HITLER Tried To Get My Dad...

[Texas Red]

Originally Posted by xristoskaiti

my grandfather Theodoros was born in 1912.
He fought with a submarine Papanikolis in the Mediterranean, an Averoff ship in the Indian Ocean and small ship destroyer sfendoni
In the destroyer they passed 3 torpedoes but none of them exploded because from what they said they had the wrong deep regulation.
the submarine that dropped them was Italian in the Mediterranean.
They had a dog on the ship when it had big waves and it kept slipping left and right.n the submarine they had small Indian pigs when they went crazy and made circles around themselves they had to go to the surface to clean the air

That is quite the story!
Thank you for your grandfathers service!

[Col7777]

My dad was in the RAF, he was stationed in the north east of England, I used to ask him what he did but like a lot of WW2 service men he would never talk about it.
I think though I may be wrong he worked with radio comms, the reason I think that he used to mend wirelesses for people after the war for extra cash, he was a bricklayer by trade.

I had an uncle who was captured by the Germans and was a POW, he and another guy managed to escape, I don't know the details but he made it back home to a heroes welcome.

I worked with a guy who was very inoffensive sort of man, then one day it was in the local newspaper the RAF were holding a special dinner for him.
It appears he was a tail gunner in a Lancaster that crash landed in France.
He and another guy survived the crash and the French resistance got to them before the Germans.
He took part in a resistance raid with them while he was there and blew up an train, he eventually got back the England, but he too never talked of it.

Another guy I worked with was a Welshman with a strong Welsh accent, a few of the young lads were taking the pi$$ out of him when I told them where he was in WW2.
He was at Arnhem in one of the bloodiest battles in WW2, he saw his best mate blown up right in front of him, they never took the P after that.

Col.

[Texas Red]

Originally Posted by Col7777

My dad was in the RAF, he was stationed in the north east of England, I used to ask him what he did but like a lot of WW2 service men he would never talk about it.
I think though I may be wrong he worked with radio comms, the reason I think that he used to mend wirelesses for people after the war for extra cash, he was a bricklayer by trade.

I had an uncle who was captured by the Germans and was a POW, he and another guy managed to escape, I don't know the details but he made it back home to a heroes welcome.

I worked with a guy who was very inoffensive sort of man, then one day it was in the local newspaper the RAF were holding a special dinner for him.
It appears he was a tail gunner in a Lancaster that crash landed in France.
He and another guy survived the crash and the French resistance got to them before the Germans.
He took part in a resistance raid with them while he was there and blew up an train, he eventually got back the England, but he too never talked of it.

Another guy I worked with was a Welshman with a strong Welsh accent, a few of the young lads were taking the pi$$ out of him when I told them where he was in WW2.
He was at Arnhem in one of the bloodiest battles in WW2, he saw his best mate blown up right in front of him, they never took the P after that.

Col.

Wow, you got some amazing stories to tell!

My grandpa also said that it was very hard to get his dad to talk about the war as well. He said that he hated to bring up those memories. He went through pure hell in Belgium and Germany.

[xristoskaiti]

Fortunately, we have such great ancestors, so now we have freedom

[Eichhörnchen]

Great stories, you guys, and thanks for sharing

[Jimbuna]

Yep, some nice stories guys but I seldom talk about my lero namely my father, Sailor Steve being the exception.

[Col7777]

May I go back a few posts to the one about my ncle who escaped the POW camp.

The story I got told by my family was my Gran thought he had been killed because she never got any news from him.
Anyway one day some gypsy ladies were going round door to door selling cloths pegs, when they got to my gran's door the gypsy lady said something like, "You look troubled, I can see you have someone in the war."
My Gran thought one of the neighbours had told her but then the gypsy said, "Well very soon he will be home, he is safe now so don't worry."
My Gran gave her some money and off she went, again my Gran thought a neighbour had told her and the gypsy was just trying to make her feel better.

Then lo and behold a few weeks later she got a letter from my uncle, he told her he was on his way home and would see her soon and he was OK.
True enough on his return all the street had banners and flags up and they had a bit street party for him.

As years went by I happened to be working with a guy who was laying drainage pipes in the road, I told him my uncle was a pipe layer, he asked his name and when I told him he said, "You mean Leo Greenwood is your uncle?" I said, "Yes why?"
He replied, "He is one of the best pip layers in Manchester, he taught me years ago." I felt so proud.

Col.

[_dgn_]

May 29 is, rather, a date of little historical significance. But that is no longer the case when it comes to May 29, 1940, and when the facts are in the entrenched camp of Dunkirk.

And that date is very important to me, because it's about my father.

At the begining of WWII, my father was captain in the French Engineers Corps. He was 31 years old (born in 1908), but in the army since 24 years.

