The only thing I know is that my grandfather run away from home during WWI to fight the Germans.
During WWII he joined the resistance, did a lot to slow down the Germans, that's al we know, because, it was something nobody talked about.
The only thing I'm sure of, he came home with thirteen medals.

Erikssson.

The only thing I know about my step dad was he entered the army right after Pearl Harbor, was in the signal corp, started in North Africa, passed through Europe, and ended with the occupation in Japan. Never talked much about the war.
My Mothers brother (my uncle) was in the Navy, on carriers, went in with a full head of hair, and came home totally bald and never grew hair again, and never talked about the war, he would only say he was in the Navy.

I'll read this all later, but I just found this thread, I'll keep the names to first only for obvious reasons.

On my mothers side, my grandfather served in the Army National Guard in the 1930's I think. Her brother Dickie was in the Navy I think sometime after Korea, I know he was on the USS Essex. Her brother Larry was in the AF in Thailand during the Vietnam War, her brother Eddie served I forget were and when. My cousin Jimmy was in the AF when and where and what he did I don't know. My cousin Ritchie flew the Apache in the late eighties and into the nineties. Was one of two people I know who had their bags packed for DS I and didn't have to go.

My dads side of the family has my grandfather in Army in WWII, he diffused bombs and I think was SSGT IIRC. My dad was on the USS Independence in the seventies and worked in the engine rooms. My fathers step brother George also my GF was in the AIrborne but I don't know what he did. He didn't jump from the planes but I am not sure what his duties were. Funny I just saw him two days ago. If I saw this threat sooner I would have asked him. His brother David was in the Navy for many years as a reservist. Not sure what he did though.

Hi Everyone,

Chas, I feel like I should thank you for making this great thread. I feel great reading it and enjoy to learn more. I am sure that I am not the only one.

Anyway, today my father took me out to the Chilliwack military education centre and museum in British Columbia, Canada. Man, I had a great time! Here are some of the facts on it:
1) Excellent collection of 30 Canadian vehicles, including a Sherman M4A3, APC, 2 Half tracks, I think 4 Jeeps, a Universal carrier Mk.1 with 37mm anti tank gun, V100 Commando Car, Dodge command vehicle, Ferret Mk.2, 4x4 truck, High Speed artillery tractor, Dingo and even a T-62! Sometimes, the owner of the T-62 comes to give people tank rides!
2) Plenty of interactive displays. You can climb on a few of the vehicles, go into the world war 1 display, try on the helmets and uniforms, go into a movie theatre showing the "Canada at war" series, or chill out in the library and read some books!
3) There are many mannequins wearing real uniforms.
4) There are lots of guns such as thompson, MP40, DP 28, Bren 303, Owen SMG etc.
5) The staff are wonderful and helpful.

We have to remember that the museum is not government funded and that admission is by donation.
Here is the link: http://www.cmedcentre.ca/#

Anyone within this are should check it out!

M4A2Sherman

My father and his two brothers joined the armed forces the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked.My father joined the navy .One uncle the air force( he was already a pilot).My other uncle the coast guard and was patrolling for U-boats within a short time.My air force uncle was killed when his B-24 exploded shortly after take off.It was never explained as to why it happened.My father served as a cook on board a mine sweeper in the pacific.He was never in combat as minesweepers were not usually in combat zones.

bump - do you know anything

Hi Guys,
My family history is a little sketchy. My great,great grandfather was an Irish peasant who was imported by the Confederacy, found out what the war was about and promptly deserted and fought for the North. After the war he moved west and married a Commanche. In much later times, one of my great uncles was a major player at Bell Labs in the development of radar. My other great uncle was in the navy and had the reputation of a jonah. He had five destroyers sunk out from under him. He was present in every surface action where American ships faced Japanese Battleships and was sunk in each battle. I found out just before he died that after being sunk off Gudalcanal he spent some time fighting ashore with the Marines and to quote him "to this day I try not to think about the things I had to do and eat to survive on that dammed island."

