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Family Ties to World War II: A New Poll


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Originally posted by MikeyD:

This is a good gauge of the ages of board member, whether they mention big brothers, fathers, grandfathers... great-grandfathers. We're a couple months to the 60th(!) anniversary of the defeat of the AfriKa Korps!

Scary thing is, if a vet was twenty years old at the end of WWII, went home in 1945 and had a kid (1946), and then his kid had a kid at twenty (1967), and then that kid had a kid at twenty (1988) we're getting to the point where some new players (15-16 years old) will have had great-grandfathers in WWII, not WWI.

There'll be a time (not too long from now) when all of the people who were old enough to serve in WWII will be dead. Get to know them while you can.

Incidentally, statistically speaking, the average soldier who was 18 or 19 in 1943 is around 80 right now and is already past the median life expectancy for males in North America. On the long-shot side of things, a soldier who lied about his age and served in 1945 at the age of 15 would be around 73 now. Assuming he lives to be around 105 or so (around the oldest I've seen WWI vets reach) the last of those who served in WWII will be gone by 2035. Sounds like a long time from now, but that's what people thought about WWI vets, and it was surprising how quickly they faded away.

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Originally posted by MikeyD:

This is a good gauge of the ages of board member, whether they mention big brothers, fathers, grandfathers... great-grandfathers. We're a couple months to the 60th(!) anniversary of the defeat of the AfriKa Korps!

Scary thing is, if a vet was twenty years old at the end of WWII, went home in 1945 and had a kid (1946), and then his kid had a kid at twenty (1967), and then that kid had a kid at twenty (1988) we're getting to the point where some new players (15-16 years old) will have had great-grandfathers in WWII, not WWI.

There'll be a time (not too long from now) when all of the people who were old enough to serve in WWII will be dead. Get to know them while you can.

Incidentally, statistically speaking, the average soldier who was 18 or 19 in 1943 is around 80 right now and is already past the median life expectancy for males in North America. On the long-shot side of things, a soldier who lied about his age and served in 1945 at the age of 15 would be around 73 now. Assuming he lives to be around 105 or so (around the oldest I've seen WWI vets reach) the last of those who served in WWII will be gone by 2035. Sounds like a long time from now, but that's what people thought about WWI vets, and it was surprising how quickly they faded away.

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Originally posted by MikeyD:

This is a good gauge of the ages of board member, whether they mention big brothers, fathers, grandfathers... great-grandfathers. We're a couple months to the 60th(!) anniversary of the defeat of the AfriKa Korps!

Scary thing is, if a vet was twenty years old at the end of WWII, went home in 1945 and had a kid (1946), and then his kid had a kid at twenty (1967), and then that kid had a kid at twenty (1988) we're getting to the point where some new players (15-16 years old) will have had great-grandfathers in WWII, not WWI.

There'll be a time (not too long from now) when all of the people who were old enough to serve in WWII will be dead. Get to know them while you can.

Incidentally, statistically speaking, the average soldier who was 18 or 19 in 1943 is around 80 right now and is already past the median life expectancy for males in North America. On the long-shot side of things, a soldier who lied about his age and served in 1945 at the age of 15 would be around 73 now. Assuming he lives to be around 105 or so (around the oldest I've seen WWI vets reach) the last of those who served in WWII will be gone by 2035. Sounds like a long time from now, but that's what people thought about WWI vets, and it was surprising how quickly they faded away.

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Originally posted by Frenchy:

We've had plenty of unofficial polls taken in all 3 dedicated forums - ex-military, where are we from, etc.

We =have=?! Geez, I guess I better get with the program, eh? Let's see: US Army, Special Forces, 1963-66(+), Germany (among other places); Seattle, Washington (state), USA; ???; (languages = Italian, German, Japanese, a bit of Spanish)

But how many of us have direct family ties to World War 2?
Father's side:

G'pa came to America to get out of WWI (smart move, IMO).

