Family Ties to World War II: A New Poll

[MarkEzra]

My Uncle Dick was a combat medic in the 45th Div. He served in Sicily Anzio, Southern France, the Huretgen Forest, and battle of the Bukge. In 1945 he and the 45th were shipped Stateside to prepare as one of the assualt divisons on Japan. He has always felt certain the A-Bomb saved his life. Dick has a remarkable sense of humor and rarely talks about the war except in goofy self deprecating ways. He used to spit on the cookiesthe family sent him...so the other guys wouldn't snatch 'em! He was eating those cookies around Christmas when he heard German voices in the fog. He jumped up out of his fox hole and ran like hell. Of course the Germans got his cookies. It was only when the "Band of Brothers" Series had a segment invoving a medic did I begin to understand the horror , waste and sadness uncle Dick delt with for so many days. Our family last name is in CMBO...It gave him quite a chuckle when he saw it....

[Deserteur]

My father's father was in the navy on the ship "Aviso Grille" which was Hitler's cruiser. He was at the reserve steering wheel of that ship. Well he never saw Hitler, they only laid mines in front of Norway where he spent most of his time in the war. Later he got cought by British soldiers in Belgium while playing cards in a foxhole with comrades Anyways they decided to check the enemy's position when they "suddenly" saw a British soldier leaning on his rifle and watching their game above them

He even told me a crazy story about the time that he had spent in Antwerpes. There a mate of him and he were sitting on the roof of a building drinking more than 70 bottles of beer while watching how the city got attacked by Allied bombers. Sounds unbelievable, but it is true. He nearly was an alcoholic at that time, because they got nothing to do than drinking in the German navy. The next morning he went back to his ship and wondered where it might be. It wasn't sunk by the bombs, but a few meters away from the ship was a large pile with red stones, which was hit by one bomb. Well now the ship was covered with red dust

My mother's father was in the Arbeitsdienst at the age of 16, together with other youngsters. They were supposed to work, but they never saw a spade. His story is not as funny. They often got attacked by low flying airplanes while they trained and many got shot. He got wounded by a grenade in the Czech Republic and later escaped from the Russians out of the hospital.

Well I miss their stories now, but I can remember, that my father's father told me that whenever the Tommys got under fire and had no tanks nearby, they ran away

[Deserteur]

My father's father was in the navy on the ship "Aviso Grille" which was Hitler's cruiser. He was at the reserve steering wheel of that ship. Well he never saw Hitler, they only laid mines in front of Norway where he spent most of his time in the war. Later he got cought by British soldiers in Belgium while playing cards in a foxhole with comrades Anyways they decided to check the enemy's position when they "suddenly" saw a British soldier leaning on his rifle and watching their game above them

He even told me a crazy story about the time that he had spent in Antwerpes. There a mate of him and he were sitting on the roof of a building drinking more than 70 bottles of beer while watching how the city got attacked by Allied bombers. Sounds unbelievable, but it is true. He nearly was an alcoholic at that time, because they got nothing to do than drinking in the German navy. The next morning he went back to his ship and wondered where it might be. It wasn't sunk by the bombs, but a few meters away from the ship was a large pile with red stones, which was hit by one bomb. Well now the ship was covered with red dust

My mother's father was in the Arbeitsdienst at the age of 16, together with other youngsters. They were supposed to work, but they never saw a spade. His story is not as funny. They often got attacked by low flying airplanes while they trained and many got shot. He got wounded by a grenade in the Czech Republic and later escaped from the Russians out of the hospital.

