What did your family do in WW2?

[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 . 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?...&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.