What did your family do in WW2?

[Sethik]

Wow we should have a "what did your family do in ww2" thread as everyone seems to have vets in their family.

As mention in thed WW2 theater thread.



Since I am Russian almost all my grand-relatives (grandfathers, grand uncle (is that even a word?), etc.) served in the military during the war. Unfortunatly I don't know what specific units they served in.

My maternal grandfather was a career officer and went to military school for artillary officers. He served on almost all the fronts in the war and was never injured (except for one case when he stood too close to an artillary piece that went off.) When the war was over he was 22 and a Major. He eventually worked his way up to Lt. Colonel but was never given a Generalship because he was Jewish.

My paternal grandfather enlisted as an infantrymen. I don't know much about his experiences as he doesn't like to talk about them. He lost his brother in the war.

My mother's uncle lost his leg when an artillary piece hit him. He was considered a hero when he came home and eventually became a Judge. I don't know much else since I wasn't close to him.

My maternal grandmother died when my mother was young and my grandfather remarried. The woman he married lost her brother and father in the war. Her brother was in the airforce and was shot down somewhere in Yugoslavia I think.

So what did your relatives do during WW2?

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

My Paternal Grandfather was too young, my Maternal Grandfather served as a first mate in the Merchant navy, on several different ships. He was offered a captaincy after the war, but was unable to accept it due to developing stomach ulcers.

[Kaiser of Arabia]

Great uncle served for the Vaterland on the western front in France, got captured and died after the war. No damn medals or nothin/

[PanzerJaeger]

My paternal grandfather commanded a Panzer IV on the eastern front as part of the 11th panzer division of the Wehrmacht. He fought in battles to rescue the trapped soldiers of Stalingrad and then around Rostov where he recieved an iron cross with no specialties. He was killed at Kursk taking the high ground around Butovo.

My maternal grandfather was a low level supply officer for the Kriegsmarine. His brother was in the 3rd SS Totenkopf and all i know of him was that he was killed around Demyansk Pocket (he isnt spoken of very often ~;) ).

Various other members of the family were in the German armed forces, but nothing very special apparently as no one remembers too much about their history in the military.. or mabey they dont want to remember? ~:confused:

[IrishMike]

One Grandfather was a medic, in the Western Europe Campaign for US. Was their from D-day to the end. The other one made tanks back in the states due to health problems. I know for sure, I wouldn't have wanted to be a medic.

[Red Harvest]

One side of the family served as U.S Marines in the Pacific and all survived despite some near fatal wounds, the other side served primarily in the Royal Canadian Air Force (lost 2 distant relatives that way.)

[Togakure]

My mom was a little girl in Sapporo, Japan. She didn't talk much about what happened during the war, but I do remember her saying that they were very, very hungry and cold much of the time. I also remember the distant and pained look on her face when she said that.

I honestly don't know what was going on on my father's side during WWII. My dad served in Japan after the Korean War (where I was conceived and born).

[soda]

Both my grandfathers were part of the British Indian army. My maternal grandfather was a second leftanant at the start of the war and was promoted 2 steps to Captain because several men above him died. He served in Iraq (putting down a rebellion) and then went to North Africa. He was actually heading towards Singapore when secret messages were recieved overnight and his division (or whatever the group was called) was transferred to Iraq. Singapore was captured by the Japanse several days later and a few of his friends and I believe a somewhat distant cousin were killed or tortured.

My paternal grandfather was a bit younger but he was part of the airforce and served in Burma against the Japanse. I don't know if he saw combat since he died when my father (jet fighter accident) was a young boy so my knowledge of him is somewhat limited.

[hrvojej]

Both of my grandfathers were mostly in jail. First imprisoned by the Nazis, then by the communists. Such is life.

[BalkanTourist]

Bulgaria joined the Axis in 1941 as there was a 600,000 German army across the Danube in Romania. As a result Bulgaria declared war on Britain, the USA, and the USSR. When the Red Army entered NorthEastern Bulgaria in autumn of 1944, there was a millitary coup overnight and a new government was established that declared war on Germany while we were still technically at war with the other Great Powers. The German Army was already withdrawing from Bulgaria when the Red Army entered, but the Bulgarian Army was ordered to attack whatever German forces were left. My paternal great grandfather enlisted as a volunteer and fought the Germans all the way to Drava River in Hungary. My great great grandfather fought in WW1 against the Greeks, French and the English in Macedonia and Albania.

[Rosacrux redux]

Both my grandfathers served in the Greek army during WW2. My maternal grandfather saw lots of action, he was a Lt. in a division that fought the Italians in the Albanian front. After the surrender to the Germans, he fled the country to the middle east and served as an officer in the Greek Army in Exile.

After the war, he returned to Greece and served in the mine clearing detachments - that's how he got killed - cleaning a minefield. He got a couple of medals for his actions.

My paternal grandfather didn't see much action, although he was drafted and served in a division near Trikala when the Germans entered Greece. During the occupation he joined the resistance and after the war he also was killed when cleaning a minefield (Greece was literally full of mines). Despite that, he got no medal. Not even post mortem.

A funny twist of fate, that both my grandparents died in a minefield, during peace times.

[Drag0nUL]

My grandfather served in the Romanian army, more specific in the 1st(and only) armoured division as a tank radio operator. I later heard form my grandmother(he died when I was quite young) that he had received a german decoration but he had to give it away when the communist asked him to.

[cegorach]

My family came from eastern part of Poland which are presently middle Belorussia and western Ukraine.

My grandfather (father's side) luckily wasn't taken to Katyn ( he was able to hide the fact that he was an officer during the war in 1919-1920), so he survived, but had to escape with my grandmather and my 1 year old father before the ethnic cleansing of 1943-1946 in western Ukraine.

About the orther part of my family I don't know much. ~:cheers:

[English assassin]

My paternal grandfather was born with a withered arm so he didn't serve.

My maternal grandfather was a shipwright at Chatham Naval Dockyard. Got married in December 1939, got shipped to Alexandria Dockyard in Egypt in early 1940, didn't see my grandmother (or England) again until 1946.

Spent the years in between mending battle damaged destroyers and trying to stop Egyptians nicking his tools, by his account.

My female relatives got bombed quite a lot, living near Chatham dockyard. One was blown right through her house once. However they all survived that, although the NHS subsequently managed what Hitler couldn't and killed two of them.

[Ash]

WWII wasn't a popular discussion in our family.

The only stories I've heard from my grandfather (who died when I was fairly young) was that he served with the Dutch mobile artillery in 1940.

Now you have to imagine that the Dutch army was in bad shape before the war. The government believed Germany would respect her neutrality as they had done in WWI. The army was equiped with bicycles and horse-drawn carts, and could not even begin to compete with the motorized modern Wehrmacht. We didn't have much of an airforce.

My grandfather rode around the horse-drawn artillery pieces. Dunno if he also did the AA-guns.
At any rate, the Wehrmacht quickly overwhelmed the small, poorly equiped Dutch army, mainly because the politicians in the Hague refused to believe to that Germany would invade (despite reports of troops rallying at our borders), and so refused to order 'code red'. At least until the Germans were already in the country the next day.