Well I miss their stories now, but I can remember, that my father's father told me that whenever the Tommys got under fire and had no tanks nearby, they ran away

[Deserteur]

My father's father was in the navy on the ship "Aviso Grille" which was Hitler's cruiser. He was at the reserve steering wheel of that ship. Well he never saw Hitler, they only laid mines in front of Norway where he spent most of his time in the war. Later he got cought by British soldiers in Belgium while playing cards in a foxhole with comrades Anyways they decided to check the enemy's position when they "suddenly" saw a British soldier leaning on his rifle and watching their game above them

He even told me a crazy story about the time that he had spent in Antwerpes. There a mate of him and he were sitting on the roof of a building drinking more than 70 bottles of beer while watching how the city got attacked by Allied bombers. Sounds unbelievable, but it is true. He nearly was an alcoholic at that time, because they got nothing to do than drinking in the German navy. The next morning he went back to his ship and wondered where it might be. It wasn't sunk by the bombs, but a few meters away from the ship was a large pile with red stones, which was hit by one bomb. Well now the ship was covered with red dust

My mother's father was in the Arbeitsdienst at the age of 16, together with other youngsters. They were supposed to work, but they never saw a spade. His story is not as funny. They often got attacked by low flying airplanes while they trained and many got shot. He got wounded by a grenade in the Czech Republic and later escaped from the Russians out of the hospital.

Well I miss their stories now, but I can remember, that my father's father told me that whenever the Tommys got under fire and had no tanks nearby, they ran away

[MikeyD]

My father piloted landing craft in the Pacific '44-45. He arrived on the Japanese mainland just days after the end of hostilities. Despite what some politicians have been saying recently that occupation was NOTHING like Iraq, even in the first days.

[MikeyD]

My father piloted landing craft in the Pacific '44-45. He arrived on the Japanese mainland just days after the end of hostilities. Despite what some politicians have been saying recently that occupation was NOTHING like Iraq, even in the first days.

[MikeyD]

My father piloted landing craft in the Pacific '44-45. He arrived on the Japanese mainland just days after the end of hostilities. Despite what some politicians have been saying recently that occupation was NOTHING like Iraq, even in the first days.

[chashm]

My Grandfather worked as a lumberman in a small British Columbian town. When I asked what he did in the war, he replied..."there was a war? Sorry, I was in the bush"

[chashm]

My Grandfather worked as a lumberman in a small British Columbian town. When I asked what he did in the war, he replied..."there was a war? Sorry, I was in the bush"

[chashm]

My Grandfather worked as a lumberman in a small British Columbian town. When I asked what he did in the war, he replied..."there was a war? Sorry, I was in the bush"

[flamingknives]

My paternal Grandfather ended up as colour sergeant in the Royal Berkshires, probably the 1st Battalion, but I never had the chance to ask him about that.

[flamingknives]

My paternal Grandfather ended up as colour sergeant in the Royal Berkshires, probably the 1st Battalion, but I never had the chance to ask him about that.

[flamingknives]

My paternal Grandfather ended up as colour sergeant in the Royal Berkshires, probably the 1st Battalion, but I never had the chance to ask him about that.

[YankeeDog]

One Grandfather was part of the Annapolis 3-year "Wonder Class" of 1944 and served the last year and a half of the war as a gunnery officer aboard the USS Baltimore. He remained in the navy for several years after the war, becoming a naval aviator (flew ASW patrols out of Port Lyautey for a while), and then retired to the Naval Reserves. Probably the most interesting part of his WWII service was that he was aboard the Baltimore when a Typhoon hit Task Force 7 in 1944 - the Baltimore was one of the worst damaged in the Typhoon, with it's entire bow section displaced by some 10-15 feet to one side, and ship had to limp back to Pearl for repairs.

My other Grandfather was a doctor, and was also tapped by the Navy, though he remained stateside as the chief medical officer for the Naval Base at Bridgeport, CT.

I also have two great-uncles who served in the war. One was also a naval officer, though I forget the details of his service - he died when I was very young. The other I spent a lot of time with though - I don't remember his rank during the war, but I do know that he eventually retired from the Army as a Colonel. After he retired from the Army, he lived in Raeford, NC, just outside Fort Bragg, and was something of a local institution - he kept very close ties with those serving at Ft. Bragg, and among other things had a weekly golf date with the Base Commander which he kept until right before his death.