Father was a radioman on a C-47 in a Troop Carrier Squadron. They were part of the North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and D-Day assaults (among other things), but was shot down over Bastogne. Spent the rest of the war in a POW camp outside of Munich. Spent his time in camp and VA hospital afterwards recovering from playing 'human torch' when his plane crashed...

His brother was a veterinary student and exempt from service.

Mother's side:

Don't know much about them, but I know my mom was a 'Rosie the Riveter' at Boeing Plant #2 on the shores of the Duwamish making B-17s (after she moved here from the 'panhandle' of Nebraska).

Stepfather was an infantryman in the 75th ID. The only picture I saw of him in uniform, he was an SFC and had a =bunch= of ribbons. When asked, all he'd say about any of it was that he was 'there from start to finish' and '=damn=, that winter was =cold=!'

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Originally posted by Frenchy:

We've had plenty of unofficial polls taken in all 3 dedicated forums - ex-military, where are we from, etc.

We =have=?! Geez, I guess I better get with the program, eh? Let's see: US Army, Special Forces, 1963-66(+), Germany (among other places); Seattle, Washington (state), USA; ???; (languages = Italian, German, Japanese, a bit of Spanish)

But how many of us have direct family ties to World War 2?
Father's side:

G'pa came to America to get out of WWI (smart move, IMO).

Father was a radioman on a C-47 in a Troop Carrier Squadron. They were part of the North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and D-Day assaults (among other things), but was shot down over Bastogne. Spent the rest of the war in a POW camp outside of Munich. Spent his time in camp and VA hospital afterwards recovering from playing 'human torch' when his plane crashed...

His brother was a veterinary student and exempt from service.

Mother's side:

Don't know much about them, but I know my mom was a 'Rosie the Riveter' at Boeing Plant #2 on the shores of the Duwamish making B-17s (after she moved here from the 'panhandle' of Nebraska).

Stepfather was an infantryman in the 75th ID. The only picture I saw of him in uniform, he was an SFC and had a =bunch= of ribbons. When asked, all he'd say about any of it was that he was 'there from start to finish' and '=damn=, that winter was =cold=!'

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Originally posted by Frenchy:

We've had plenty of unofficial polls taken in all 3 dedicated forums - ex-military, where are we from, etc.

We =have=?! Geez, I guess I better get with the program, eh? Let's see: US Army, Special Forces, 1963-66(+), Germany (among other places); Seattle, Washington (state), USA; ???; (languages = Italian, German, Japanese, a bit of Spanish)

But how many of us have direct family ties to World War 2?
Father's side:

G'pa came to America to get out of WWI (smart move, IMO).

Father was a radioman on a C-47 in a Troop Carrier Squadron. They were part of the North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and D-Day assaults (among other things), but was shot down over Bastogne. Spent the rest of the war in a POW camp outside of Munich. Spent his time in camp and VA hospital afterwards recovering from playing 'human torch' when his plane crashed...

His brother was a veterinary student and exempt from service.

Mother's side:

Don't know much about them, but I know my mom was a 'Rosie the Riveter' at Boeing Plant #2 on the shores of the Duwamish making B-17s (after she moved here from the 'panhandle' of Nebraska).

Stepfather was an infantryman in the 75th ID. The only picture I saw of him in uniform, he was an SFC and had a =bunch= of ribbons. When asked, all he'd say about any of it was that he was 'there from start to finish' and '=damn=, that winter was =cold=!'

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Originally posted by Kozure:

Like millions of others on this planet, the war indirectly affected my birth, as my father would not have met my mother at McGill University if the Japanese-Canadians had not been evicted.

The fortunes of war...

Indeed. My grandmother lived in Karelian Isthmus, in Terijoki which was the closest point to Leningrad in Finland back then. Because of war over 10 % of Finnish population became refugees, including her. She was located to North Karelia, some 500 km to north. After the world war her husband died of diphtheria during an epidemic. She then got together with my grandfather. He had been drafted to Winter War, but had become ill and was released of service. They got two children, the older my mother. Of course without Stalin's whim about Karelia they would never have met.