My grandfather (after being discharged by the Germans) later served in the resistence and apparently shipped illegal refugees and equipement by sea beween Holland and Norway. He was eventually caught in Norway and sent to a workcamp in Poland.
He almost died there but fortunately was liberated by the Russians in 1945.

Details are sketchy at best as he refused to talk about it. I guess we'll never know what really happened to him in the war years.

[TheSilverKnight]

My paternal grandfather never joined up in the UK Army or Navy or Air-Force, but he served in the Civilian Defence (Home Guards), where he was stationed in York and met my grandmother.

My maternal great-grandfather fought in Europe and Africa as an infantry officer right below Monty from '42-'45.
In '45 he discovered a landmine in Germany, and it blew his leg off, crippling him, but it never bothered him. This was after the end of the war in Europe, around June, 1945, if I remember correctly.

Ahh...I always loved hearing war stories from him. ~:cheers:

[lars573]

My paternal grandfather was in the Canadian signal corps. I'm positive he was part of D-day, not sure if he was in Italy or not. Anyway grand-dad was a real shutter bug, being in the rear with the gear gave him a lot of time to take pictures of stuff. He had (he died 2 years ago) 3 wartime photo albums. Where in he has picture of himself at the base in England dated about Febuary-May 1944. The albums are also full of pictures of V1 strikes on London, there is even a picture of a dud V1 sticking out of a building. Another dud V1 landed flat on it's belly in a field and he has a picture of that too.

My biological maternal grand father died when my mom was 8 months old from a blood disorder in '56. The man who raised my mother (her uncle) who I think of as my grand father was a merchant marine, that is he served on cargo ships. I get the impression he served in the Indian ocean running supplies to British forces in the east. He even caught malaria and was in a hospital in Alexandria for 6 months where he says they fed him nothing but goat cheese, consequently he can't even look at the stuff now.

[Byzantine Prince]

My paternal grandfather was captured on communist charges while he was in northern Epirus and sent to Mauthausen concentration camp(north of Vienna) where he was nearly starved. Then in a great way the red army stormed theplace and he was able to flee. He always hated Austrians beyond belief from that experience. Well after he fleed he had to walk all the way down to southern albania, crossing croatia, yugoslavia, and kosovo. This is by foot! On my mother's side not much really, my grandmother was considered royalty and my grandfother was a capitalist trader so they didn't see much action. Overall it was a pretty crappy time to be alive, especially in the Balkans where hundreds of thousands of people were starved to death.

[Yorkshireman]

My Grandfather was an anti-fascist who enlisted in the British Terrortorial Army (Royal Art) in 1938. At the outbreak of war he was sent to Egypt and fought against the Italians and then German Africa Corp until the their surrender and the end of the North African campaign. From there he moved through the Middle East to India and fought against the Japannese in Burma. He left home in England in 1939 and returned in 1945.
During the 6 years my grandmother waited for his return she worked as a tram conducteress.

[Mount Suribachi]

My maternal grandfather was a Military Policeman in the 30s, left before the war started and bizarrely wasn't called up again when war started ~:confused:

My step-mums dad was in the Royal Navy and his brother was a tail gunner on Whitleys and was killed in 1940 ~:(

My wifes grandfather was a Concientious Objector on religious grounds, he was one of those Christians who refused to fight because he "couldn't imagine Jesus with a machine gun". Being a concientious objector in wartime Britain took a hell of a lot of bravery - you were liable to be locked up and I know his family were persecuted by the local community for not "doing their bit". Whilst I don't necessarily agree with his position, I certainly have some sympathy for it.

My paternal grandfather joined the RAF in 1935 as an engine mechanic. He worked on Spitfires for most of the war, starting in N Africa, then the battle of Britain, then back to N Africa, then the invasion of France. He ended the war in Germany working on the new jet engined Meteors. He stayed in the RAF until 1970, working on Hunters, Javelins and Canberras. Words cannot express my pride in his wartime service :bow:

[Hurin_Rules]

My one grandfather ran a factory in Scotland, the other drove a truck, but my great uncles served in the British Army. Both fought in the Italian campaign. My one uncle escaped relatively lightly but my other uncle was wounded and captured by the Germans. He spent over a year in a German POW camp. But neither of them would talk about their experiences unless they were completely drunk, so I don't really know all the details. Sad, really.

[doc_bean]

Belgium didn't put up much of a fight, both of my grandfathers were ordered to go to Germany to work there, one came back within a week claiming there was no work and it was stupid and pointless, he was a farmer and had a business to run, the other stayed there for a while, since he died before I as born I don't know anything about him really, and since the other one died when I was 4, I don't know all that much about him either.

[Tricky Lady]

My paternal grandfather was a truck driver in the Belgian army at the time of Germany's invasion in 1940. He was captured and was a prisoner of war for a month or seven. Then the Germans released him and he could return home.
He spent the war doing thousand-and-one different jobs to survive...
At the end of the war he hid (sp?) two American soldiers (parachuteers??) who seemed to have been dropped a bit off-site (they were supposed to fight in Arnhem). Not really that heroic as at that moment the Germans were already practically gone :grin2:
In 1940, when my grandfather was driving trucks and fleeing in face of the Germans, my grandmother got kicked out of her house by Germans. She tried to escape to France with her mother, her 6-month old baby and her younger sister, but all of you who know their history know that fleeing to France in 1940 was not really a good idea. They didn't make it and returned to their home town after two months. They were lucky to find their homes "unpillaged".

My other grandfather was too young when the war broke out (he didn't fight as a soldier as he was only 17 in 1940). The Germans ordered him to work in the port of Antwerp at the end of the war. When the Germans retreated he was considered as a "collaborator" and put in jail. A few weeks later he was ordered to clean up the dead bodies of Canadians and Germans who fought in a battle near my home town (Germans trying to stop the allied "reconquest").
He usually doesn't talk that much about this period; he is very bitter about what happened. I don't really know what I should think about it. It is very possible that he picked the "wrong" side :disappointed:

None of my grand-parents are really keen on Germans. Still. A sentiment that is not shared by me ~;)

[doc_bean]

He usually doesn't talk that much about this period; he is very bitter about what happened. I don't really know what I should think about it. It is very possible that he picked the "wrong" side :disappointed:

A lot of people are bitter about that period, Belgium also had two kinds of resistances, a socialist one and a catholic one, after the war, members of one would often accuse members of the other of collaboration, a lot of innocent people were 'punished' when we were liberated.

[Tricky Lady]

A lot of people are bitter about that period, Belgium also had two kinds of resistances, a socialist one and a catholic one, after the war, members of one would often accuse members of the other of collaboration, a lot of innocent people were 'punished' when we were liberated.

That's indeed what my grandfather claimed in the few times that I heard him talk about that period. But there's just too little info for me to know what I should think about it. I'll probably never know it...

[Red Harvest]

My grandparents are still rather bitter about the Japanese as well and less so about the Germans...but I don't share the sentiment. (They rarely say anything bad about Japan, but long ago when I started buying Japanese cars and trucks and shunned the shoddy stuff the "Big 3" were putting out, they weren't terribly happy over it. Probably didn't help that one branch of the family worked for Ford.) ~;)

An irony about WWII: My grandparents and their siblings were Great Depression children and very nearly starved in the U.S. One set of clothes, not much to eat, working hard as children to raise a few cents a week for food. So while much of the rest of the world suffered horribly through the various ravages of war, things actually improved for them (although they wouldn't describe it that way.)