From what he told me, he spent most of the war as an adjutant on Gen. Clark's staff, and in fact credited himself with saving the General's life at one point. I'm not sure if the story wasn't 'embellished' over the years (he was something of a storyteller), but he claims that he and the general were aboard a PT boat ferrying them to the Italian shore when a US Destroyer mis-IDed the PT boat as a German E-Boat. As everyone else hit the deck, Gen. Clark stood full height on the deck, swearing like a longshoreman at the destroyer. My Uncle claims that just as a 40mm shell slammed into the signal mast of the PT, he tackled the General to get him down and out of the line of fire.

Dunno if it really happened that way, but it's a great story.

Cheers,

YD

[YankeeDog]

One Grandfather was part of the Annapolis 3-year "Wonder Class" of 1944 and served the last year and a half of the war as a gunnery officer aboard the USS Baltimore. He remained in the navy for several years after the war, becoming a naval aviator (flew ASW patrols out of Port Lyautey for a while), and then retired to the Naval Reserves. Probably the most interesting part of his WWII service was that he was aboard the Baltimore when a Typhoon hit Task Force 7 in 1944 - the Baltimore was one of the worst damaged in the Typhoon, with it's entire bow section displaced by some 10-15 feet to one side, and ship had to limp back to Pearl for repairs.

My other Grandfather was a doctor, and was also tapped by the Navy, though he remained stateside as the chief medical officer for the Naval Base at Bridgeport, CT.

I also have two great-uncles who served in the war. One was also a naval officer, though I forget the details of his service - he died when I was very young. The other I spent a lot of time with though - I don't remember his rank during the war, but I do know that he eventually retired from the Army as a Colonel. After he retired from the Army, he lived in Raeford, NC, just outside Fort Bragg, and was something of a local institution - he kept very close ties with those serving at Ft. Bragg, and among other things had a weekly golf date with the Base Commander which he kept until right before his death.

From what he told me, he spent most of the war as an adjutant on Gen. Clark's staff, and in fact credited himself with saving the General's life at one point. I'm not sure if the story wasn't 'embellished' over the years (he was something of a storyteller), but he claims that he and the general were aboard a PT boat ferrying them to the Italian shore when a US Destroyer mis-IDed the PT boat as a German E-Boat. As everyone else hit the deck, Gen. Clark stood full height on the deck, swearing like a longshoreman at the destroyer. My Uncle claims that just as a 40mm shell slammed into the signal mast of the PT, he tackled the General to get him down and out of the line of fire.

Dunno if it really happened that way, but it's a great story.

Cheers,

YD

[YankeeDog]

One Grandfather was part of the Annapolis 3-year "Wonder Class" of 1944 and served the last year and a half of the war as a gunnery officer aboard the USS Baltimore. He remained in the navy for several years after the war, becoming a naval aviator (flew ASW patrols out of Port Lyautey for a while), and then retired to the Naval Reserves. Probably the most interesting part of his WWII service was that he was aboard the Baltimore when a Typhoon hit Task Force 7 in 1944 - the Baltimore was one of the worst damaged in the Typhoon, with it's entire bow section displaced by some 10-15 feet to one side, and ship had to limp back to Pearl for repairs.

My other Grandfather was a doctor, and was also tapped by the Navy, though he remained stateside as the chief medical officer for the Naval Base at Bridgeport, CT.

I also have two great-uncles who served in the war. One was also a naval officer, though I forget the details of his service - he died when I was very young. The other I spent a lot of time with though - I don't remember his rank during the war, but I do know that he eventually retired from the Army as a Colonel. After he retired from the Army, he lived in Raeford, NC, just outside Fort Bragg, and was something of a local institution - he kept very close ties with those serving at Ft. Bragg, and among other things had a weekly golf date with the Base Commander which he kept until right before his death.