My father's father served in the Winter War 1939-40 as a stretcher-bearer in ErP 12 and JR 43. In 1941 he was put into the newly formed JR 51's 2nd Machine Gun Company (Maxim's), and soon his unit was sent to make Finland greater. On July 13th he stepped on mine in Ristiselkä and got wounds on his legs and his arm, so that both legs had to be amputated. That didn't stop him from driving a taxi for his living after the war, though. I remember when I was a little kid, he was my favourite adult because he was the only one of them who was my height. smile.gif Because of what happened to him I have learned to hate buried AP mines. It's as inhumane as gas weapons, I say. Anyway, his wife was also a member of the Lotta Svärde, a women's patriotic organisation that was forbidden after the war by Soviet demand. Some unmarried Lotta's also served in frontline units at canteens, in field hospitals, in communications and in air defense.

In 1941 great numbers of POW's were taken. Those who could understand Finnish and weren't communists were often given other tasks, some were allowed to join the army while others were sent to help at farms as there was a constant shortage of labour. So my father's parents got one "home-Russkie" as they were known. On one occasion my grandmother had baked some buns and left them in kitchen. The prisoner then came there and obviously liked their smell because he stole one and tried hiding it when my grandfather showed up. He then had to explain to the guy that he would have been offered buns anyway if he asked, no need to take secretly. But can you blame a guy who has just comen from a POW camp...

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Originally posted by Kozure:

Like millions of others on this planet, the war indirectly affected my birth, as my father would not have met my mother at McGill University if the Japanese-Canadians had not been evicted.

The fortunes of war...

Indeed. My grandmother lived in Karelian Isthmus, in Terijoki which was the closest point to Leningrad in Finland back then. Because of war over 10 % of Finnish population became refugees, including her. She was located to North Karelia, some 500 km to north. After the world war her husband died of diphtheria during an epidemic. She then got together with my grandfather. He had been drafted to Winter War, but had become ill and was released of service. They got two children, the older my mother. Of course without Stalin's whim about Karelia they would never have met.

My father's father served in the Winter War 1939-40 as a stretcher-bearer in ErP 12 and JR 43. In 1941 he was put into the newly formed JR 51's 2nd Machine Gun Company (Maxim's), and soon his unit was sent to make Finland greater. On July 13th he stepped on mine in Ristiselkä and got wounds on his legs and his arm, so that both legs had to be amputated. That didn't stop him from driving a taxi for his living after the war, though. I remember when I was a little kid, he was my favourite adult because he was the only one of them who was my height. smile.gif Because of what happened to him I have learned to hate buried AP mines. It's as inhumane as gas weapons, I say. Anyway, his wife was also a member of the Lotta Svärde, a women's patriotic organisation that was forbidden after the war by Soviet demand. Some unmarried Lotta's also served in frontline units at canteens, in field hospitals, in communications and in air defense.

In 1941 great numbers of POW's were taken. Those who could understand Finnish and weren't communists were often given other tasks, some were allowed to join the army while others were sent to help at farms as there was a constant shortage of labour. So my father's parents got one "home-Russkie" as they were known. On one occasion my grandmother had baked some buns and left them in kitchen. The prisoner then came there and obviously liked their smell because he stole one and tried hiding it when my grandfather showed up. He then had to explain to the guy that he would have been offered buns anyway if he asked, no need to take secretly. But can you blame a guy who has just comen from a POW camp...

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Originally posted by Kozure:

Like millions of others on this planet, the war indirectly affected my birth, as my father would not have met my mother at McGill University if the Japanese-Canadians had not been evicted.

The fortunes of war...