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Ours survived... We weren't engaged in the war but our "government" (literarily dictators until 1950) were pro-fascist until late '43 and maybe even later. Due to the fresh memories of the previous war and proceedings, the people were basically "German sympathizers" but of course nobody knew about the Holocaust and other stuff by then. (There was no free press at all, everything was under censorship.) People were not to be blamed. The British sank a vessel of ours in the Mediterranean to force us into the war against the Germans and people recognized enough about it before the censorship managed to cover up etc. etc...

Many basic substances were unavailable, the most (in)famous being sugar shortage. My father (b. 1937) still remembers many details. My mother was born after the war but its "circumstances" lasted until years later. My paternal grandfather used to be a minor local administrator by then and had a lot of things to tell us

Confliting actions were being carried on by the dictatorship. Some German refugees (Carl Ebert, Max Meinecke, Paul Hindemith, Friedrich Statzer...) were employed, while some "others" (Einstein!) were turned over. Some native Jewish businessmen were robbed and exiled using a specially invented tax law. Some Turks and Christians did suffer from it as well... (Later, in 1956, an allegedly government sponsored wave of violence now called the "September 6/7th events" caused lives and properties of several Christians. Although it was the Greeks who were targetted, Armenians did suffer too. As a result, thousands of Greeks gradually migrated from the contry. Now, an estimated total of 900 [nine hundred] are living in Turkey.)

Anyway, the war marked the end of the literary dictatorship (but NOT the overdomination of the military caste, which is still as valid as it has been since 1908) and introduced a pseudo-democracy. Social classes started to break and melt down into each other gradually, "citizenship" and "civility" began to decay... Today that "process" is complete, hence my profile location...
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[BalkanTourist]

Hey, 900 Greeks in Turkey is better than 0 Turks in Greece. According to the Greek government, there are no minorities in Greece. Anyway, I thought that the issue was resolved after the Greko-Turksih War in the twenties, when some tremendous blunders on behalf of the Greek general (can't think of his name) caused the loss of Smyrna (Izmir) and the surrounding area which was primerally inhabited by Greeks. After the peace treaty both countries swapped thier minorities.
Had Turkey joined the Axis the Russian situation would have worsened tremendously, but that's a different topic.

[Stefan the Berserker]

Grand-Grandfather Preilowski was an high Officer in WW2, due to he served as a very young man in WW1. He was deployed on the western Front with the Invasion of France, Garisson of France and later lead Battles in Belgium against the US-Army. He was captured there.

Grand-Grandfather Gutschmitt was assasinated by the Nazis, because he was a Member of the SPD.

Grand-Grandfather Holz was temporary imprisioned because he had been KPD-Member prior to 1933 (But left the Party in fear when Hitler came to Power).

My Grandfather Hubert Holz was, as all Youth in his age, forced to join the Hitlerjugend. He was seduced by Nazipropaganda in this time, even saw Hitler himself during a Parade in Berlin. Due to the Hitlerjugend was susidiary of the NSDAP he was promoted as a young politician and "youthleader" of the Region resulting in he was promised the Rang of Luitanant when he became Adult. When third Reich ordered the Frontusage of the Hitlerjugend (however they were a youth Militia and assisted Garisons prior to it) he and the Boys under his Leadership (the most of those 14-16 aged Boys ignored the adult Officer) were formed into a Espionage Company and recieved Krads and Aufklärer 38(t). However they where deployed on the Eastern Front and had terrible encounter a Platoon of T34/86. The Adult Officer ordered to attack (a bit displaced), my Grandfather ordered Retreat and Inform the Battalion-HQ. Resulting in the adult one tried to shoot him, which ended his loyalities to the Nazis. The Boys did retreat, but due to some followed the order where smashed. As after that Event the adult Officer got right, the remaining Equipment was given to an exile romanian Company. The Boys should be punished by only fighting as Infantry aslong as they are all dead. However that did happen, may Grandfather and few others survived because they were injured.

[Longshanks]

My paternal grandfather was in the US Army, he was badly wounded in France and walked with a slight limp for the rest of his life. He was the only son in his family. He did have a cousin that was a tanker in Europe, but I don't know much about him.

I'm not sure what my paternal grandmother did during the war.

My maternal grandfather was also in the US Army, and fought in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. He was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery at Anzio. His oldest brother was a B-24 crewman in the 8th Air Force. The youngest brother was in the Marines and fought at Peleliu and Okinawa. He was killed in action during the battle of Okinawa.

My maternal grandmother went to work in a factory that manufactured parachutes.

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Nothing was solved. It was/has been total tyranny for both populations. :no:

Facts and politics... The Greek government deny the Turkish population; there are a lot of them. The Turkish government deny the Armenian genocide; directly or indirectly the proto-fascist "Union and Progress Party" caused around 400,000 Armenians' death post 1915. The Armenians claim a one sided genocide; no, almost equal number of Muslims were massacred by the Armenian paramilitary in WWI...

:no:
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[thrashaholic]

My Paternal Grandfather joined up during the middle of the war (too young at the start) as a wireless operator for the RAF where he served in West Africa (Nigeria I think) and later in Holland once it had been liberated.

My Maternal Grandfather was a research scientist and consequently not allowed to fight (he worked on technology to do with telecommunications I believe). He lived in London, so enlisted as an air-raid warden instead of fighting.

One of my great uncles (I don't know anything about the others) fought in the Royal Navy as well, but I don't know very much about that.

[Craterus]

My maternal grandfather was too young.
My paternal grandfather joined the British Navy for WW2.

[SwordsMaster]

My paternal grandfather was a sapper up until 1943 in the Stalingrad area, and then was given his natural place: on a plane. He was a fighter pilot for the rest of the war, was never injured and made it to captain of the red army despite being spanish.

My maternal grandgreat grandather died as he tried to escape a german prison somewhere in the Ukraine, he was a partisan, he was shot dead. My grandfather then, worked for the partisans, then served in the army as an infantryman and came back to partisaning. When the red army liberated the Ukraine, he settled down in Kazakhstan and married.

My maternal grandmother was deported by Stalin to Kazakhstan because she had a polish-german parents and was considered "suspicious" by the regime.

My paternal grandmother was in artillery logistics (I´m not quite sure what she did exactly), but also received a medal.

[Red Harvest]

-
The Turkish government deny the Armenian genocide; directly or indirectly the proto-fascist "Union and Progress Party" caused around 400,000 Armenians' death post 1915. The Armenians claim a one sided genocide; no, almost equal number of Muslims were massacred by the Armenian paramilitary in WWI...



Most estimates I've seen were in the 1.5 million range. A rather one sided affair. I'm fairly skeptical of claims by Turkey on this issue regarding casualties inflicted by Armenians. It is a bit too convenient to point to likely inflated claims of Turkish casualties to justify genocide (no I'm not talking about you personally, Mouzaphaerre, I am very skeptical of likely sources.) It seems little better than trying to point out casualties from various Native American uprisings to justify the systematic elimination of them, violations of treaties with them, and confiscation of their lands in the U.S.