From what he told me, he spent most of the war as an adjutant on Gen. Clark's staff, and in fact credited himself with saving the General's life at one point. I'm not sure if the story wasn't 'embellished' over the years (he was something of a storyteller), but he claims that he and the general were aboard a PT boat ferrying them to the Italian shore when a US Destroyer mis-IDed the PT boat as a German E-Boat. As everyone else hit the deck, Gen. Clark stood full height on the deck, swearing like a longshoreman at the destroyer. My Uncle claims that just as a 40mm shell slammed into the signal mast of the PT, he tackled the General to get him down and out of the line of fire.

Dunno if it really happened that way, but it's a great story.

Cheers,

YD

[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!

[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!

[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!

[Nightwatch]

My Fathers Uncle served in the RAF, probably in the Battle of Britian and after. The only reason I know that is that I went through some of his papers after he died by drowning (possibly suicide) some 40 years after the war. He was a roaring alchoholic for years. Whatever happened to him in the war killed him 40 years later. Sad really.

[Nightwatch]

My Fathers Uncle served in the RAF, probably in the Battle of Britian and after. The only reason I know that is that I went through some of his papers after he died by drowning (possibly suicide) some 40 years after the war. He was a roaring alchoholic for years. Whatever happened to him in the war killed him 40 years later. Sad really.

[Nightwatch]

My Fathers Uncle served in the RAF, probably in the Battle of Britian and after. The only reason I know that is that I went through some of his papers after he died by drowning (possibly suicide) some 40 years after the war. He was a roaring alchoholic for years. Whatever happened to him in the war killed him 40 years later. Sad really.

[Crow]

Grandfather on my father’s side was an army lorry driver during the war transporting stuff all over the UK. He was also a fire engine driver during the Blitz. One night he was sent to Folkstone beach with a load of other soldiers waiting for the Germans to arrive when an invasion was expected. They were all issued with Lee Enfield's and 3 bullets each. After laying there for a while in the dark the guy behind my Grandfather loaded a round into the barrel at which point my Grandfather turned around and said "If you don't unload that thing I'll shoot you myself!"

Grandfather on my mother’s side was a Drill Sergeant Major in the Royal Engineers. Grandmother on that side of the family worked in the NAFFI. Granddad says she always used to flip the coins in his change after he bought stuff off her in the NAFFI playing heads or tails to see which of them would keep it. He said in the end he had to marry her as she had won all his cash in the NAFFI!

Great Grandfather on my mother’s side served in the far East during WW2, don't know much about it other than he picked up a fear of snakes.

The other Great Grandfather on my mother’s side (Jackobus Cornielus Pretorius Kleinsmith) was a South African soldier serving in the trenches in France in World War 1. He was sent to our hometown to recover which was where he met my great Grandmother.

Great Uncle on my mother’s side was a free Polish Navy officer, the day the Germans invaded Poland 3 destroyers ran the German blockade and sailed their ships to England with him on board one of them. He joined the Royal Navy and then had the original ship and 2 others torpedoed from underneath him.

Also had Great Uncle on my father's side who was Welsh living in the Ogmore Vale in the Rhondda valley. After he left school he went to work down the mine. One day after WW2 broke when he was 16 he went to work and never came back. His family went to the mine to see what had happened and discovered he had signed out but not returned home. 3 days later they got a letter from London he had run off and joined the Welsh Guards. Not sure exactly where he served.

My father was in hospital the other day (he’s out now thankfully), guy opposite him had Colonel Hearne above his bed, 97 years of age. Dad asked him what regiment he served in expecting him to say Royal Sussex or something and then gentleman replied "The Chindits", not expecting my dad to know what he was talking about. My father replied "Ah General Windgate, General Orde Windgate". This guys face lit up as he confirmed my father was right!

[Crow]

Grandfather on my father’s side was an army lorry driver during the war transporting stuff all over the UK. He was also a fire engine driver during the Blitz. One night he was sent to Folkstone beach with a load of other soldiers waiting for the Germans to arrive when an invasion was expected. They were all issued with Lee Enfield's and 3 bullets each. After laying there for a while in the dark the guy behind my Grandfather loaded a round into the barrel at which point my Grandfather turned around and said "If you don't unload that thing I'll shoot you myself!"