Indeed. My grandmother lived in Karelian Isthmus, in Terijoki which was the closest point to Leningrad in Finland back then. Because of war over 10 % of Finnish population became refugees, including her. She was located to North Karelia, some 500 km to north. After the world war her husband died of diphtheria during an epidemic. She then got together with my grandfather. He had been drafted to Winter War, but had become ill and was released of service. They got two children, the older my mother. Of course without Stalin's whim about Karelia they would never have met.

My father's father served in the Winter War 1939-40 as a stretcher-bearer in ErP 12 and JR 43. In 1941 he was put into the newly formed JR 51's 2nd Machine Gun Company (Maxim's), and soon his unit was sent to make Finland greater. On July 13th he stepped on mine in Ristiselkä and got wounds on his legs and his arm, so that both legs had to be amputated. That didn't stop him from driving a taxi for his living after the war, though. I remember when I was a little kid, he was my favourite adult because he was the only one of them who was my height. smile.gif Because of what happened to him I have learned to hate buried AP mines. It's as inhumane as gas weapons, I say. Anyway, his wife was also a member of the Lotta Svärde, a women's patriotic organisation that was forbidden after the war by Soviet demand. Some unmarried Lotta's also served in frontline units at canteens, in field hospitals, in communications and in air defense.

In 1941 great numbers of POW's were taken. Those who could understand Finnish and weren't communists were often given other tasks, some were allowed to join the army while others were sent to help at farms as there was a constant shortage of labour. So my father's parents got one "home-Russkie" as they were known. On one occasion my grandmother had baked some buns and left them in kitchen. The prisoner then came there and obviously liked their smell because he stole one and tried hiding it when my grandfather showed up. He then had to explain to the guy that he would have been offered buns anyway if he asked, no need to take secretly. But can you blame a guy who has just comen from a POW camp...

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Father (deceased) was a US Army Engineer in France and Germany. "Building things and blowing things up!" Dad also was involved the emancipation of some concentration camps in Germany. This troublesome service experience left Dad with a lasting blaze. He just could not understand how humans could inflict such crimes on "non combatants." He remained a human rights advocate the rest of his life.

Father in law (88 years old and still alive) was a Medical Officer in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. His 1st experience was arriving near Bizerte’ Tunisia to,"… a former city that was nothing much but rubble and a few goats…" Many stories of treating the carnage resulting from the Anzio & Monte Casino engagements. "We had ambulances backed up for blocks and blocks so many guys were getting injured….. Some patients were so scared after this fierce fighting that they would get out and hide under their cloth cots when they heard aircraft in the area…." Italy became his favorite country to visit after WWII.

Wife’s great uncle (deceased) was a Japanese POW in the Philippines. He had the misfortune of owning a successful "gentleman’s bar" that the Japanese confiscated. Uncle Harold lived to be 93 years old! He had plenty of great stories to tell always over a nice Gin drink of course. How do you think he kept those coronary arteries clear all those years?

smile.gif

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Father (deceased) was a US Army Engineer in France and Germany. "Building things and blowing things up!" Dad also was involved the emancipation of some concentration camps in Germany. This troublesome service experience left Dad with a lasting blaze. He just could not understand how humans could inflict such crimes on "non combatants." He remained a human rights advocate the rest of his life.

Father in law (88 years old and still alive) was a Medical Officer in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. His 1st experience was arriving near Bizerte’ Tunisia to,"… a former city that was nothing much but rubble and a few goats…" Many stories of treating the carnage resulting from the Anzio & Monte Casino engagements. "We had ambulances backed up for blocks and blocks so many guys were getting injured….. Some patients were so scared after this fierce fighting that they would get out and hide under their cloth cots when they heard aircraft in the area…." Italy became his favorite country to visit after WWII.