[Mouzafphaerre]

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I'm fairly skeptical of claims by Turkey on this issue regarding casualties inflicted by Armenians. It is a bit too convenient to point to likely inflated claims of Turkish casualties to justify genocide (no I'm not talking about you personally, Mouzaphaerre, I am very skeptical of likely sources.)Not claims... The concrete evidence is right there. Even witnesses (of the "both" ways) still survive.

The trouble is, both governments (+ Armenian diaspora) are running a dirty war of propaganda/counter-propaganda, among which history -at best- remains unnoticed.

The accounts are most probably exaggarated by both sides, but the facts and their memories are there.
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[GoreBag]

I never understood the deal with the Armenian genocide. Sure, there were casualties on both ends, but neither side will admit to systematic elimination. Why not? The Spanish did it, the English did it, the Germans did it, the Americans did it...most of them got away with it. I don't see the situation as ever resolving better than a write-off, as unjust as that may seem.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

My grandmother on my father's side worked in a factory and my grandfathe ron my father's side was about to enter the war as a B-17 pilot when the war ended.
My other grandparents didn't do anything that I am aware of I think my grandfather had a medical condition and I have never met my other grandmother.

[soda]

It's fascinating how almost everyone's grandparents were involved in the war someway or another. Of course the majority of people posting here are from either North America, Europe or Asia, the three continents mainly affected by the war. (I don't think anyone said they were from north Africa).

[GoreBag]

Oh, right, my family. Well, the side of my family whose surname I bear were both doctors in WWI (great grandfather and great grandmother). They met in this time. Around the WWII time period, they got the hell out of Europe.
In other branches of my family tree, there was an artillerist, and the rest fought almost exclusively in the Canadian Navy, although I was told an interesting story, once, that said that I had not-so-distant relatives fighting on both sides of the battle surrounding the sinking of the Bismarck.

[Watchman]

I know my maternal grandfather was drafted in -39 to take part in the rather desperate Winter War (also sometimes known as the Finno-Soviet War) against the USSR, as were about all the young men that could be scrounged up. I know he also served as a junior officer (squad leader level) in what we usually call the Continuation War (-41 to -44; Finland signed up for Operation Barbarossa and eventually made a spearate peace with the USSR when everything was going to Hell - after which we were promptly obliged to chase the several hundred thousand German troops remaining in the northern part of the country into Norway).

I don't think he's ever talked about it in the family. Ever. But he has written some war memoirs. A lot of veterans did, just to cope with the memories. I've read one of those, a pretty gripping account of experiencing an artillery barrage.

I know very little of my paternal grandfather, but apparently he managed to weasel his way out of the uniform. Go figure. Not an entirely stupid thing to do, mind you.

And I've heard my maternal uncle's father-in-law served as an army sniper. He's apparently been none too talkative about it either (small wonder), and even his memoirs studiously avoid the subject. One gets the impression the job sort of got to him.

[Serpent]

My father was young boy when war started and he moved Sweden to safety.
His father died by grenade during winter war. ( same war as the Watchman told about)

He was considered as hero. Also my other grandfather was in war as an young boy....17-19... Im 19 ~:cool: . He just said that it was insane and horrible time in his life. He also hopes that I don't have to go through the same thing.As do I.

My maternal grandmother was serving army as an one of the Lotta.

Here is link for Lotta:

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Lotta+Sv%C3%A4rd&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1

[ShadesWolf]

MY Paternal Grandfather was deaf from a mining accident, so could not join up, he was part of the home guard and a fireman.

My Maternal Grandfather, was to be part of the invasion force for the landings in Japan. He was stationed in Northern Scotland, He never saw active service.

MY Grandmothers both worked in weapon factories.

My Maternal Uncle fought the Japanese in Burma and was awarded the Burma star.

To many details to go into here.

I have no details of my Great Grandparents, except my Paternal Great Grandfather took part in the first world war

[Hosakawa Tito]

My father's oldest brother was lost at sea in the North Atlantic serving on a Liberty ship making a supply run to Great Britain in 1943. The next eldest brother served in the Army Air Corps as a mechanic. His eldest sister worked in the KABAR knife factory in Olean NY. My paternal grandfather worked for the Kendall Oil Co. in Bradford PA as a well inspector, many of which were in the woods surrounding the family homestead. As a boy, my Dad collected scrap metal for the war effort and dug a drainage trench (at a penny per foot/3 feet deep) for the construction of a regional airport in the Smethport PA area. He saved his money $150 to buy his first horse.

[Rising_General]

My Grandfather stormed the beaches of Normandy, fought on Omaha beach, his best friend was ripped apart by machine gun fire right beside him. He lied about his age and joined when he was 17. after Normandy he went to calia and worked as a u-boat engineer. After the war he left with a purple heart and I believe a silver star. He does not like to share his memories of it. but to me, he and every other Allied soldier that died will always be a hero to me.


JS,


"No dumb bastard ever won a war by dieing for his country, he did it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his" -General George Patton

[Craterus]

My grandfather does not like to talk about his WW2 experiences as part of the British Navay so I don't know where he was during the time or what he did. I guess it will always be a mystery.

[Don Corleone]

My maternal grandfather worked in the postal exchange in the Atlantic Navy. Nice work, if you can get it. ~D One of his brothers was a submariner. The other was a real hero, he was a paratrooper and dropped into Normandy on D-Day. He got a Silver Star because he and his guys defended a convent from the Nazis when they tried to pull out through their grounds. As my mom's family is all Catholic, of Irish descent, so as you can imagine in my family, he achieved diety status. He was even knighted by the pope.

My paternal grandfather was actually rather old. He fought in WWI in the infantry. I know he was at Verdun and a couple of other places, he was really, really quiet on the details. By the time WWII came around, he was in his 40s and had just gotten married and had a kid, so he got an exemption.

A man I grew up calling Grampa (very close family friend) was a radioman on a B-27 crew. Flew 35 sorties.

[pariya]

grandfather was a major cornal .......... lifelong officer .... retired through the army..
won a bunch of medals ect.

had a bunch of other realatives who served as either infantrymen or low ranking officers

don't know much about all of them tho

[Brenus]

My grand father wasn't mobilised as soldier during WW2. Being a member of the french railway, he was kept on this duty. Trains must work. Being in the French Communist Party (the underground one, like my grand mother) and a unionist, he organised within the FTPF (Francs Tireurs Partisans Francais) sabotage actions and ambushes. I was very young when he died, but my grand mother told me about the resistance when I was doing my home work.
I know that his reseau (net?) attacked the Gestapo HQ in Bourg en Bresse, where they found the list of all the French collaborators... My uncle still has his Webley, parachuted by the British.
My mother still remember that she told to shut-up and to be at the same natural but careful...
My grand father escape from a killing in my village just by luck. He eared people speaking russian so he jumped in the ditch and flee... I made some research about that, but no russian troops were stationed in the region. I finally conclude, but without hard evidence that it was probably the SS from the SS Division Handshar (Croats and Muslim from Bosnia and Croatia), wich was in training in the Puy de Dome, not so far, who did the job.
My father was young but was used as courier, and carried explosive and weapons. I still don't know if it is the family legend or real facts...
My grand father refused all medal, except the one for work...
My father earned his medals in Vietnam (Indochina, at this moment) where he served from 1948 to 1951... But that is an other story...
I am proud of my grand father choice, even if it was his choice and nothing to do with me.