24 years ? Amazing ! In fact, in 1915, when my grand-father, senior NCO in the Gendarmerie Nationale, was transferred to the Dardanelles (as member of the Military Provost), my father was sent to the military school of Autun ("Enfants de Troupe" or troup children), an institution dating back to the monarchy, designed to educate the boys of NCOs, to make them future NCOs (the backbone of any army).

My father enlisted at the age of 18 and joined in Versailles the 5th Engineers Regiment and was "very proud" to wear on his outfit a badge with a red locomotive (this unit, giant with its number of companies, was the unique railway sappers regiment of the French Army). It was stationed at the "Camp des Matelots" or sailors' camp (dating from the construction of the Palace and used to house sailors maneuvering the "Flottille royale de Versailles" or Versailles Royal Fleet of Louis XIV, composed of gondolas, rowboats, galleys and small vessels sailing on the "Grand Canal"), and was close to the 4th railways station in Versailles ("Versailles-Matelots").

After some years as NCO, my father became officer "from the rank" (around 1932), formed in the Artllery and Engineers Officer School of Versailles (not in the Military Academy of Saint-Cyr, only 4 kms away). Then a "long" career in the Fort Mont-Valérien (8th Engineer Regiment), specializing himself in radio signals in the Eiffel Tower (a perfect radio antenna ! Without betraying military secrets, the French Army still has facilities under one of its 4 feet) and at the Satory maneuver camp (between Versailles and Saint-Cyr) for communications ground/planes.

September 3, 1939, the 8th Engineers Regiment "exploded", giving birth to numerous war regiments (18th, 28th, 38th ... Engineers Regiment). My father was assigned to the 38th, in Montargis (where is now the Signals Officer School), and this regiment became a war depot, creating new engineers units with the arrival of reservists.

In particular, the 39th Engineers Battalion was organized, made up of 2 components, engineering (3 companies "portées" for construction / destruction, mining / demining + 1 bridge unit), and signals [1 radio, 1 telephone and 1 colombophile (!) company]. Oddly, my father took command of its "Compagnie Télégraphique Divisionnaire" (Field Telephone Signals Company). This particular Engineers Battalion wasn't an anonymous unit, but belonged to the most modern division : the 3ème DLM (3ème Division Légère Mécanique or "3rd light mechanized division"). Its 4 tanks units were old (1st and 2nd Cuirassiers regiment, founded in 1635, the 12th Cuirassiers in 1668 and the 11th Dragoons in 1674) and prestigious : the 4 regiments had the battle honours for Austerlitz on their banner. Naturally, this new division took as symbol the "sun of Austerlitz" that illuminated the Pratzen Heights and contributed to victory.

A divisionnal metal badge was created, but not mandatory. Many disappeared during the war and since. This is my father's :

I'll move on to details : belonging to the Cavalry Corps meant on May 10, 1940 the Dyle-Breda Plan and the departure to Belgium. 12-14 May, the 2ème et 3ème DLM confronted the German XVI. Armeekorps (General Hoepner) during the Battle of Hannut (3rd DLM mainly against the 3rd Pz. Div), the most important tanks battle in 1940. A good delay fight, significant tank losses in the Germans, but the 3ème DLM must retreat, in good order.

A Telephone Signals Company, near of the Divisionnal HQ, is not a fighting unit, but in some circumstances, the situation can get very hot, mainly in case of withdrawal. Such company often moves to post offices to use telephone exchanges and public telephone lines. In a long Belgian village (Jandrain or Jauche ?), the company, in the poste office, saw coming the General Langlois, head of the Division, and at this moment forming the ultimate rearguard. He had separated himself from his HQ protection company, engaged in combat. His only escort consisted of 2 radio armored cars AMD 35 (known too as "Panhard 178"). The General was furious, the Signals Company had not retreated. And for cause, that order had never reached it ...

The event is to be on May 14, 1940. On that date, General PRIOUX at 2:00 p.m. gave the order of withdrawal to the 2 divisions (2nd and 3rd DLM) of his "Corps de Cavalerie" or Cavalry Corps. In the case of the 3ème DLM, most of its HQ (including the Radio Signals Company) had to move southward while the Telephone Signals Company remained as close as possible to the fighting units protecting the withdrawal. And during this delicate situation, the "39/81e Compagnie Télégraphique Divisionnaire" was likely "forgotten" ...

An bold (and rather fast) German reconnaissance unit (motorbikes, sidecars and light armored cars) were already at the other entrance of the village. It was under fire that the company withdrew its equipment, but mainly the fire from the 2 Panhard 178 (each, a 25mm AT gun and 2 7.5mm Reibel MG with 150 rounds drums). Their armour was sufficient compared to German 20mm shells. On the other hand, the 25 mm Hotchkiss anti-tank gun (SA-L modèle 1934, /L72 caliber) could pierce 50mm of armor to 600 meters, almost all of the German armored cars and personnel carriers, as well as many tanks (even the early versions of Panzer III). So the German recon unit suffered large losses.