Wife’s great uncle (deceased) was a Japanese POW in the Philippines. He had the misfortune of owning a successful "gentleman’s bar" that the Japanese confiscated. Uncle Harold lived to be 93 years old! He had plenty of great stories to tell always over a nice Gin drink of course. How do you think he kept those coronary arteries clear all those years?

smile.gif

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Father (deceased) was a US Army Engineer in France and Germany. "Building things and blowing things up!" Dad also was involved the emancipation of some concentration camps in Germany. This troublesome service experience left Dad with a lasting blaze. He just could not understand how humans could inflict such crimes on "non combatants." He remained a human rights advocate the rest of his life.

Father in law (88 years old and still alive) was a Medical Officer in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. His 1st experience was arriving near Bizerte’ Tunisia to,"… a former city that was nothing much but rubble and a few goats…" Many stories of treating the carnage resulting from the Anzio & Monte Casino engagements. "We had ambulances backed up for blocks and blocks so many guys were getting injured….. Some patients were so scared after this fierce fighting that they would get out and hide under their cloth cots when they heard aircraft in the area…." Italy became his favorite country to visit after WWII.

Wife’s great uncle (deceased) was a Japanese POW in the Philippines. He had the misfortune of owning a successful "gentleman’s bar" that the Japanese confiscated. Uncle Harold lived to be 93 years old! He had plenty of great stories to tell always over a nice Gin drink of course. How do you think he kept those coronary arteries clear all those years?

smile.gif

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My Dad got expelled from 9th grade for beating up one of his teachers. He tried to join the Navy but they discovered he was only 16, so he walked across the street and joined the Army. He was assigned to Horse Cav but flunked out of the training and did the bulk of his 3 years in the infantry. Expert on BAR and made Corporal.

When discharged he joined the US Navy and was part of the commissioning crew of the USS Helena, a light cruiser. They made a good will tour of South America he had a picture of himself two shipmates and two guys from the Graf Spee crew.

He started WWII by being thrown out of his rack by a torpedo hitting his ship. They got underway that afternoon.

After being repaired the Helena went to the Solomon Islands. He described one night when they were running away from the IJN. They wired the safety valves on the boilers closed and one shaft had an overheating spring bearing which they had three fire hoses spraying it to keep it from melting the babbet metal and wiping the bearing.

He was lucky enough to be transferred off the Helena two weeks before it was sunk to go back to the States and go to Motor Machinist Mate school (diesel engine school).

He was latter assigned to the USS Santa Fe, a heavy cruiser. If you have ever seen film of the burning USS Franklin near Okinawa, the Santa Fe is the cruiser along side helping to fight the fires and having people who are trapped on sponsons jump to the Santa Fe. Dad was on the throttles in the number one engine room at the time.

He also told probably the only true bar room brawl story I've ever heard. He was sitting in a bar near Bremerton Naval Ship Yard heard a crash behind him. He turned to look and a flying beer bottle knocked him out.

My mom's first husband was killed on Bouganvillie in a La. National Guard infantry unit. She worked in a war production plant helping to build B-17s.

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My Dad got expelled from 9th grade for beating up one of his teachers. He tried to join the Navy but they discovered he was only 16, so he walked across the street and joined the Army. He was assigned to Horse Cav but flunked out of the training and did the bulk of his 3 years in the infantry. Expert on BAR and made Corporal.

When discharged he joined the US Navy and was part of the commissioning crew of the USS Helena, a light cruiser. They made a good will tour of South America he had a picture of himself two shipmates and two guys from the Graf Spee crew.

He started WWII by being thrown out of his rack by a torpedo hitting his ship. They got underway that afternoon.

After being repaired the Helena went to the Solomon Islands. He described one night when they were running away from the IJN. They wired the safety valves on the boilers closed and one shaft had an overheating spring bearing which they had three fire hoses spraying it to keep it from melting the babbet metal and wiping the bearing.

He was lucky enough to be transferred off the Helena two weeks before it was sunk to go back to the States and go to Motor Machinist Mate school (diesel engine school).