[Redleg]

My dad's father was a Navy SeaBee who won The Bronze Star for valor on Siapan - it cost him over a year in Navy hospitals recovering from his wounds.

My mother's father was a Field Artillery Observer in a piper cub in Europe - and he rarely talked about the war - but he also recieved a medal for valor.

My mother's uncle was a tank platoon leader in Patton's Army.

[Stefan the Berserker]

Grand-Grandfather Preilowski was an high Officer in WW2, due to he served as a very young man in WW1. He was deployed on the western Front with the Invasion of France, Garisson of France and later lead Battles in Belgium against the US-Army. He was captured there.

Grand-Grandfather Gutschmitt was assasinated by the Nazis, because he was a Member of the SPD.

Grand-Grandfather Holz was temporary imprisioned because he had been KPD-Member prior to 1933 (But left the Party in fear when Hitler came to Power).

My Grandfather Hubert Holz was, as all Youth in his age, forced to join the Hitlerjugend. He was seduced by Nazipropaganda in this time, even saw Hitler himself during a Parade in Berlin. Due to the Hitlerjugend was susidiary of the NSDAP he was promoted as a young politician and "youthleader" of the Region resulting in he was promised the Rang of Luitanant when he became Adult. When third Reich ordered the Frontusage of the Hitlerjugend (however they were a youth Militia and assisted Garisons prior to it) he and the Boys under his Leadership (the most of those 14-16 aged Boys ignored the adult Officer) were formed into a Espionage Company and recieved Krads and Aufklärer 38(t). However they where deployed on the Eastern Front and had terrible encounter a Platoon of T34/86. The Adult Officer ordered to attack (a bit displaced), my Grandfather ordered Retreat and Inform the Battalion-HQ. Resulting in the adult one tried to shoot him, which ended his loyalities to the Nazis. The Boys did retreat, but due to some followed the order where smashed. As after that Event the adult Officer got right, the remaining Equipment was given to an exile romanian Company. The Boys should be punished by only fighting as Infantry aslong as they are all dead. However that did happen, may Grandfather and few others survived because they were injured.

To quote myself and add:

Maternal Grandfather was too young, but also forced to join Hitlerjugend. His Parents applied Membership in the SS for him and enlisted him for an SS-Grammarschool. He fled from the GDR in the 50s

After 1945 the Socialist/Communist part of the Family living in the GDR became SED-Members, while the ex-Nazi part and SPD-group in western Germany joined Ardenauer's Policy. However, as far as I can reconstruct my familyhistory (until 1888), there's the paradoxon that we have no moderates. My Anchestors where either Left or Right Extremists and have a strange "ambition" to apply for Leadership...

Dang! They're all like me! :dizzy2:

[cunobelinus]

my great grandad was a commader

[Gawain of Orkeny]

My father was an anti aircraft gunner on a tanker and my Uncle was in the OSS and served in europe mostly in the balkans. He speaks many dialects of German as well as 7 other languages and now lives in Greece.

[Lord of the Scotts]

They went to the US from Ireland(I think about that time.

[Craterus]

my great grandad was a commader

In WW1 or WW2?

Where was your grandfather stationed?

[Browning]

One my grandpa was killed on the last day of the Siege of Warsaw in 1939. He was the commander of an AA gun on the Polish side.

The other grandpa was a Polish infantry officer and he was hiding 1939-1945 in the hills along with his son (my uncle) fighting the Germans guerilla way.

His other son, my father, was too young for that thus he stayed in Warsaw and... was educated by the Germans to be a very good engineer.

In fact, we are (partially) of German descent...

[Franconicus]

My familiy is German. My parents are both born in 1940, so they were 4 when war was over.

My father's father was wounded in WW1. He was a policeman. I do not know what kind of police. There were many different kinds those days. More or less all of them did bad things. My fathers family ended the war near the frontier of Austria. My aunt still remembers that they went into the mines when the town was bombed. My grandfather was in a prisoner camp after the war. When he returned my father didn't accept him because he didn't know him!

My mother's father didn't go to military because he had 7 children. His oldest son was 15 when the war was over. He fought for AAA for the last months and was the POW.

There is a story about my grandfather. He was a manufacturer (chiseler). One day he saw children throughing stones at a women, who was Jewish. He told them to stop doing that. Next day the leader of the local NS party (who was in the same music club he was) told him that he had to leave the town immidiatly. So he moved with his family the same day. He managed to find a job and to feed his children somehow. They moved to Augsburg. My uncle told me that he was attcked by US fighters on his way home from school. Augsburg in 2000 years old. It was destroit completly just before war was over. After the war my grandfather made good business - the family of the Jewish woman had left the country in time. They owned a factory and remembered my grandfather.

[Butcher]

All this is very interesting, especially to here from so many different countries.
Here's my two £'s:

My (Polish) Paternal Grandfather fought the Russians in '39 (in his own words, him and ten others were given a rifle and ten rounds and told to 'go stop them') upon which he escaped and made his way up through Spain to the U.K, where he joined the Polish Army there and served as a Tank Commander (again in his own words 'we were in Shermans, and everytime we saw a german Tank we just got out and ran because we knew it had seen us first'), Fighting through France with the Polish Armoured Division and ending up in Germany where he met my (German)-
Paternal Grandmother, who despite being rather young, was conscripted into the Luftwaffe as a radio operator (in her own words 'It was so sad to see all these young men fly off and none return, and to hear their screams in the radio as they were shot down') and was eventually posted to Berlin towards the end of the war. She ended up having to escape the advancing Russians and walked all the way to Denmark (3 weeks walk apparently) during which she was shot at (along with other refugees) by U.S planes, in one instance the bullet pinned her hair down to the ground.. nice! She then got sent back from Denmark to Germany to her family in a coal train, where she met her future husband who was billeted in her house.
Her father was a private in Von Paula's 6th Army, and was one of the lucky ones to come back from Russia in the 50's. Apparently they couldn't recognise him when he did, he had changed so much.

On the other side, my (Irish) Maternal Grandmother didn't do much apart from live in Ireland, until she met my (Dutch)-
Maternal Grandfather who was in The Netherlands when the Germans invaded, and joined the Dutch Resistance. As a Civil Engineer, he was a dab hand at blowing up bridges etc, until he was forced to flee to the U.K because apparently the Germans didn't like people doing that sort of thing. He then signed up with the Royal Engineers, became a Seargent. I don't know what he did after this, but do know he ended up having to sort out some concentration camps at the end of the war. He never got on with my German Grandma, unsurprisingly.

The interesting thing is that none of them had anything nice to say about the war, it was generally more unpleasant than we realise, and not something that they willingly went through.