BUMP . this is an interesting thread started by Charles Young , I wondered wheather anyone else had something to add ?

Well, some of my grandfather's (mother's side) story has been told in the Ancestors in Scale campaign. He joined the Navy Reserves in '47 (age 17) and then the Army in '48. Went to Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division in '50, fought as a combat engineer up to the Yalu and walked back to Seoul where his team dropped the last bridge over th Han river. He was woulnded in February 1951 when his team was ambushed in a backwards area and he was the only survivor as he had been the point man. He continued to serve until 1957 when he retired as MSGT, after training recruits as combat engineers.

I have had ancestors on both sides of the American Civil War, my grand uncle was a B17 side gunnery trainer, my uncle was in the US Navy in the '70ies stationed in Japan and my grand father paternal side was in active service guarding the Swiss border during WWII. That's all the knowledge I have...

I interviewd my grandfather when I was in final year of college (1999) and wrote about it. As Chas wrote earlier, there were some points in the interview, where I had to turn off the recording and give him some slack. I know there are many stories he hasn't told me, but I think it was the first time he actually talked about it to someone. He enjoyed telling the funny stories but kept it very general when it was about the fighting and such. It certainly is not an easy task to interview a veteran but well worth it if you're interested.

Cheers!
Stef

Hi guys, my grandfather was a Gallipoli ANZAC, travelled on the Southland which was torpedoed but survived. He went on to fight in most of the major battles, Somme, Ypres etc. He was wounded twice, once repatriated to Egypt, once to England, but returned to the front lines ASAP. I have the original "Mentioned in Despatches" signed by Winston Churchill, I will try and post a photo of it shortly. I have all of his diaries and photos and postcards he sent home, medals, a pair of Silver serviette rings from the Chateau at Ypres, and a bunch of other memorabilia including the prop hub from a Sopwith F1 that was shot down close by to where he was in a trench.




When I have some more time I'll add some details from his diaries and some pics of the memorabilia.

His brother was killed in action unfortunately, and he never spoke of this.

Great thread Chaz. Cheers, D

I was a patient on the Sanctuary in 1970. It was like a delightful cruise ship. It smelled clean. The food was good. The ship was staffed, in part, by gorgeous Navy Nurses. The care wasn't all that bad either. The best part was they let me off with a bottle of malaria pills in my pocket in time for me to make it to my freedom bird!

Please thank your dad for me.

Semper Fi,
Dave

I remember studying Gallipoli in college. Anyone who survived that landing was an extremely strong individual. It is amazing that anyone survived!

I salute your grandfather and those who served with him.

Two of my favortie songs on my iPod are the John Williamson pieces: "Diggers of the ANZAC" and "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda"

Semper Fi,
Dave

As for my family:

My maternal grandfather was an officer with an American regiment of "Colored Troops" in WWI. The details are sketchy, but I think his regiment was assigned to the French. After the war, his unit was assigned to clear battlefields of dud ammunition. He suffered a head wound when a dud artillery round they were trying to clear blew up. He died of a brain tumor when I was a toddler.

My father's family were all Swiss Menonites and were solidly pacifist. I don't think they were too pleased that my father joined the Navy after high school.

My father was a Navy Chief Pharmacists Mate (Corpsman) who served with the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal, New Britian, New Guinea and a few other operations. I think he was transferred to the Sixth Marine Division just before Pelelieu. He used to talk about it some when I was a boy as we watched the old "Victory at Sea" series. Moslty he talked about the disease in the jungle.....although the shelling from the Japanese battleships was a vivid memory for him.

My father's brother was also a Corpsman with the Marines after WWII. He participated in the above ground nuclear troop tests. He died of lukemia...probably the result of his radiation exposure.

I am a veteran of the Vietnam War. Two of my brothers served in the Navy. One was involved in the minesweeping operations in Hai Phong harbor aboard the USS New Orleans. The other cruised the Med in the radio shack of a fleet oiler.