He was latter assigned to the USS Santa Fe, a heavy cruiser. If you have ever seen film of the burning USS Franklin near Okinawa, the Santa Fe is the cruiser along side helping to fight the fires and having people who are trapped on sponsons jump to the Santa Fe. Dad was on the throttles in the number one engine room at the time.

He also told probably the only true bar room brawl story I've ever heard. He was sitting in a bar near Bremerton Naval Ship Yard heard a crash behind him. He turned to look and a flying beer bottle knocked him out.

My mom's first husband was killed on Bouganvillie in a La. National Guard infantry unit. She worked in a war production plant helping to build B-17s.

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My Dad got expelled from 9th grade for beating up one of his teachers. He tried to join the Navy but they discovered he was only 16, so he walked across the street and joined the Army. He was assigned to Horse Cav but flunked out of the training and did the bulk of his 3 years in the infantry. Expert on BAR and made Corporal.

When discharged he joined the US Navy and was part of the commissioning crew of the USS Helena, a light cruiser. They made a good will tour of South America he had a picture of himself two shipmates and two guys from the Graf Spee crew.

He started WWII by being thrown out of his rack by a torpedo hitting his ship. They got underway that afternoon.

After being repaired the Helena went to the Solomon Islands. He described one night when they were running away from the IJN. They wired the safety valves on the boilers closed and one shaft had an overheating spring bearing which they had three fire hoses spraying it to keep it from melting the babbet metal and wiping the bearing.

He was lucky enough to be transferred off the Helena two weeks before it was sunk to go back to the States and go to Motor Machinist Mate school (diesel engine school).

He was latter assigned to the USS Santa Fe, a heavy cruiser. If you have ever seen film of the burning USS Franklin near Okinawa, the Santa Fe is the cruiser along side helping to fight the fires and having people who are trapped on sponsons jump to the Santa Fe. Dad was on the throttles in the number one engine room at the time.

He also told probably the only true bar room brawl story I've ever heard. He was sitting in a bar near Bremerton Naval Ship Yard heard a crash behind him. He turned to look and a flying beer bottle knocked him out.

My mom's first husband was killed on Bouganvillie in a La. National Guard infantry unit. She worked in a war production plant helping to build B-17s.

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Paternal grandfather was in the 8th Army in Africa along with his two brothers, all of whom survived the war. He started as a driver in the Signals Corps but somehow ended up as a combat engineer, and blew himself up a little at Salerno. He took two years to recover and didn't get home until 1946.

My maternal grandfather was in the railways so wasn't allowed to enlist, though he was in the Home Guard and served as a guard at a prisoner of war camp for Italians, one of whom made him a ring made from bits of silver scrounged from a photo lab. We couldn't agree who should have it when he died, so we buried him with it.

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Paternal grandfather was in the 8th Army in Africa along with his two brothers, all of whom survived the war. He started as a driver in the Signals Corps but somehow ended up as a combat engineer, and blew himself up a little at Salerno. He took two years to recover and didn't get home until 1946.

My maternal grandfather was in the railways so wasn't allowed to enlist, though he was in the Home Guard and served as a guard at a prisoner of war camp for Italians, one of whom made him a ring made from bits of silver scrounged from a photo lab. We couldn't agree who should have it when he died, so we buried him with it.

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Paternal grandfather was in the 8th Army in Africa along with his two brothers, all of whom survived the war. He started as a driver in the Signals Corps but somehow ended up as a combat engineer, and blew himself up a little at Salerno. He took two years to recover and didn't get home until 1946.

My maternal grandfather was in the railways so wasn't allowed to enlist, though he was in the Home Guard and served as a guard at a prisoner of war camp for Italians, one of whom made him a ring made from bits of silver scrounged from a photo lab. We couldn't agree who should have it when he died, so we buried him with it.