[Petrus]

My maternal grand father was reserve lieutenant in the french artillery in 1940.

After the defeat as he was born in lorraine and refused to become german, he fled with his pregnant wife in portugal where my mother is born then managed to go to northern america. I don't know what happened then.

My paternal grandfather just died. He was born in 1898, when to war in 1917 and came back a year later heavily wounded by gazes. He survived after several long stays in sanatoriums. But with kraut's revival in 1940, there was a medical shortage and he could no more heal himself so he died in 1944 at the age of 46.

My maternal grand father's brother in law served in the wermacht on the east front where he was wounded and captured. He came back several years after the war's ending with a huge hate of russians and metal scraps in his legs that went out til his last days of life.

One of my maternal's uncles served as a sailor in the free french navy.

I don't know anything about relative's activitys during this war but none of the ones i have known accepted to speak about that, almost everything i know came from letters writen to family members, military papers, citations and medals.

[Petrus]

My maternal grand father was reserve lieutenant in the french artillery in 1940.

After the defeat as he was born in lorraine and refused to become german, he fled with his pregnant wife in portugal where my mother is born then managed to go to northern america. I don't know what happened then.

My paternal grandfather just died. He was born in 1898, when to war in 1917 and came back a year later heavily wounded by gazes. He survived after several long stays in sanatoriums. But with kraut's revival in 1940, there was a medical shortage and he could no more heal himself so he died in 1944 at the age of 46.

My maternal grand father's brother in law served in the wermacht on the east front where he was wounded and captured. He came back several years after the war's ending with a huge hate of russians and metal scraps in his legs that went out til his last days of life.

One of my maternal's uncles served as a sailor in the free french navy.

I don't know anything about other relative's activitys during this war but none of the ones i have known accepted to speak about that, almost everything i know came from letters writen to family members, military papers, citations and medals.

Sorry, i forgot words.

[tibilicus]

Any ones know or have grandparents who were in the thick of it i.e D.day or even more interesting anyone know or have relatives who were in Berlin in the final days of the war finishing of the Nazis?

[Somebody Else]

My grandfather ran a bookies from his artillery battery overlooking a racecourse in India.

[Kaiser of Arabia]

anyone know where I can get semi-accurate to accurate German rosters from WWII? I need to know what unit my great uncle served in ;) i know im pitiful

[Butcher]

Actually I agree, it would be interesting to find exactly who my great-grandad was with in Stalingrad.

[Kaiser of Arabia]

I need to know if he served with the Werhmacht or Waffen (hopefully the Waffen SS, they were elite), and his first name.
They're not that many palisch's out there. Not that many that served in france from a regiment from Burgenland/Styria and became an america POW in Texas.

[Slyspy]

My paternal grandfather served on corvettes escorting convoys to and from the States, Canada and Russia. Nasty business bobbing around in the Atlantic in a coatal patrol vessel!

His brother served on torpedo boats guarding the Channel, and was involved in various other coastal defence roles.

My paternal grandmother was a nurse and saw some terrible things on the wards in Haslar and other hospitals.

My maternal great-uncle saw remarkably little action in North Africa with the army. Rommel must have been scared of him lol!

Think my maternal grandfather was in the army too, but we don't talk about him. Families!

My maternal grandmother worked in some capacity on the railways, I forget what exactly.

PS

My maternal great grandfather served and died on the Western Front in WW1 as a sergeant in the artillery. He was killed by German artillery while he and others from his unit were on stretcher duty in the last year of the war. We have his medals, his tobacco tin (of all things) and the letter his CO wrote to his widow. He had never seen his youngest daughter, my grandmother.

[Lazul]

Well, being from sweden, i hardly have anything to say since nobody in my family went to finland like some swedes did.

But, my grandfather had one incident. Days after the germans invaded Norway he was send to guard the border to norway. Once they arrived Norwegian Artillery on trucks came driving in full speed not bothering to stop by the border and just drove further into Sweden screaming and pointing behind them.
My grandfather and his friends understod why soon after when several Panzers came hunting after artillery that just got away. The Panzers stop infront of them and then turned around without a word. (Panzer III or IV maybe?)
The thing is that the Swedish soldiers didnt have any weapons at that point due to logistic problems, only the officers had some small arms. And against Panzers, they had nothing, maybe a handgrande or two. ~:eek:

... good thing Germany hadnt declared war on Sweden or I wouldnt exist. :bow:

[xxrulerofswedenxx]

my grand mother mother hated the germans her son's ( donno who dose are xd) were wanted by the germans they escaped and fled . my stepfather his dad was in the ristance of belgium whil his dad's brother was an S.S er stationed in finland etc and fought at berlin in the final hours of the nazi reich after the war he was recruited for the precursor of the CIA and worked for them until 1947 . and my grand parent's from my mother side where to young they where born in 1944 so .:2thumbsup:

[rickinator9]

My mom said a few years ago that my grandfather used to steal german telephone poles for winter(for firewood). He was eventually caught and when he spoke to the german officer there, the officer was sympathetic and let him go.
My grandmother had people who were hiding from the germans. She was a farmers daugher, so when the dutch femine of 1944 began people from the cities came to her farm for food.

[HopAlongBunny]

My father served in the Naval Reserve here in Canada; his father served in the cavalry in WW1.

He would say very little about his service which was typical of most servicemen I met who served in WW2. I didn't even realize one person I knew my whole life had landed at Juno beach until I attended his funeral. A lot of amazing stories have died with that generation.

[Fisherking]

When I was growing up it seemed that every adult male with the exception of my Grandfathers (exempt because they were farmers) had been in one or another of the military services. Everything from Air Force to Marine Corps.

One aunt was a Nurse posted to England. Most of the women worked near home and were nurses or teachers.

One Uncle commanded a bomber squadron . One served with Pappy Boyington. One was a combat engineer who fought on New Guinea . One was a Marine who fought through most of the island campaigns. He said Tarawa was the worst of them all.

Some were at Normandy all the way to the occupation. Some from North Africa all the way to Italy at the end of the war.

It seemed as though someone was at every major battle fought by the Americans in the entire war.

One was killed on Bougainville.

For most of his service my dad was on one of the smallest ships in the navy, an LCI. Most of his stories were about the terrible storms in the Pacific. When the war ended he was in route to Japan with a full load of troops for Operation Olympic.

My wife is German. Her Grandfather was an Aircraft Engineer for Messerschmitt. He did a lot of the work on the Me 262. On the other side of her family they were ethnic Germans living in the Ukraine. Her grandfather was drafted into the Russian Army, given up for dead, and her Grandmother fled at the end of the war with 6 children, on foot from around Kiev all the way back to Germany. They arrived in Dresden and left there only hours before the bombing.

Most of her parents stories are of the hardships and privation during and after the war.

[edyzmedieval]

Great grandfather was a decorated veteran in the Romanian infantry in World War I, fought on the frontlines against the German troops.

Grandfather was a decorated veteran (Iron Cross and all) in the Romanian Air Force in World War II, Eastern Front.

[Fragony]

I suspect I don't don't have any good news from my mom side at least. My grandpa detested jews, I suspect he was NSB member but I never asked my grandma. He wasn't all that pleasant alltogether.