Semper Fi,
Dave

On my side of the family i have my great grandfathers military records, he was in the British Army stationed in India. I know he fought at the Khyber Pass, Afganistan in 1908. I can'nt remember where else he fought, i'll have to dig out the records. He retired as a Lt Col. My grandfather was also in the British Army in India as well as two brothers and another in the British Airforce. My grandfather transferred to the Indian Army, he was in a Cavalry unit that fought in Burma during WW2. He never talked about the war, as kids when we would ask he would say " a missle skimmed my head and that why i'am bald" and would change the subject. He did mention they had to shoot their horses on the Burmese border. I found out after his death that his unit was captured by the Japanese in Burma, he escaped. He retired from the Army asa Lt Col.
My grandmother fled China during the Boxer Rebellion and came to India, her brothers were Police Commissioners in Bombay and Calcutter, one of my grandmothers cousins was married to Douglas Bader.
My partners father is from America, His family imirgrated from Germany around the 1900s (had no further contact with family in Germany) and "Amercanized" their surname. During WW2 the F.B.I informed the family of a relative back in Germany who was a senior member of the Nazi Party. All their mail was checked and no member of the family was allowed to serve overseas. Her father was in the Marines from 1964-68, "india" Batt 3/11 Marines 105mm Howitzers. He was in Veitnam from when the unit landed in 1965 till 1968. We have his photo albums and promotion papers from his time in the Marines, so obtaining his military records should be easy.

Hi all, some pics as promised.

First the "Mentioned in Despatches", and a close-up of Winston Churchill's signature . . .



Next is a commemorative issued after the war . . .


An lastly a commemorative scroll for the death of F.R. "Roly" Rigby, my Grandfather's brother.


I hope you can read these OK.

Cheers, D

i recently did a load of research on a relative that was killed during the first world war whilst serving with the 13th btn rifle brigade,its really interesting what can be found on the net these days.
in the course of the research i came across a WWI site and one of the members there had a photo of the gravestone.
next year when i go to watch the tour de france i'm going to visit the area where my relative was gassed which is also about 10 miles from where manfred von richthofen crashed,so i'm off to there as well.

paul

All I know of my family was that my Great Grandfather was an Artilleryman in WWI and saw action at the Somme and was later a POW Guard. He left a lot of photos of postwar Germany in 1919. In WWII he was called up as a reservist with the rank of Sergeant and served in New Guinea even though he was then in his 40s. Again he left a lot of photos of that which I gave to the War Museum many moons ago.

He never really talked about it, his generation didn't, in NZ untill the 70s men were men and women baked cakes and they had the RSA ( like the VFW ) to go to to talk to others who were there.

My Grandfather was a yank who joined after Pearl at 17 and served on a Mr Roberts type boat called the Cygnus running supplies from NZ to the Marines in the Islands. His best friend was a Marine who was wounded landing at Tarawa and spent several hours laying in the surf with what was left of his mates. He went to his grave with a pathological hatred of anything Japanese.

My Grandfather's brother in law interestingly served in North Africa with the DAK and moved to the US after the war and married my Grandfather's sister in the 50s.

My great great grandfather took part in the relief of a seige in the Boer war winning a medal for taking part in the great hauling of large calibre naval guns by hand to relieve the seige. I forget for the moment which seige, but I have seen the commemorative medal

My Maternal Grandfather served in the Navy Airforce and Army (surprisingly common apparently) in WWII, with various medical problems restricting his duties (and leading to him switching services to try and get something 'active'). He ended the war as an AA gunner on the South East UK coast

One of my Mother's Uncles served in the Free Polish Forces and took part in the fighting at Monte Cassino

Another was in the infantry with the 8th Army in North Africa, and another served in the Far East and North West Europe with the Signals

My Paternal Grandfather was in the Army in India in WWII. I don't know much at all about his service except that it gave him a lifelong interest in animals apparently and he became a farmer when he was demobbed

My Father was in the Royal Marine Commandos from 1965 to 1986. He served in Aden and a number of other countries where British 'peacekeepers' or 'police actions' where carried out, and also Northern Ireland.