So, first time where "HITLER Tried To Get My Dad" ...

A small note by the way : when my father went to thank the crews of the 2 signal armored cars for their valuable assistance, he noted that in the combat compartment, which had been reduced by the presence of radio stations, the space was filled with numerous gun shells and machine gun drums, well beyond the normal endowment. So, no more sufficiently place for the usual (?) "French white flag" ...

After this episode, it was then the retreat to Dunkirk. A very bad memory : the arrival in this (in principle) French town & harbour, presumably on May 26. Tommies had built blockades, and the company had to abandon or destroy all its vehicles (and the signal equipment contained). The behavior of yesterday's allies was no longer the same ...

Without any equipment, the unit was useless in defense of Dunkirk. So it received the order to reach the port of Cherbourg by boat, with other remnants of the Division, in order to rebuild the unit. May 27 was the worst day of bombing, and the port was almost completely destroyed. But the boats could still get out. A freighter named "Le Douaisien" was assigned to the evacuation (with the "Hors rang" company and the second group of squadrons of the 1st Cuirassiers, at least the surviving crews).

My father was "interested" in German air attacks. He had noticed that the Stukas arrived on the city, put themselves in a circle, and then, following the squadron leader, dived towards the ground, dropping their bombs and firing their machine guns, then went up and put themselves back in a circle, probably observing the damage caused or choosing a new target. And so on. "A beautiful ballet !", according to him ...

But their main objectives were of course the boats, at least inside the port. On May 28, my father had to board "Le Douaisien", in order to get the instructions for boarding his unit (the freighter had orders to set sail for Cherbourg at 10 p.m., with 1,200 troops, some refugees and crews from sunken ships). After that, he took a few moments to chat (and possibly smoke a cigarette) with 4 or 5 English officers (from the near MV "Queen of the Channel" ?), on the quay. But the Stukas were getting closer and closer to such interesting targets, and more precise in their attacks. So such "beautiful ballet" was becoming more sinister and more dangerous. He decided to get away from the cargo ship and to take cover under the concrete of the dock. He urged the English officers to follow him, but by phlegmatism or defiance they remained in place. A few minutes later, a bomb fell exactly where the English were still, spraying them.

So, second time where "HITLER Tried To Get My Dad" ...

At the scheduled time, the freighter set sail. At 11 p.m., its crossed the piers. May 29 (exactly 80 years), at 00:10 am, arrived at buoy 8 of the East pass (entrance to Zuydcoote), a very strong explosion shaked the ship which began to sink : "Le Douaisien" hit a German magnetic mine.

3 dead only among the passgers, and about fifty wounded. Before evacuating the sinking boat, my father recovered (and counted) his troops. A man was missing. With the standard black-out, accentuated by the fact that the machines were no longer running, it was rather dark. It was in the light of a weak flashlight that he discovered a body floating in the fore hold : he immediately knew who it was just by seeing his shoes. It was his staff car driver (the only loss of the Company during the Battle of France), who close to the "boss" allowed himself to wear non-regulatory shoes.

A great thought, today, for the faithful and dedicated sapper Maurice DANIS (he was 36 years old, and married since 15 years).

So, third time where "HITLER Tried To Get My Dad" ... but he still managed to take another one, this day.

Its's enough for today ...

Cheers.

[Texas Red]

I have many many grandparents who served in the armed forces in almost all of the wars we have fought in, until after Vietnam when our family stopped serving. After my grandpa was born, he didn't serve, but he got out of the draft by a lottery which was strange because that was the way they sent you to war during Vietnam.

Anyways, hopefully, one of my teacher's grandparents counts.

Apparently, his great-great-grandfather was too young to serve in WWI, so he lied about his age and joined the Army, then when WWII came, he was too old to fight so he lied about his age and got into the Army again.

What a guy!

[Eichhörnchen]

Thanks for that amazing account, _dgn_, exactly what this thread is all about

[Texas Red]

About my post earlier of my grandpa who saw action in the Battle of the Bulge, I have two pictures of him. The only known pictures we have of him in Wartime, and the only items we have of him from that period.



I'm not sure what period this was, most likely mid-1942 to early 1943.He was done with training and was at the rank of Tech Corporal, his rank patches visible on his shoulder.



This is a picture of him when he met his brother on the frontline in Belgium. He is the one on the right.

That is all. Cheers!

[Eichhörnchen]

Thanks for posting these photos of your grandpa, mate. It's extra special and important to get to see pictures like these from someone's personal albums as they are "new" for the rest of us

[Eichhörnchen]

Dad with his VW while he was with the Civilian Control Commission in Germany, also walking in town with a pal. He was in the Royal Welch Fusiliers