[Sp4]

A bunch of people from my family served in the military but I only know of my grand uncle, who served on the Eastern front and was captured and later let go. Another grand uncle was captured by Americans on D-Day and my grandfather was captured somewhere in Belgium.

[Jack50]

Nothing grand in my family although all three boys of my fathers side (my grandfather and 2 great uncles) served in Italy with the "Red Bull" division. They left Denmark in 1937 to come to America and then signed up in 1941. Were overseas by 1944 and basically just did their service. My father was born in 1941 and served in the Navy after high school on board a destroyer and I carried on with a tour of duty with the USMC in 1982. We all just thought it was part of being in our case an American, as it would to any other countries men who fought and served for their country.
My mothers' father was a railroadman and so was exempt from service as he was needed in the states to run trains across the country.

[Strike For The South]

Paternal Grandfather spoke Russian. He fought in Italy, and Overlord. Then after the war spent 6 years in the CIA interrogating Russians Was deployed to Korea when the unit he attached to was nearly obliterated. They sent him home after that.

Maternal Grandfather was an engineer on the Lexington.

Both of my grandfathers keep their medals in boxes in the basement. My paternal Grandfather hasn't spoken a word of Russian in 50 years, even with little Stirke begging him to.

[Zim]

Maternal grandfather was in the Pacific theater. He joked that his job was to guard laundry detergent, as he apparently stood guard over a depot for chemicals. He talked a lot more about his training than my other grandfather, intimating to us that he was told to stab prone enemies with his bayonet in case they were faking dead, among other things. Paternal grandfather fought in Germany. He won a medal for bravery but wouldn't talk about it. As he had German family I wasn't surprised he didn't like to discuss his actions in the war.

[Catiline]

Both Grandfathers were in reserved occupations, one as an engineer who repaired damaged aircraft, the other as a petrol tanker driver.

[The Lurker Below]

both my grandfathers had several young children and were not selected to serve.
my wifes grandpa was highly decorated for action in Italy. he refused to speak to anybody about it.

thanks for starting this thread OP, many very interesting stories shared here.

[drone]

Maternal grandfather flew bombers for the Army Air Force in the China-Burma-India theater. B-17s and B-24s mainly, but the CBI was on a shoestring budget with lots of improv, so he did lots of strange stuff besides delivering explosives. No idea what my paternal GF did, I don't think he served but I've never asked.

[TinCow]

As mentioned in another thread, my maternal grandfather served onboard the USS Sangamon, an escort carrier. He started as a Lieutenant in August 1942 and served throughout the war as one of the radar operators. Due to the top secret nature of radar at the time, he was required to carry cyanide with him to take his own life in the event that he was captured. He served on the USS Sangamon throughout the remainder of the war in the Pacific, and was present for several major battles. At Okinawa, the carrier was hit by a kamikaze attack (http://www.navsource.org/archives/03/cve-26/sangamon05.htm), which did severe damage to the ship. Fortunately, the fires were kept under control and the ship was able to make its way back to Pearl Harbor, where it was still located at the end of the war.

One of my maternal grandmother's cousins served in the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. I do not know much about what he did or where he served, but I recall being told that he was captured and spent several years in a Soviet POW camp, only returning to Germany several years after the war ended.

I do not know anything else about any other family members, though I think it is a fair assumption that distant relatives on my father's side perished in the Holocaust. His family came from Lodz, Poland around the turn of the century.

[Brandy Blue]

My maternal grandfather was a chemist who did some kind of secret work for the British. According to family legend he was involved in bomb design, but he never talked about his work, even to his wife, so I don't really know.

I don't know what my paternal grandfather did. My father hardly ever talks about his family, and I've never met them.

[Scurvy]

My paternal Great-Grandfather drove a truck, and his brother drove an ambulance. I think mainly in France.

My maternal Grandfather was a chef in North Africa

[Kagemusha]

My paternal Grandfather fought both in Winter and Continuation War´s.He was a pioneer. My maternal Grandfather fought on both wars also and he was a petty officer in infantry.
My paternal Grandfather stopped hunting after he had returned from Continuation War, by hear say he had stated that he had shot enough for one life time.

My maternal Grandfather died already when my mother was an infant, so i never met him, but based on the family talks of that side.He had lots of problems adjusting into normal life after the war and died rather young, apparently partially because of unhealthy life style.

[GenosseGeneral]

I need to know if he served with the Werhmacht or Waffen (hopefully the Waffen SS, they were elite) [...]
You better don't wish that... they were elites in terms of cruelty, murder and fanatism.

My grandfather maternal-side served in an infantry unit and was heavily wounded during the invasion of France. I heardhim once talking about lying left in a barn for hours and nearly bleeding to death, until he was finally found by a pair of medics. In winter 44/45 they had to flee from east Prussia from the Red Army. I think 1 or 2 of his brothers fell during the war and I think one of his siblings also died on the flight. Another great-uncle was a quite decorated soldier, however.

A great-aunt paternal side did serve as a secretary in the occupied Ukraine. God knows what orders she recorded... the area where she worked at a Jewish population of roughly 20000 before the war. Guess what was left over after the German troops left. My father said, even years after it (in the 60s/70s) she wanted him to listen to march music. There have been some more nazis in this branch of the family, i've seen quite some photos of people wearing Wehrmachts- or Hitler youth uniforms in an album.
My great-grandfather served in some kind of airborne unit. No parajumpers, however. They jumped ot of Ju53 flying very closely over fields.
My grandmother paternal side was a child at that time and was in Hamburg during the firestorm in 1943. Her legs were scarred for her whole life because she got burned. We still own the chinaware they could rescue in suitcase. It was all that was left for them.

[Whacker]

My maternal grandfather was in the US Army, I don't know a whole lot about him or what he did. I know he fought on Cebu, and at one point was trapped behind enemy lines for a week. He brought back a Japanese rifle that still had the Chrysanthemum on it, which mom gave me. Unfortunately he died of lung cancer long before I was born, and my maternal grandma is long since dead as well. Mom will have to tell me what she knows one of these days.

My paternal grandfather was a signalman and a cook, and he served on two destroyers in the Pacific, I don't have the names of them handy. Grandma gave me a lot of his stuff, including his tags, ribbons, pictures, a few other things. I haven't gone back and traced the deployments of the two ships he was on, but the family is most certain that he saw some action, probably against kamikazes, but he never talked about it. He was pretty messed up thoughout his life, dad wasn't on good terms with him so I never knew him or grandma too well, he died back in 2004. Dad and a good family friend who was in Vietnam both think that a lot of his problems were because of his experiences during the war.

[CountArach]

One of my great grandfathers served on the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea, where a lot of conscripts were sent (fun fact: Australian law prohibitted conscripts from serving overseas, but Papua new Guinea was technically considered part of Australia, so it was fair game to send conscripts there to fight the Japanese). All I know is that for years after the war he would wake up screaming and he didn't ever talk about it.

Other than that, not too much to report to the best of my knowledge. I know that another great grandmother and father had to flee Hungary because of rising anti-Semitism before the war, but what happened during the war I have never found out.