In 1982 he sailed with 3 Commando Brigade to the Falkland Islands for Operation Corporate as part of the Commando Logistics Regiment. He commanded a squadron of landing craft ferrying troops and supplies ashore in Ajax Bay and San Carlos water during the build up of British Forces before the forces moved to meet Argentine positions. He was regularly bombed and strafed (along with all the other British forces, I don't think it was personal!) and he once told me how he was 'chased' by an Argentine bomb when it was dropped below its fused height, causing it to hit the ground without going off, but 'chasing' him as it bounced.

He retired after 21 years service in 1986


Chris

Have some history on both sides of my family tree, both of which i wish i knew more of.

My Grandfather, Jock (dads dad) was a Royal Marine Commando during WW2, from start to finish, and i know he participated in most of their major actions during that time. He is still with us, of which i am always thankful, but his mind is nearly gone and i find it difficult to get any info out of him, i have begun efforts to get his service records.

His father, my great-grandfather, was in the Black Watch during WW1, all i know is he fought on the Somme, as for what he was doing prior to that and after, i am not sure, all i know is he survived and threw his service revolver in the River Ness when he got home because he never wanted to use it again. Once i have my grandfathers service records i can find out this mans.

My other great grandfather, dads mothers father, was a German man, who as far as we have gathered, was a German Spy working for the Allies during ww2, and was operating mainly out of france. He could speak 7 languages, always wore a peaked cap, and was known for being a lovely man, and was described as "looking french". He was also known throughout his neighbourhood as being openly anti third reich, anti Hitler, and anti Nazi.
One night when he was home with his family in Hamburg after an extended period of time, the Gestapo came to their home, requested that he, his wife, and their children, accompany them away. His wife, my great-grandmother, told my grandmother and her sister to flee, which they did. They never saw their parents again, and sought refuge with relatives nearby, where they were sheltered and rotated around family and friends to avoid trouble.

As for mums side, Grandpa was in the RAF during WW2, details i have none.

And then there is myself, but i am hardly my own ancestor so i will leave that one until my children oneday sign onto Armorama

That's incredible. Incredibly brave couple they must have been. Do you know what happened to them?

Lots of great stories and memories here.

Can't say I'm really adding much, but here goes. My father enlisted in the Army Air Corps, ended up training B-24 gunners at bases across the US south till he was mustered out in Oct of ’45. Claims it was the best investment of 39 months he’d ever made. Got married and earned a college degree on his GI Bill benefits.

My uncle (mom’s older brother) took a kiddy (enlist b4 18th birthday and muster out on 21st birthday) cruise with the Navy. Since he started in ’38, he didn’t get out before Pearl Harbor. He ended up staying in 30 years serving in subs, mine sweepers, aircraft carriers and destroyers.

My other uncle (mom’s little brother) spent the Korean War years protecting Ft. Hood, Texas, from gasoline shortages and slow trucks. Seems he figured out how to bypass the governor without breaking the seal.

My father-in-law was a mechanic in Korea. Since he refused to talk about it and quite possibly suffered from undiagnosed PTSD for the last 40 years of his life, I suspect that there was a lot more to the story. Now I wished I knew what he had to tell.

Chas
My grandmother was told, i'm not sure when, but later in her life, after the war was over, that her Father was meant to have been buried in Nancy, France.

How or why he ended up buried there after being taken that night along with his wife by the Gestapo, i do not know.

The earliest ancestor I know of with a military background was a Colonel in the Continental Army during the revolution. There was another who was a Private as well. Don't think there were any in the War Of 1812. Did have one at the Alamo. After that it was on the Confederate side of the War Between The States. One was a General, and the other was in an arty unit on. Had one guy that I know of in WWI, but know little about him. In WWII I had an Uncle that was a Marine in the PTO winning the Silver Star on Okwinawa. Had another that was a POW captured in Europe (escaped during the Battle Of The Bulge). Other than one distant relative, I think I'm the only combat vet out there after WWII in my family
gary