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My Grandfather (Dad's side) was a Bird Gunner with the Royal Canadian Artillery. I'd have to double check, but I belive he served with the 3rd Canadian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, which was part of the 2nd Canadian Division. I just recently recieved a copy of his file from our Archives in Ottawa.

He enlisted in August 1940, and was discharged in May 1946 I think.

Because of his trade at the time (Anti-Aircraft Artilleryman), he didn't partake in the Dieppe raid - but from what I gather, he did lose a good many friends there.

After D-Day, He was later re-rolled as part of an Infantry unit, but how and in what capacity I'm not sure - still checking on that.

Because he had a few weeks experience before the war, working as a bakers assistant for the Hudson's Bay Company, he was permitted to undertake "formal" military training as a cook. He did so, and also (for some unknown reason) turned down a promotion from Gunner (Private) to Bombardier (Corporal).

In any event, What sticks with me the most, is a story he told me, and that my Dad recounts about one of my Grandfather's more memorable moments;

Functioning in the capacity of a cook - Grampa was somewhere in Northwestern Europe making spegetti. Of course - as he was cooking for an entire unit there was a lot of spegetti.

Anyhow - he was in the back of the kitchen truck doing his thing, when somebody hollered that "88"s were firing on them, and to take cover.

Grampa jumped out of the kitchen truck, and no sooner had he done so, than the truck took a direct hit. When the smoke settled, there was spegetti hanging from the trees for a couple hundred meters in all directions. As I recall, he was later berated for this - as if it were his fault.

Sounds typical of the Army. ;)

He also liked to recount a story, where in Holland somehere (I think), where he and a bunch of his buddies happened upon a celler full of wine.

They "liberated" the spirits and proceeded to give their own morale a boost, only to find out shortly afterwards that the retreating Germans had poisoned some of the wine. A few of his buddies apparently died because of this. The rest were confined to beds "pi$$ing out both ends" as he put it.

The only other "trouble" he seems to have gotten himself into, according to his medical records was a case of VD, treated a few months before his discharge. ;)

I also have a great Uncle, who fought with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and know that he fought in Italy - but thats all I currently know about his service.

Anyhow, thats about the extent of my family's ties to WWII. smile.gif

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My Grandfather (Dad's side) was a Bird Gunner with the Royal Canadian Artillery. I'd have to double check, but I belive he served with the 3rd Canadian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, which was part of the 2nd Canadian Division. I just recently recieved a copy of his file from our Archives in Ottawa.

He enlisted in August 1940, and was discharged in May 1946 I think.

Because of his trade at the time (Anti-Aircraft Artilleryman), he didn't partake in the Dieppe raid - but from what I gather, he did lose a good many friends there.

After D-Day, He was later re-rolled as part of an Infantry unit, but how and in what capacity I'm not sure - still checking on that.

Because he had a few weeks experience before the war, working as a bakers assistant for the Hudson's Bay Company, he was permitted to undertake "formal" military training as a cook. He did so, and also (for some unknown reason) turned down a promotion from Gunner (Private) to Bombardier (Corporal).

In any event, What sticks with me the most, is a story he told me, and that my Dad recounts about one of my Grandfather's more memorable moments;

Functioning in the capacity of a cook - Grampa was somewhere in Northwestern Europe making spegetti. Of course - as he was cooking for an entire unit there was a lot of spegetti.

Anyhow - he was in the back of the kitchen truck doing his thing, when somebody hollered that "88"s were firing on them, and to take cover.

Grampa jumped out of the kitchen truck, and no sooner had he done so, than the truck took a direct hit. When the smoke settled, there was spegetti hanging from the trees for a couple hundred meters in all directions. As I recall, he was later berated for this - as if it were his fault.

Sounds typical of the Army. ;)

He also liked to recount a story, where in Holland somehere (I think), where he and a bunch of his buddies happened upon a celler full of wine.

They "liberated" the spirits and proceeded to give their own morale a boost, only to find out shortly afterwards that the retreating Germans had poisoned some of the wine. A few of his buddies apparently died because of this. The rest were confined to beds "pi$$ing out both ends" as he put it.