Grandfather on my mother’s side was a Drill Sergeant Major in the Royal Engineers. Grandmother on that side of the family worked in the NAFFI. Granddad says she always used to flip the coins in his change after he bought stuff off her in the NAFFI playing heads or tails to see which of them would keep it. He said in the end he had to marry her as she had won all his cash in the NAFFI!

Great Grandfather on my mother’s side served in the far East during WW2, don't know much about it other than he picked up a fear of snakes.

The other Great Grandfather on my mother’s side (Jackobus Cornielus Pretorius Kleinsmith) was a South African soldier serving in the trenches in France in World War 1. He was sent to our hometown to recover which was where he met my great Grandmother.

Great Uncle on my mother’s side was a free Polish Navy officer, the day the Germans invaded Poland 3 destroyers ran the German blockade and sailed their ships to England with him on board one of them. He joined the Royal Navy and then had the original ship and 2 others torpedoed from underneath him.

Also had Great Uncle on my father's side who was Welsh living in the Ogmore Vale in the Rhondda valley. After he left school he went to work down the mine. One day after WW2 broke when he was 16 he went to work and never came back. His family went to the mine to see what had happened and discovered he had signed out but not returned home. 3 days later they got a letter from London he had run off and joined the Welsh Guards. Not sure exactly where he served.

My father was in hospital the other day (he’s out now thankfully), guy opposite him had Colonel Hearne above his bed, 97 years of age. Dad asked him what regiment he served in expecting him to say Royal Sussex or something and then gentleman replied "The Chindits", not expecting my dad to know what he was talking about. My father replied "Ah General Windgate, General Orde Windgate". This guys face lit up as he confirmed my father was right!

[Crow]

Grandfather on my father’s side was an army lorry driver during the war transporting stuff all over the UK. He was also a fire engine driver during the Blitz. One night he was sent to Folkstone beach with a load of other soldiers waiting for the Germans to arrive when an invasion was expected. They were all issued with Lee Enfield's and 3 bullets each. After laying there for a while in the dark the guy behind my Grandfather loaded a round into the barrel at which point my Grandfather turned around and said "If you don't unload that thing I'll shoot you myself!"

Grandfather on my mother’s side was a Drill Sergeant Major in the Royal Engineers. Grandmother on that side of the family worked in the NAFFI. Granddad says she always used to flip the coins in his change after he bought stuff off her in the NAFFI playing heads or tails to see which of them would keep it. He said in the end he had to marry her as she had won all his cash in the NAFFI!

Great Grandfather on my mother’s side served in the far East during WW2, don't know much about it other than he picked up a fear of snakes.

The other Great Grandfather on my mother’s side (Jackobus Cornielus Pretorius Kleinsmith) was a South African soldier serving in the trenches in France in World War 1. He was sent to our hometown to recover which was where he met my great Grandmother.

Great Uncle on my mother’s side was a free Polish Navy officer, the day the Germans invaded Poland 3 destroyers ran the German blockade and sailed their ships to England with him on board one of them. He joined the Royal Navy and then had the original ship and 2 others torpedoed from underneath him.

Also had Great Uncle on my father's side who was Welsh living in the Ogmore Vale in the Rhondda valley. After he left school he went to work down the mine. One day after WW2 broke when he was 16 he went to work and never came back. His family went to the mine to see what had happened and discovered he had signed out but not returned home. 3 days later they got a letter from London he had run off and joined the Welsh Guards. Not sure exactly where he served.

My father was in hospital the other day (he’s out now thankfully), guy opposite him had Colonel Hearne above his bed, 97 years of age. Dad asked him what regiment he served in expecting him to say Royal Sussex or something and then gentleman replied "The Chindits", not expecting my dad to know what he was talking about. My father replied "Ah General Windgate, General Orde Windgate". This guys face lit up as he confirmed my father was right!