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Author: Subject: Grand Parent/Family Members - What did they do during the war?
T66

posted on 8/1/12 at 05:53 PM Reply With Quote
Grand Parent/Family Members - What did they do during the war?

I often find when you get chatting on to older folk, they always have a few tales related to the war years. In my time as a public servant Ive met the widow of a SAS Brigade soldier, forerunner to the SAS as we know today, killed in action in Europe. His beret was in her cabinet in her living room with pictures of him.

An engineer from the RAF who worked on Douglas Baders squadron, who was talked into having a go at flying, and on his first trip out crash landed in a field, and stuck with engineering after that.


And a WW2 Para who did Arnhem - Got all his medals out, real good bloke, and still looked like he could break your nose.


So then - Heres my Granda , originally a North Shields trawler skipper, who on the break out of war, skippered armed trawlers on convoy duty, did a lot in the Atlantic then ended up in the Med. Rarely got home, and when he did his suntan much irritated my Grandmother who thought it was a holiday.

Mentioned in despatches 1941 for picking up survivors from the sinking Ark Royal in the Med after a U boat sunk it.


Lets hear other family tales from the past, see what else we have from other Locosters - All heroic in my eyes, with pics if you have any.















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scootz

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:06 PM Reply With Quote
Lifted from another thread...

My maternal Grandad... Sgt Willie.



This pic was taken in Burma in 1942-43. Just a normal lad from a mining town in Fife.

His father had managed to get him a position down the pits, but the day before he was due to start he went with his mates to Kirkcaldy where he signed-up instead. He was too young to join legally and lied about his age. He did it because he considered it the 'right thing to do' (his words) and didn't want anyone to think he was a coward by going to the mines instead. His father beat him black and blue when he learned of what he had done.

His brother also joined about the same time. He fought (and died) in Europe.

He only talked about his time in the army during his later years... horrific is an understatement. He talked of heroic feats, but would never have considered himself a hero - it was just 'the right thing to do'.

He died just a few of years ago during a short spell in hospital for a minor ailment (sore knee).

The hospital was a filthy-disgrace and his care sub-standard. He contracted the C-Diff virus and bled to death in agony.

He deserved better.





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scootz

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:08 PM Reply With Quote
Oh, and my paternal Grandad (of traveling stock) drank lots and generally mooched about during the wall!





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mark chandler

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:09 PM Reply With Quote
No pictures, my Uncle Bert was a desert rat, he never ever spoke about it apart from it giving him a liking for currys, must have been horrific !

Grandfather was a Fireman in London

[Edited on 8/1/12 by mark chandler]

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T66

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:12 PM Reply With Quote
Off to a good start Scott thanks - Burma was a tough tough venue.....






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T66

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:14 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
No pictures, my Uncle Bert was a desert rat, he never ever spoke about it apart from it giving him a liking for currys, must have been horrific !

Grandfather was a Fireman in London

[Edited on 8/1/12 by mark chandler]




Interesting that he didnt talk about it, my mums Uncle Robert was a Northumberland Fusilier in North Africa - Bren carrier driver, who never uttered a word about anything. I know they were told not to talk about anything prior to leaving...






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steve m

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:23 PM Reply With Quote
My Grandfather was Chief petty stoker on HMS Rodney, (had the final salvo's that sunk the Bismark)
My Fathers name is James Rodney Mul.........

I do not remember my Grandather, as he died when i was 2

My Mothers Father, was a tank commander in the northern Africa campains, and he lived till 1987,

I have photos, of both, in and around the war scenario, also as the only male surving member of my very small family i have all their papers medals etc,
probably not worth a lot, but to me, priceless

Thanks T66, you have reduced me, a 51 yr old adult to tears, while writing this, as like most of us on here, our Parents/Grandparents really did have a lot of responsability at such an early age, and are and always will be our history

Steve

Grandad Eric Hale (mothers side)




Captain Eric hale, is the second from the right on the bottom level, in the lighter shirt
the Tank has been identified as a Crusader varient


[Edited on 8/1/12 by steve m]

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rb968

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:32 PM Reply With Quote
I am just starting out trying to find out more about my families war history. I just got my great uncle Richard's war medals from the first world war. He signed up with his brother despite being too young. Both of farming stock from a small Cumbrian village he joined the South Wales Borderers, formerly the 24th of Foot of Roarks Drift and Zulu fame. Sadly only my gran remains and remembers him talking of the trenches. He has a pocket watch with Arabic symbols and there is rumour he served in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) but I am going to write to the museum in Brecon to try and find out. Both survived and Dick was a milkman.

In the second world war someone on my dad's side was a Desert rat but not yet started looking into him yet.

Sadly many of them never talked about what they went through so the stories are lost. My gran can't understand why I want to know but I am fascinated.

Rich

[Edited on 8/1/12 by rb968]

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liam.mccaffrey

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:32 PM Reply With Quote
My maternal grandfather was an army prison guard looking after the German POW's. Unfortunately I don't know much else. He said he always treated them well as he said "they were just scared kids like us". He learned German from one chap and played footbal with them when they were able.


He also was a driver for some of the top brass at one point.





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Bladerunner

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:42 PM Reply With Quote
Heroes

My Wifes Grandfather was badly injured in then first World War, they shipped him home, got him well again and then shipped him back to the front again!!!!





