Relatives who fought in the war?

[volcol]

Howdy folks,

Today is Remembrance day (or veterans day, or armistice day - whichever you prefer )

I'm curious as to whether people have any interesting stories from relatives who fought in the war. I've always had a keen interest in both the Second and First World Wars, even from a very young age. Where as most kids would've been watching cartoon network, I'd be sat with a cup of cold tea (the shame D: ) watching Battlefield or a Century of Warfare on Discovery - back when the channel had some relevance to history and didn't summarise everything with "space nazi's"

I had a great grandfather who fought during the Second World War, I never met him, he died the day I was born.

Charles Benton, was an engineer, he crossed the channel with the BEF during the start of the war and barely made it back home from Dunkirk (too busy sapping British equipment so the Germans couldn't get their hands on it - to my understanding) He spent a great deal of his time after Dunkirk in London assisting during the Blitz (He lost homes in London 5 times to bomb damage)

He saw action again in 1944 during D-Day, fighting along side many other brave young soldiers. Picking up a German helmet to take home as a souvenir, what remained of it's previous owner fell out into his lap. He fought a little at Caen but not much more after that, due to a shrapnel injury.

Having recovered from his injury he returned to action in March 1945, less than a month later he was attached to the group of British and Commonwealth soldiers that liberated Bergen Belsen concentration camp. At Belsen, alongside a few other British troops, he assisted the small German garrison in the mass burials of thousands of detainees - he used a bulldozer.

He never spoke of any of his experiences until a few days before his death. In life he was a harsh and cold man towards his children (my grandparents and great aunts/uncles) They now understand why. After the war, he spent most of his time between jobs, settling in the North of England finally and spent the next 30 years working in a textiles mill. He spent a great deal of time 'down the pub'

I wore his medals with pride yesterday at our local war memorial service.

I'd be very interested to hear other peoples stories.

 

[Sir Apple]

Oh boy do I have stories. I don't have time to type them out right now though.

My Grandpa died before I was born however, he left the U.S Army as the rank of Captain, and served in the China-Burma-India Theatre. From what I've understood, one of his jobs was to bring his men down in gliders, and conduct missions behind enemy lines (Objective Burma, anyone?). Many of these missions were secretive at the time.

Like most veterans, he never spoke much about the war. From what I do know, I can only imagine the horrors of it all. Perhaps I will try and gather up some of the stories he did share from my mom - a couple of them are actually rather funny moments.

 

[Roughbeak]

My grandfather fought in the war (WW2), I met him a quite a few times along with my family. Currently he is in a nursing home, suffering from a huge stroke that hit him a few years back.

He was a driver for a Lee tank, and he collected a Luger P08 and here is the story:

He entered a building with a M1 Carbine (I think), and he saw a NCO German shaving in there, my grandpa shot him and collected the rather prized piece. It may have been a Russian Luger but I doubt that.

I never really saw his Luger, but hope one day I'll snatch it and own it.

 

[hannibaldinski]

Great grandfather was a Messerschmitt BF109 fighter pilot. He fought during Battle of Britain and the campaigns in Russia. No one knows what happened to him. He never returned. My grandfather tried to findout what happened a couple of times but gave up. I've his picture of him somewhere...

There are rumors he was a member of the Waffen-SS.

 

[VonMudra]

If he was a fighter pilot, he could not have been SS

As for my, grandfather was in 291st Engineers, two purple hearts from German artillery. He served from June 7th in Normandy (was wounded in the fighting at Omaha beach when his landing craft was hit by artillery, he was one of 3 survivors to wash up on shore. ANd yes, Omaha beach had a 2nd day ), fought through Normandy where he got bombed by our own airforce at St. Lo, through France, into Battle of the Bulge where he blew up bridges during the 291st's fighting retreat (including one that had a German recon unit moving across it), and then on into Germany. I have his foot locker still, with all his letters, photos, medals, and such. Sadly, he died just as I was getting into World War 2, so never heard all the stories I'm sure he had. Went suddenly with a heart attack on 9/18/2001, a week after 9/11, and on my father's birthday no less....

 

[Comrade Roe]

I have a fair few great great uncles that fought, I unfortunately can't recall their names.