[InsaneApache]

Both grandads were too old to fight in WW II but my maternal grandad managed to get accepted by the RAF (He was an ex-British Indian Army sergeant) as they were still a relatively new branch of the armed forces they were a bit more flexible about age. He worked the barrage balloons in Heaton Park , Manchester.

I had an uncle and a great-uncle (both only dying this decade) who were at Dunkirk. The uncle went on to fight in the Royal Artillery and was one of the first into Belsen. The great-uncle was sent to the middle east and served in Mesopotamia. (Iraq)

My dad was only 16 when the war ended but joined the Royal Marines in 1946 so he managed to find time to shell Koreans and Chinese a few years later.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

I think my maternal grandfather was infantry in the Pacific. He died way before I was born. My paternal grandfather joined the navy to avoid the draft and because he heard they had the best food (so I know where those genes come from :P). He was on a destroyer and then a cruise; the former in the Pacific the latter in the Atlantic. My dad says it's possible the two saw each other out in Hawaii (and I guess it's true that it's possible) but not that likely. :D

[gaelic cowboy]

Both my grandfathers did not take part in WW2 as they had enough of fighting with the civil war and kicking the British out of Ireland.

My father was to young and even if he was he would not have been encouraged to join in a fight with England.

There struggle during WW2 was putting food on the table and raising a family in very very harsh economic conditions.

[ReluctantSamurai]

My father fought with the 40th Infantry Division in the Pacific. Ports-of-call for the 40th were: Guadalcanal, New Britain Island, and Peleliu. All those ops were mop-up duty, but if Operation Olympic had been necessary, the 40th was slated to be one of the first divisions in....:sweatdrop:

[Dimeola]

My Father quit college to become a bombadier on B-29s at the very end. He later went on to fly the first jets in the USAF, became a flight instructor and then flew for and became the first flight instructor for american airlines when they built their flight academy in Texas.
My uncle Sam (seriously lol) was a tank commander in a Sherman. I remember the few family reunions I went to as a kid in Arkansas and remember him joking and telling stories tho dont remember any. he was the kind of guy who would walk into a room and just take over lol.
My great uncle Whitaker was the commander of a transport unit, he flew C-47s. At D-Day they towed the gliders over normandy to land paratroopers etc behind the lines. he was the first c-47 pilot over german hel territory on d-day.
Uncle Clate was a marine. He got his thumb partially shot off on Iwo Jima. I dont remember him ever talking about it. I just remember him as a quiet, loving funny guy. After dinner one time while all the folks were still gossiping in the kitchen he and I avoided doing dishes by sneaking out onto the porch and pretending to be napping lol.
Part of my family came over from Japan before the war. They had alot of land in what is now the Napa wine valley. During the war they were put in the internment camps where several died due to lack of food and medical attention. This is something that ive read about yet cant understand nor forgive. And I know it made them very bitter. Congress finally authorized small payments to the families who were interred but they lost everything they owned and never got it back and no amount of money could bring back our loved ones.

[Centurion1]

My maternal grandfather was far too young though he was in the Korean War I believe.

My paternal grandfather was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne I believe. Was part of all of that Band of Brothers type operations. Lost the tips of his fingers in the battle of the bulge actually. He later became an engineer and worked for nasa on space shuttles. JFK supposedly called their house after he said he wanted to talk to someone who knew what was going on down on the ground in sorts. A very interesting man he was.

[Gaius Sempronius Gracchus]

What I know is pretty patchy (others in the family know more). My paternal Grandfather served in North Africa and then Southern Italy. I know that he acted as a despatch rider for at least part of that service as he used to show us the entry and exit wound in his arm from when he was shot by a German sniper while relaying a message. He remembered Southern Italy very fondly, describing the vineyards and the people there as very friendly and generous - particularly with their wine.

My maternal Grandfather served as a Royal Marine, despite being an Irish Republican and a committed communist, living in Scotland. He didn't like to talk much about the war - he was involved at the crossing of the Rhine and lost his best friend (from the same village) there. My family also discovered, when he suffered from Alzheimer's later in his life, that he had served in missions behind enemy lines. They became concerned after he started becoming angry with them for knowing who he was and giving him away. I don't know the full details of that, unfortunately.

Both men were the gentlest men you could wish to meet (having said that they were both very proficient amateur boxers, but obviously not by the time I knew them) but, especially my maternal Grandfather,one could sense a...darkening at the mention of his service.

[Domen]

My paternal grandfather fought with the Polish 39th Reserve Infantry Division in 1939 (one of his brothers fought with the same division). He was mobilized late - as it was a reserve division - so he was transported (via train) to Zamość (where his unit was concentrating) already "under bombs" (after 1 September). He fought both against the Germans and the Soviets. He was seriously wounded in his hand (he didn't lose it, but it remained handicapped until his death). He was initially captured by the Red Army during a patrol but escaped, joined back to his units and in the end he went to German captivity. He said that he didn't lose his hand only thanks to medical help which he received while in German captivity.

First wife of my paternal grandfather was murdered by Germans in Auschwitz, while he was in a POW camp in Germany. His brother - a businessman from Gdynia - was executed by Germans during the Piasnica mass murders.

Brother of my maternal grandmother in 1939 fought with the Polish 17th Infantry Division - 69th Infantry Regiment. He fought in the battle of Bzura, which was the biggest battle of the invasion of Poland. Later he was breaking through the Kampinos Forests towards Warsaw together with his unit. His company (?) was surrounded by overwhelming German forces and in the end massacred - practically entire unit was killed or captured. He managed to hide in an empty trunk of a fallen tree and so he avoided German captivity. Then he somehow managed to sneak back to his home.

My maternal grandfather lived in a village in Greater Poland region and in 1939 he was too young to fight. He was transported to Germany for forced labour. Later he returned and worked for local German settlers. He witnessed the "liberation" by Soviet forces in 1945. He said that German soldiers during the occupation were much nicer to local inhabitants than the Soviets who came in 1945.

Some other members of my family participated in the resistance to German occupation of Poland - but I have no details at the moment.

Regarding earlier times - one of my maternal great-grandfathers fought in the battle of Verdun in 1916.

Some members of my family also fought in the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1919 - 1921.

[Beskar]

My grandparents mostly died by the time I was born, so I never really spoke to them.

I do know my grandmother was in the WAAF, and my grandfather was in the RAF (it is how they ended up meeting). Then another one was in the Merchant Navy doing supply line convoys whilst under constant threat of U-boat attack.

[Kralizec]

My entire family on both sides were in the Netherlands when it was occupied. My maternal grandfather received a letter in 1944 that he was ordered to Germany for work duty, and went into hiding; at that point he and my grandmother were a new couple but not yet married IIRC. The other one - I'm not sure really, he died before I was born. Both of my grandmothers did tell me stories from that time period but I can't remember anything specific right now; as far as I know they all kept their heads down mostly.

Now that I think of it; on my paternal side there was this story about a pig they got their hands on and had butchered for its meat, and other stories involving food that were strictly against the rules the Germans imposed because everything was scarce. This was in the north of the country though; compared to what other parts of the country went through during the "hunger winter" it was easy going, allthough it obviously didn't look that way for my family.