HITLER Tried To Get My Dad...

Eichhörnchen · 08-24-14, 11:32 AM

(his parents' garden in Pwllheli, 1945)

My old dad was in the Royal Welch Fusiliers in NW Europe in '45. He woke up as he hit the ground having fallen asleep one night on the warm engine of a churchill tank as it rolled into the Reichswald Forest. He just escaped being crushed by the following tank...

Then he dove under a collapsible boat they were carrying down to the river Weser when a mg gunner zeroed in from a nearby church tower; his mates were all killed...

Finally he was blown up by a mortar barrage and came round in the ruins of a monastery, so the story goes, clutching a big wooden crucifix: I HAVE IT STILL...

I know he was exceptionally lucky when so many weren't.

Does any one have just one really memorable story their dad told them about
when he was in the war?

Wolferz · 08-24-14, 12:33 PM

My dad was a sailor in the US Navy. Stationed as armed contingent aboard a liberty ship ferrying supplies into North Africa. During one crossing on a particularly dark and moonless night while pop was on watch, one of the ships in the convoy had a nervous captain who feared he might ram the ship in front of him in the closely formed convoy. So, he turned on his lights like an idiot and got a German torpedo amidships for his trouble and sunk.

The fellow on watch with my dad began crying, fearing that he'd never make it home alive.
That was close but, not as close as a little shore leave in Morocco.
Pop and his buddy strayed into the Arab section where they were hounded for cigarettes and money by an Arab kid wearing a pair of British hobnail boots. Clickety clack, clickety clack. Dad's buddy finally got sick of it and punched the kid. Arabs with scimitars started coming out of the woodwork and chased them both all the way back to their sector near the docks. They paused at the top of a flight of stairs just long enough to turn around and kick the lead pursuers back down the stairs, knocking the rest down like bowling pins.

Eichhörnchen · 08-24-14, 01:07 PM

Wow! This is what we want!

Sailor Steve · 08-24-14, 01:10 PM

My dad was just too young for the war. I had two uncles at Pearl Harbor, but I never managed to get their stories before they died. Decades later I still regret that.

Eichhörnchen · 08-24-14, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

My dad was just too young for the war. I had two uncles at Pearl Harbor, but I never managed to get their stories before they died. Decades later I still regret that.

And believe me I thought long and hard before posing this question, since I knew there would be some sad reflections.

vanjast · 08-25-14, 02:28 AM

If I may, My grandpa..
started WW2 in East Africa, the 'trot' back and forth along North African coast, El Alamein, Sicily, and then finished the war in Italy.

He spent 6 years at war, never wanted to talk about it no matter how hard we, as kids, tried to get him to.

I'm not sure what he did in East Africa, but he started as a private, was a tank gunner during the North African campaign, and soon became a tank commander (rank of Captain - field commission) on Sherman tanks, I think in Sicily and Italy.

The closest he came to dying (according to my mom) was one night when a sniper got the guy sitting next to him - this guy had lit up a cigarette

My mother said that the first time she saw her father, was when this guy jumped out of the train window, before the train stopped, and came bounding over to them. She was only 5 years old
I enjoyed being with my grandparents, they were always so funny and happy - 'Pull my finger'

08-24-14, 11:32 AM	#1
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 15,762 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	HITLER Tried To Get My Dad... (his parents' garden in Pwllheli, 1945) My old dad was in the Royal Welch Fusiliers in NW Europe in '45. He woke up as he hit the ground having fallen asleep one night on the warm engine of a churchill tank as it rolled into the Reichswald Forest. He just escaped being crushed by the following tank... Then he dove under a collapsible boat they were carrying down to the river Weser when a mg gunner zeroed in from a nearby church tower; his mates were all killed... Finally he was blown up by a mortar barrage and came round in the ruins of a monastery, so the story goes, clutching a big wooden crucifix: I HAVE IT STILL... I know he was exceptionally lucky when so many weren't. Does any one have just one really memorable story their dad told them about when he was in the war? Last edited by Eichhörnchen; 05-12-20 at 12:16 PM.

08-24-14, 12:33 PM	#2
Wolferz Navy Seal Join Date: May 2007 Location: On a mighty quest for the Stick of Truth Posts: 5,963 Downloads: 52 Uploads: 0	My dad was a sailor in the US Navy. Stationed as armed contingent aboard a liberty ship ferrying supplies into North Africa. During one crossing on a particularly dark and moonless night while pop was on watch, one of the ships in the convoy had a nervous captain who feared he might ram the ship in front of him in the closely formed convoy. So, he turned on his lights like an idiot and got a German torpedo amidships for his trouble and sunk. The fellow on watch with my dad began crying, fearing that he'd never make it home alive. That was close but, not as close as a little shore leave in Morocco. Pop and his buddy strayed into the Arab section where they were hounded for cigarettes and money by an Arab kid wearing a pair of British hobnail boots. Clickety clack, clickety clack. Dad's buddy finally got sick of it and punched the kid. Arabs with scimitars started coming out of the woodwork and chased them both all the way back to their sector near the docks. They paused at the top of a flight of stairs just long enough to turn around and kick the lead pursuers back down the stairs, knocking the rest down like bowling pins. __________________ Tomorrow never comes Last edited by Wolferz; 08-24-14 at 12:45 PM.

08-24-14, 01:10 PM	#4
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	My dad was just too young for the war. I had two uncles at Pearl Harbor, but I never managed to get their stories before they died. Decades later I still regret that. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

08-24-14, 01:07 PM	#3
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 15,762 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Wow! This is what we want!

08-25-14, 02:28 AM	#6
vanjast Sea Lord Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Somewhere else now Posts: 1,660 Downloads: 801 Uploads: 4	If I may, My grandpa.. started WW2 in East Africa, the 'trot' back and forth along North African coast, El Alamein, Sicily, and then finished the war in Italy. He spent 6 years at war, never wanted to talk about it no matter how hard we, as kids, tried to get him to. I'm not sure what he did in East Africa, but he started as a private, was a tank gunner during the North African campaign, and soon became a tank commander (rank of Captain - field commission) on Sherman tanks, I think in Sicily and Italy. The closest he came to dying (according to my mom) was one night when a sniper got the guy sitting next to him - this guy had lit up a cigarette My mother said that the first time she saw her father, was when this guy jumped out of the train window, before the train stopped, and came bounding over to them. She was only 5 years old I enjoyed being with my grandparents, they were always so funny and happy - 'Pull my finger'