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posted on 8/1/12 at 06:46 PM Reply With Quote
the war is one thing not talked about in our family. I.ve always wondered so may ask when i see my parents this weekend (parents born 1940 so only remember the after effects)
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minitici

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:47 PM Reply With Quote
Mother was a sergeant in the WRAF and was posted to Isle-of-Wight then Egypt, Palestine and Cyprus.
She is still going strong

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Ninehigh

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:48 PM Reply With Quote
My maternal Grandfather was a minesweeper in the Navy, knew nothing else as he probably didn't tell anyone much more than that.

I do remember him saying that we shouldn't have Rememberance day though, because we shouldn't remember we should just move on (something to that effect anyway, I was young)






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twybrow

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:50 PM Reply With Quote
My Dad's dad drove ambulances in London during the war.

My my mum's dad had a more disturbing past... Prior to the war, as a young 11 year old boy, and Jewish, he and his sister were forced to flee to live in the forests of Germany, after his parents said it was too dangerous for him to continue living at home. They left with a set of dodgy passports that claimed he was blonde with blue eyes (the blue eyes bit was true!). He and his sister lived for 9 months in the forest, before managing to cross the border, and eventually come to the UK. By the time the war broke out proper, he was a strapping young lad, who was fully accepted within the UK. During the war, he was in charge of getting people in London into air raid shelters.

He never knew what happened to his parents, as obviously he could not go back to Germany. Years later (late 80's), he went silent whilst watching a TV program on the war, with my parents. He saw in a panning shot of Austwitz, his mother and father stripped naked pressed up against the fence of the camp. Not a nice way to find out what happened to your parents...

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DRC INDY 7

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:51 PM Reply With Quote
My grandad who is no longer with us died 2005 was in the 8th army tank division ( desert rats ) i have his medals and my great grandads medals from the ww1





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T66

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:55 PM Reply With Quote
The replies are excellent, sorry for the upset Steve M , we are of a generation where WW2 played a big part in our parents outlook on life.

Sometimes lost on our younger friends & colleagues.



My dad was a signaller in the Royal Scots Greys -. Joined up in 1945 when he has 18. Describes post wartime Germany as a very scary place full of ravaged angry soldiers who had been to hell and back, and didnt really care who they upset waiting to be de-mobbed.

Ended up as an Sergeant Major on Centurions, spent a lot of time in post war Germany blowing things up, as nobody really cared.


Claim to fame, he did the ceremonial Sgts mess guard of honour for the marriage of Diana Spencers father, who was an officer in the Greys.






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T66

posted on 8/1/12 at 06:59 PM Reply With Quote
Twybrow - Thanks for that reply.






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JoelP

posted on 8/1/12 at 07:00 PM Reply With Quote
My grandpa was a chef, though ive no idea where he served. Only thing i remember him saying about it was a joke about how, if you looked round at the dinner table, someone would pinch food off your plate!

Saw a poem on difflock the other day, which brought a tear to my eye...:




THE FINAL INSPECTION

The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

'Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you ?
Have you always turned the other cheek ?
To My Church have you been true?'

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

'Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'





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mark chandler

posted on 8/1/12 at 07:09 PM Reply With Quote
Not a relative, as I apprentice I worked with a chap who worked on the UK radar installations, got six pence extra for climbing up to the top.

He had no fear of heights, he worked on tea clippers before the war, on top of one of those in a force ten gale got rid of that !

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spiderman

posted on 8/1/12 at 07:12 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by JoelP

Saw a poem on difflock the other day, which brought a tear to my eye...:

+1.

I have worked with the military most of my working life and still do as a civilian. Not always well behaved in polite society but will always stand up to be counted when the chips are down and things get a little uncomfortable for those less willing.


THE FINAL INSPECTION

The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

'Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you ?
Have you always turned the other cheek ?
To My Church have you been true?'

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

'Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'






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andrew.carwithen

posted on 8/1/12 at 07:15 PM Reply With Quote
My paternal grandfather (god rest his soul) was involved in the liberation of Belsen concentration camp.
When I was a teenager, I remember him showing me photos he had taken of the terrible scenes he had encountered there. They were truly horrific and brought home to me just what attrocities and brutality human beings are capable of committing upon others in wartime.
I seem to recall that he was Mentioned In Dispatches but I don't know if that was in relation to this or another campaign.

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dray13dad

posted on 8/1/12 at 07:33 PM Reply With Quote
My Grandfather was engineer on HMS Hood he's office was next door to amo store when it was hit by bismark, big shame really cos Hood never had a steel deck (was on the queey side waiting to be fitted when she came back.
Secound thing was my grandfather was not supposed to be on the hood he should have been on the york but he and mate swapped cos my grandfather knew more about hoods engines.like so many people my father never knew or got to see his dad which i think he still really regrets even after 70yrs.

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T66

posted on 8/1/12 at 07:35 PM Reply With Quote
Amazing just from the replies we have so far, what breadth of experiences our parents/grand parents families dealt with in their younger years.









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Ben_Copeland

posted on 8/1/12 at 07:38 PM Reply With Quote
My Grandfather was on the guns at Dover Port, he was first line of defence against any invading forces...

What he didnt find out till after the war was that the guns higher up on the cliffs were aimed at his position, incase the germans go too close - The higher guns were under orders to blow up the lower guns if the germans landed. Gulp.





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dave

posted on 8/1/12 at 07:43 PM Reply With Quote
I lost a few Great Uncles in the 2nd war, Both Grandads where in the Royal Scots. My Dad got kicked out 4 months after he joined in 1944 cos he was only 14 years old. I think he lied on his application. My family never really talk about it though. I'm the only one in the fsmily who hasn't joined up (to late now)
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