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None of my grandfathers were in the war, but two of my other grandad's brothers were in Continuation War. They both died unfortunately. :cry: Other was shot while moving to the neighbouring trench to give the message that the war is over. And the other survived the war, but was killed in an car accident while they were moving out from the lines.
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My paternal grandfather is buried in the region of Vladimirovka in Moldova, between Romania and the Ukraine that is.
My father was 6 weeks old when my grandmother received message that her husband was KIA. She then wrote a letter to my grandfather’s military unit because she wanted to know whether her last letter had reached him before his death, where she told him about the birth of my father. A comrade “Fritz” wrote back that if my grandfather “Franz” had knowledge about the birth of his son, he had not told it to anybody. “Fritz” then told her what he knew about what had happened to “Franz”: At 6 am, April 5th 1944 the Soviet Army launched a massive tank attack. The Germans could not hold the line and so the order was given to pull-out fast. My grandfather was part of the medical service and so he had to stay back to get the evacuation of the wounded from a field hospital done or to go into captivity with them. He did not show up at the new line of defence and so he was declared MIA. About 2 weeks later the Germans launched a counter-attack and were able to retake the old positions for a while. Search deployments then found my grandfather’s body lying by a house, where he had been looking for cover when a tank shell killed him, so it seemed. He was then buried on a provisional military cemetery in Agronomovka, today: Agronomul. Part of the letter was a very precise drawing which gave valuable information that helped me to locate the about position of the cemetery on a modern road map of Moldova. I then contacted the German war graves commission to find out, whether the cemetery is already known to them. They have now written back that they are already in negotiations with the owner of the land where the cemetery once was. If they get his permission for digging, which in many cases, I was told, is basically a matter of paying compensation for the loss of crops, the remains, probably some old pairs of leather boots and some uniform buttons, if they find something, would then be moved to the Central German military cemetery in Moldova in Chisinau. I also had email contact with a guy who is searching for his father's grave in Moldova for 35 years now and so far he has exhumed the remains of 600 German soldiers but none of them was his father. He keeps on digging. It is just an idea so far, but my father and I will probably fly to Chisinau and from there we would take a car to explore the area for one or two days. |
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During WW2, my grandfather from fathers side was a captain for land-lease boat going back and forth to USA.
http://x79.xanga.com/77da375a7913257.../w38593099.jpg His relative was KIA by sniper during Fin-war while he was unloading artillery shells My grandfather from mothers side was too young for action. He talked once about his village getting bombed and he got a concussion from which. His father was MIA under St Petersburg. (no pictures) Grandmothers father was in calvary. After WW2 he was tank commander in Berlin. He is on the right. I have his medals and pipe.. http://x08.xanga.com/5f0a3b5a7063257.../b38593114.jpg His sister was during Blockade of Leningrad. She was a nurse. |
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Now let's sticky this thread please, so newcomers will notice this too and shares their grandfather's/dad's history.
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[QUOTE=Happy Times]
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Now, seriously, I like your way of thinking, but I certainly won't start digging in Moldova, nor would my father, What mattered for my father, was to get an idea, where his father went awol. For many years he thought his father is buried in Yugoslavia, Besides, that would not make a difference. He is pleased now that he can show the place on a map to his mother and i am pleased that I could help him here. That's it. |
My Gandfather didn't join up when war was decleared in Australia, instead waiting a couple of years hoping by then things would have settled down and he would avoid being thrown in at the sharp end without support. Shortly after he did join, Japan bombed pearl habour, and by the time he had finnished training his battalon was posted to New Guniea to Fight on the Kokoda track.
On the way from Sydney, the ship stoped at Cairns and all the troops did a heavy transport driving course. Half a dozen men were picked to stay behind, the rest were shiped to New Guinea, where they lost a large nuber of men. My Grandfather was on of the men who was picked to stay behind and train others. He Did end up in New Guniea, as part of the logistics and supply group there. He did tell some intresting storys about building rope bridges for tuch to cross gourges! He end the war on the island of Wewack, where he was left with other soldiers without resupply for three months. They lived off a large stock of baked beans till they were picked up. He didn't eat baked beans untill just before his death 55 years later. |
My mother's father was in the Waffen SS as a AA gunner and after that he fouht somwere else but I don't know exactly since I'm doing some research but havn't found much yet. And my father's father was in JR12 and probably fought in Ihantala but I'm not 100% sure since I have never asked him and now he's having problems with his memory but I'm doing research about him too atm.
