Grandfathers in the war

[The Munster]

@Oberon
Do you know [or could you find out] if 45 Commando's Home Base was Abroath soon after the Second World War ?

[Jimbuna]

I never met my grandfather (dads side) he was second engineer on a merchant carrying explosives that went down (no survivors) during WWII.
My other grandfather (mams side) was in the BEF during WWI, he got buried alive during an artillery bombardment which left him completely deaf.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Kpt. Munson

@Oberon
Do you know [or could you find out] if 45 Commando's Home Base was Abroath soon after the Second World War ?

Arbroath is home to 45 Commando of the Royal Marines, who have been based at the Condor Barracks since 1971. The Condor Barracks were originally built in 1940 and commissioned as RNAS Arbroath / HMS Condor, a Royal Naval Air Station with Blackburn Buccaneers stationed at the base until 1971.

I think before that 45 Commando was a part of 3 Commando Brigade based in Hong Kong.

[Skybird]

My father'S father was "Funker", radio carrier, in Russia, a dangeorus job. He lost one eye, one leg, almost one complete lung, and survived after terrible pain during the chaotic retreat. He suffered so intense pain that he ripped out most of his hair and parts of his skin's face in agony and delirium. His three brothers also were soldiers, and all were KIA. his family later was driven away from their village by the Russians, at one time being close to get shot altogether.

My mother's father was first a tank commander, then commander of a small tank group, first in France, then in Russia. He survived six tanks being shot and killed under his back because as TC he stood or sat in the turret and thus could jump out just in time, while his crews burned. He lost all his crews, a thing he never got over, and caused him visions at day and nightmares for the rest of his life. He also could not stand christmas and candle trees anymore, since they reminded him of the silhouettes of burning villages. He lost his brother in the war who refused to cooperate with the SS when apparently being given some special operations order, and he got apparently executed. After a Russian tank rolled right over him it was war over for him, he survived that event only becasue it was swamp terrain, springtime, and the ground was soaking with water, and was soft and deep. His spine was serously deranged. considering what happened to his brother, having been shot out of six tanks, and having had a tank rolling over him and seriously injuring his spine's bones, he could be called "lucky" in a very queer and almost ironic sense. Formally, he should have died several times.

[XabbaRus]

My grandfather didn't fight but avoided the war due to the fact he worked in strategic areas. He was an engineer working on submarines during the war. Nothing special compared to this. The company was called blcok tubes or something like that.

Oh and after the war he was heavily involved in A2A refuelling but that is another story.

My other grandad was in the home guard and was killed on the target range by some idiot.

[nikimcbee]

I think we should sticky this thread. I think this is one of the best thread ideas in a long time.
I had an Uncle storm Anzio, 1 fought kamikazes @ Okinawa. My grandfather had health issues and couldn't go, so he worked for the gov't developing synthetic rubber.
My ex-spouse's grandfather was in the Russian arty, blasting Germans.
I don't have any cool photos, but I love everybody elses!

[XabbaRus]

I have an original photo of one of the first A2A refuellings done between two Avro Lancaster spinoff passenger planes.

[Subnuts]

My Grandfather enlisted in the Army before the US entered the war and was shipped to Australia after Pearl Harbor. After that he was sent to Port Moresby and was a codebreaker for most of the war. He was sent to the Phillipines sometime in early 1945 and did translation work with the natives. Sometime after the war ended he came became ill with a tropical disease. Since his work was so secret he couldn't receive proper medical care and almost died. Apparently he didn't even exist, and when he finally returned to the US in early 1946, he had to hitchhike all the way from California to Connecticut. He never received his share of the GI Bill, and he's never been recognized for his Ultra work during World War II, which remains a thorn in the side of most of my family today. I've been talking with one of my Aunts about someday publishing his story as a book, in an attempt to rectify this "little problem."

By great uncle Thomas Cadder was a B-24 gunner with the 22nd Bombardment Group, aka "The Red Raiders", out of the Philippines. His plane apparently crashed into a mountain on Luzon in February 1945 on a mission to Formosa, and nothing was ever found of the plane or the crew. Hell, the town of Windsor Locks didn't even include his name on their WWII memorial until 2003.

I'm starting to think the veterans in my family have been neglected as a whole.

[baggygreen]

Noone in my family has been confirmed to have served. There is a thought that my great grandad (who was apparently a drunk lowlife) was drafted to serve in WW2 (as an aboriginal, he woulda been exempt from most rules regarding service) and was subsequently killed. Like i said tho, its not confirmed.

Besides that, noone has ever served. I'm off to be a reservist, so we'll see where that takes me i guess.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

I think we should sticky this thread. I think this is one of the best thread ideas in a long time.

I agree, this is a very good thread, lots of history and pictures, very informative. Good work, guys, I appreciate the time you took to bring your grandfathers' lives to the rest of us. I'm giving this one 5 stars.


PS: Anyone who tries to turn this thread political will suffer a keelhauling.

[kiwi_2005]

No grandfathers served in the world wars, my grandfather on my fathers side from Yugoslavia left his home country to come to new zealand in the early 1930's and for 7 yrs he worked here and brought 2 farms then went back in late 1930's to grab his family and bring them to NZ. Because they were farmers they weren't required to go to war but supply the country instead. Only have one relative that went to war, Vietnam war.

[Hitman]

The most remote military ancestors I know of, are from my father' s family, when two brothers served as knights in the Army of King James I in the XIII century.

On my mother's family, the most remote military ancestor I know about was an artillery sargeant who died in the Napoleonic wars circa 1812.

My dad's father served as artillery captain in the spanish civil war with Franco's troops. He survived and died aged 84 in 1984 having suffered no injuries.

My mother's father served as medical assistant in the republican army and despite the dangerous job (Picking and carrying injuried combatants through the trenches) he also survived and never was injured. He died aged 69 also in 1984.

Fortunately for me, they never met in the field and killed the other, -which could have been possible given they fought in opposite sides-

[Kipparikalle]

My thread rocks!

My dad's father was engineer during the war, behind the lines.
Fixing the tanks, and driving the supplies to the artilerry positions.

He died couple of months later when I was born.

[Oberon]

On my fathers side of the family, well, I'm not 100% sure since my Grandad hasn't said much about his time in service, but he did once mention something about being in the Highlanders, but I think it was probably after the Second World War.
I do have a grand-uncle (possibly great-grand-uncle) who was killed by a sniper at Verdun in the First World War, but for the rest, I don't know on that side. Odd, I see more of my fathers side of the family, but know more about my mothers side...

[Fish]

My granddad from fathers side was very ill and died shortly after the war, my grandad mothers side was at sea fishing when the war started, he saw me the day I was born (29 april) just hours before he left harbour, and came back 5 years later.
He was ordered to England and volunteer the navy.
During the war he was skipper on a minesweeper a dangerous job with lots of loses.
He manage to survive and was on the river Schelde while the germans are on one side, the Canadians on the other side shooting with all they have.
The river was crucial for the allies to supply Antwerpen with all stuf a army needs.
Till then all supply came via France.
He got the highest military decoration, the Military Willems Order.

I never forget when I was in the army (Dutch commandos) my granddad told me he had seen a lot of greenbarets dead, floting in the river, those days. There was a commando raid on the Island of Walcheren.
He was a very amabile man and a great granddad.