The only other "trouble" he seems to have gotten himself into, according to his medical records was a case of VD, treated a few months before his discharge. ;)

I also have a great Uncle, who fought with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and know that he fought in Italy - but thats all I currently know about his service.

Anyhow, thats about the extent of my family's ties to WWII. smile.gif

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My Grandfather (Dad's side) was a Bird Gunner with the Royal Canadian Artillery. I'd have to double check, but I belive he served with the 3rd Canadian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, which was part of the 2nd Canadian Division. I just recently recieved a copy of his file from our Archives in Ottawa.

He enlisted in August 1940, and was discharged in May 1946 I think.

Because of his trade at the time (Anti-Aircraft Artilleryman), he didn't partake in the Dieppe raid - but from what I gather, he did lose a good many friends there.

After D-Day, He was later re-rolled as part of an Infantry unit, but how and in what capacity I'm not sure - still checking on that.

Because he had a few weeks experience before the war, working as a bakers assistant for the Hudson's Bay Company, he was permitted to undertake "formal" military training as a cook. He did so, and also (for some unknown reason) turned down a promotion from Gunner (Private) to Bombardier (Corporal).

In any event, What sticks with me the most, is a story he told me, and that my Dad recounts about one of my Grandfather's more memorable moments;

Functioning in the capacity of a cook - Grampa was somewhere in Northwestern Europe making spegetti. Of course - as he was cooking for an entire unit there was a lot of spegetti.

Anyhow - he was in the back of the kitchen truck doing his thing, when somebody hollered that "88"s were firing on them, and to take cover.

Grampa jumped out of the kitchen truck, and no sooner had he done so, than the truck took a direct hit. When the smoke settled, there was spegetti hanging from the trees for a couple hundred meters in all directions. As I recall, he was later berated for this - as if it were his fault.

Sounds typical of the Army. ;)

He also liked to recount a story, where in Holland somehere (I think), where he and a bunch of his buddies happened upon a celler full of wine.

They "liberated" the spirits and proceeded to give their own morale a boost, only to find out shortly afterwards that the retreating Germans had poisoned some of the wine. A few of his buddies apparently died because of this. The rest were confined to beds "pi$$ing out both ends" as he put it.

The only other "trouble" he seems to have gotten himself into, according to his medical records was a case of VD, treated a few months before his discharge. ;)

I also have a great Uncle, who fought with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and know that he fought in Italy - but thats all I currently know about his service.

Anyhow, thats about the extent of my family's ties to WWII. smile.gif

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My Maternal Grandfather was an Airframe Mechanic on Swordfish9RN). His Swordfish dropped Flares in the Raid on the Italian Fleet. He was on the Illustrious when she sank. Was in the Hanger Deck when a 500KG bomb went off. Most died. He lived. He went on to Malta and then back to England.

He Met my Grandmother , who built airplanes, while on leave.

My Great Grandfather fought for BEF in WWI and went AWOL to Australia. He returned and rejoined on the condition they drop the AWOL charges.

My Paternal Grandfather and all his relatives were Merchant Marines(UK).

My Step Grandfather was a Doctor and my Step Grandmother a Nurse(Royal Canadian Medical Corps).

OF My Step Great Uncles , there were 4, 2 served. 1 was a Major in the Governor General Foot Guards and Died fighting near Caen during the Falaise battles, 14 days after landing.

The other was a doctor who Died in Korea as a Colonel in the Royal Canadian Medical Corps.

EDIT: Go here http://www.virtualmemorial.gc.ca

for Information on deceased canadian Soldiers.'

Some information is incorrect. It lists my Great Uncle as a Sherbrooke Fusilier. Getting them to fix it and adding Pictures I have.

[ January 09, 2004, 01:43 PM: Message edited by: Dinsdale ]

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