Apparently my grandfather was on the USS Toledo. He was an officer in the navy during the Korean War.

 

[Fuchs]

I actually had no relatives that fought in World War Two. My grandfather's uncle died in Neuengamme though, he was sent there because he didn't want to work for the Germans. Died like a few months before the liberation, poor son of a *****. Another relative was shot by a strafing airplane when he made a campfire. Not sure if it was Germans or Allies but since it was late war, I guess Allies. Died on the way to the hospital.

Had a great-uncle who served in Korea and Dutch Indonesia though. Never spoke about it, died a cold and absent man much like Volcol's great-grandfather. War does things to you.

 

[Alex]

My Great Grandfather was a Soviet Major on the Eastern Front. He was an artillery commander, but we weren't sure about too much. He didn't speak much about the war after it ended. One of things we do know is that he met with the Americans at the River Elbe. I'll ask my Grandfather sometime soon if I can find out anything more.

 

[General Naga]

Not a relative but I've met and got to know of Major Tony Hibbert who is literally a legend in the British Paratroop Regiment and was a major figure in Operation Eclipse in the closing days of the war with a broken leg even after having survived Market Garden and escaped Arnheim by hiding the back of a truck. A truly inspirational character.

In an unusual twist he was awarded the freedom of the city of Kiel recently for his action during Eclipse which is (I think) the only case from WW2 where an allied soldier was given an award by Germany for their actions during the war.

I'll try to dig out his own account of what happened as his website/blog is offline sadly.

 

[chad509]

I haven't heard many stories about my grandfather on my dads side but he was a tail gunner in the pacific theatre.

 

[blurr22]

Not many stories were ever shared but my grandfather was a navy soldier on an aircraft carrier, so was one of my uncles, my other uncle was a US army soldier. I currently have 4 cousins that I know of in the marines/army. 1 is serving as a 1st Lieutenant, one as a Second Lieutenant, one as a Captain, and one as a Colonel. None have shared much about any stories but are still proud of what they do.

 

[Pleznt]

ah yeah, it seems though it was a war they wanted to forget, so the stories would have been kept to themselves. my parents moved to Australia when they were and my whole family are from the UK. grandpa on my dads side serviced air craft as far as i can remember being told, and on my mothers side my g,pa served in the navy. i think he was a runner, i seen one photo of him on a nice old motorbike. he passed away before i was born. he was also involved with the free mason's but i don't know much, i would like to find out though, if that kept his head out the dirt.
don't forget the women of WW2, they worked hard! probably harder than the men do today
they were happy to see a pay check in their name!

peace be upon all the people who witnessed such tragedy.

 

[Kortzfleisch]

well I had a great grandpa in ww2 but he was a KIA at the battle of the hurtgen forest, I also had a great grandpa in the navy in ww1 but he was stationed stateside only interesting stories I have from then is my grandma had an uncle who was a tanker in ww1 apparently not only did he have to work in a ww1 tank but he also survived a mustard gas attack and even had a giant scar down the side of his face from a close quarter fight with a German, needless to say his sanity wasn't all there after the war was done

 

[volcol]

So far as WW1 goes, I had relatives fight on all three sides in the western theater (well, the three major sides, Brits/French/Germans)

My Great great grandfather joined the army in 1915 with his 4 brothers. (British)

He was the only one to survive the war, 2 brothers were blown into oblivion by German shell fire - in the same battle from what I gather. Another brother received a wound to the right hand (he lost his thumb, tip of his middle finger and index/trigger finger) - after recovering they sent him back to the front in 1917 and he died shortly after (no surprise) One brother, we have no idea what happened to him - he was last recorded at the Somme, can only assume he's still out there on one of the fields.

My great great grandfather, he survived as he was a part of the artillery, he worked as a stable master and looked after the animals. He was nearly killed a few time by stray enemy shells, one once knocking him from his horse (which didn't fair so well) and half burying him alive. He was spotted 2 days later by accident - someone had noticed his arm moving and rescued him, that night the rain would've probably drown him.

 

[Roughbeak]

That was a tragedy Volcol, may them rest in peace.