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My grandfather on my farthers side was a 1st officer on a destoryer escorting mechants on the artic and and atlantic convoy runs during WWII he surived the war but died about 10 years after the end of the war.
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Listed some books about them, i have the matrikkeli (dont know the english word) that has them all. So if you want to, PM me his name and i can check, were he went after he came back. Mauno Jokipii: Panttipataljoona, 1968 Veikko Elo: Pantin lunastajat, 1993 Niilo Lappalainen: Panssarieverstin kuolema (The Death of an armour colonel), 1995 David Littlejohn: Foreign Legions of the Third Reich, vol 4, 1987 Peter Abbot & Nigel Thomas: Germany's Eastern Front Allies 1941–45, 1989 Richard Landwehr: Siegrunen, issues #14, 34 and 43 Kari Kuusela & Olli Wikberg: Wikingin suomalaiset, 1996 Unto Parvilahti: Terekille ja takaisin, 1958 Paul Carell: Marssi Venäjälle, 1964 George H. Stein (suom. 2004) Waffen-SS. Hitlerin eliittikaarti sodassa 1939-1945. |
My Grandfather, newly emigrated to the United States, was not accepted in the US forces.. so he returned to England and joined the "Duke of Cambridge's Own 17th Lancers" in WWI
http://www.sfvsf.org/photos/War%20Pi...7thLancers.jpg Did you know that England had a "Deaths Head" outfit? http://www.sfvsf.org/photos/War%20Pi...WWI/17thB1.jpg http://www.sfvsf.org/photos/War%20Pi...nSnowball1.jpg As a matter of fact, two of my grandfathers brothers went back to England and joined the same outfit! http://www.sfvsf.org/photos/War%20Pi...geDickWWIA.jpg James, George, and Richard Bartholomew http://www.sfvsf.org/photos/War%20Pi.../WWI/17th1.jpg Look closely at the hat pins and collar pins.. "Death or Glory" And finally I'll leave you with this..... http://www.sfvsf.org/photos/War%20Pi...7thAnthemA.jpg |
Unfortunatly both my grandparents are dead, as is my wife's. Time will do that :dead: :cry:
However, on my father's side he put in his 20 and retired in the late 60's . . . SK2. Nothing was mentioned of him serving in any sense in WWII. However, may have been stationed aboard ships during the conflicts afterwards. He never really talked about his service. However, unlike other Filipinos he retained his US Citizenship after Independence was granted in 1947. On my mother's side, he was part of one of the guerilla cells operating on Bataan/Olongapo Area, being given the rank of CPL. After WWII, he began working a long career at NB Subic Bay. Both of his sons, my uncles, went to serve long careers in the USN. My Wife's grandfather, who died in the Philippines, before I got to meet him was a guerilla in the Anao area. Near the end of the war he joined the "new" Philippine Scouts, and served as part of the occupation force on Okinawa. He ended up joining INP, and retired after a long career. |
On Dec, 7, 1941, my father was an able seaman aboard the SS Lena Luckenback about 600 miles east-north-east of Oahu on the run out from San Francisco. About 300 miles to the nor-nor-east of them was the SS Cynthia Olson. My father told me of hearing her distress calls a few hours before the attack began.
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4013/colsonui1.jpg Quote:
His brother, my Uncle Emmett was a Lieutenant Commander USNR and was port captain of Noumea, New Caledonia. My Aunt's ex-husband Glen was one of the "Battered Bastards of Bastogne" serving in the 101st Airborne from D-Day to Berlin. Bill, what was your grandfather's name? As a Scott, Winfield has been an interest of mine and was the most influential and brilliant US general of the 19th century as both the Conqueror of Mexico and Architect of the Anaconda Strategy that secured Victory for Federal forces and preserved the Union. In my hometown of Benicia, both William T. Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant were posted as young lieutenants. Sherman was adjutant to the last military governor of California, Col. Roberts Barnes Mason and was present during the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill. |
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