother's cousins and uncles all fought in WWI, none survived. Everyone of them died in the needless attacks on enemy lines.

OSU · « **Reply #36 on:** February 08, 2008, 11:07:01 AM »

My grandfather on my dad's side served in the U.S. Coast Guard in WWII.
My grandfather on my mom's side served in the Army in the Korean War. He was stationed in some base far from the frontlines and he guarded a mail post. All of my great uncles served in the Korean War. I don't know what they did though. My U.S. History teacher also fought in Korea. My Science teacher flew F-4 Phantoms in Vietnam. He was stationed on Okinawa so he never saw any action. My sixth grade English and Literature teacher flew C-5 Galaxys (I think) in the Air Force.

Harp00n · « **Reply #37 on:** February 08, 2008, 12:21:40 PM »

My grandfather never told me in what unit he served, probably because I never asked him, but he told me a lot of stories.

He drove around a high ranking offiver (don´t know the name) in a Horch limo early in the war, probably in Belgium and France, where he saw the remains of the retreated British Army which drove it´s trucks into the water so that their serviceman could walk on them to the evacuation ships.
He always told me how much food and stuff the Brits left behind.

Late in the war he drove Opel Blitz supply trucks (he was a bakerman and was responsible for the rations) in Yugoslavia and Greece. He also was a driver for the SDKfZ251 with mounted Quad AA which was used to shoot not only at convoy strafers, but at suspected Partisans in the Balkan mountains.

Once they where ambushed by british tanks, his Opel was killed in one shot, so was his comrad. He also remembered being strafed by the "Gabelschwanzteufel" (German nickname for P38s).

Wish I knew more but he died in 95.

As you may have found out by now he was member of the german army. Sorry to hijack this posting but maybe it was interesting enough to read.

Mister Fork · « **Reply #38 on:** February 08, 2008, 12:38:15 PM »

Nothing wrong with German army stories - I only wish we had more of them.

Shuffler · « **Reply #39 on:** February 08, 2008, 12:40:20 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by chase4
My Granmother's cousins and uncles all fought in WWI, none survived. Everyone of them died in the needless attacks on enemy lines.

Needless attacks????

They did not die in vain.

Harp00n
This thread is about family members that served in WW2.... your family member served so your story is not a hijack. Axis or Allies, we'd all like to hear the stories.

IronDog · « **Reply #40 on:** February 08, 2008, 01:23:14 PM »

On my mothers side,I had relatives that fought on both sides during the Civil War.My grandmother Robinson came from Kentucky and this was very common.I'm fairly ancient myself,so the details are vague.One was a Union officer,and one story I recall was a Confederate dying from wounds,after being left at a farm house because he couldn't go on.
My father was with the 43rd Coast Artillery Corp in WWI.I've tried to research his outfit,but I've had little luck.I can recall his stories of real large guns,shooting a long ways.My father passed away in 1970.
My brother was with the 36th Infantry division,155th field artillery battalion during WWII.His unit was in action in Italy,southern France and on up into Germany.He survived the war,but died in 1950 as he was struck by vehicle while walking alongside the road.
I broke the families tradition of being in the Army,and being artillerymen.I joined the Marine Corps,and I was a grunt packing a rifle.I hope my service was in keeping with my families tradition of serving are country honorably.
IronDog

Rash · « **Reply #41 on:** February 08, 2008, 02:11:20 PM »

Uncle (died in 87) was in the army and went to North Africa, but the fighting had already stopped. He was wounded in the back while in Italy.

Great Uncle (died in 97) was in the navy and had 2 ships sink while serving on them. Supposedly he spent a few days in the brig for shooting at a Japanese pilot coming down in a chute. I could see him doing something like that.

Great Uncle (still alive) He hardly ever talks about his experiences in the army and he will not watch a war movie. A while back he told me he drove a jeep off a LC during D-Day landings. I see him a couple times a week.

Hajo · « **Reply #42 on:** February 08, 2008, 03:26:46 PM »

My father served in the US Army from 1942 till wars end.

He served in North Africa, landed at Sicily and at Anzio.
He was awarded a Bronze Star along with the Combat Badge which at that time meant he spent at least 1200 straight hours on the front lines at some or more then one occaision.

He is now 86 years Old and plays 27 holes of Golf a week.

I love and respect him dearly.

crims · « **Reply #43 on:** February 08, 2008, 04:48:24 PM »

Hey Was talking to my sister and she recalls that are dads picture was in TIME back in the 40's he was Eating his meal out of his helmet. Anyone know how I could look up an Old copy. I looked online but they only seam to have the Covers posted.

Thanks Crims

dkff49 · « **Reply #44 on:** February 08, 2008, 05:16:52 PM »

I had a grandfather who served in Army as a medic with the 35 infantry and took part in the Battle of the Bulge. Unfortunately I always told as child that we were not to ask himabout his time served during the war because it was too traumatic for him. So I never did even try. He past away last June.

I also had an uncle who I know served in the Army Air Corp. Unfortunately I did not develope my interest in WWII history until several years after his death in 1998. But Iam pretty sure he told me that he flew in B-17's and not quite as sure but I think he may have said that he flew in them (but this was when I was in high school which was about 17 years ago).

Wish Ihad asked more and been more willing to listen then. Young and Dumb then I guess