Family Ties to World War II: A New Poll

[Dinsdale]

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 ]

[Dinsdale]

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 ]

[Ubique]

Despite only (I say, 'only') being in my late 30s, my dad served in WW2 with 24th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. He was in North Africa, and then Italy, serving at Anzio, on the Gothic Line and in the Po Battle.

His memoirs of Anzio are on the BBC website at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/U519153

[Ubique]

Despite only (I say, 'only') being in my late 30s, my dad served in WW2 with 24th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. He was in North Africa, and then Italy, serving at Anzio, on the Gothic Line and in the Po Battle.

His memoirs of Anzio are on the BBC website at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/U519153

[Ubique]

Despite only (I say, 'only') being in my late 30s, my dad served in WW2 with 24th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. He was in North Africa, and then Italy, serving at Anzio, on the Gothic Line and in the Po Battle.

His memoirs of Anzio are on the BBC website at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/U519153

[ratford]

My father was a GM2 on the USS Indianapolis(CA-35) and when Pearl Harbor occurred he was with the ship at Johnson Island. Detached from the Indy in 42 he went on to the USS Ratford (DD-446) and spent the rest of the war on her, including the Battle of Kula Gulf.

My maternal grandfather joined the Army after Pearl Harbor at the advanced age of 31. He went to OCS and ended up with the 2nd Cavalry Group fighting in NW Europe. He even managed to get shelled by the Russians in late April of 45. He stayed with the service after the war in the Guard and retired a Lt. Col.

[ratford]

My father was a GM2 on the USS Indianapolis(CA-35) and when Pearl Harbor occurred he was with the ship at Johnson Island. Detached from the Indy in 42 he went on to the USS Ratford (DD-446) and spent the rest of the war on her, including the Battle of Kula Gulf.

My maternal grandfather joined the Army after Pearl Harbor at the advanced age of 31. He went to OCS and ended up with the 2nd Cavalry Group fighting in NW Europe. He even managed to get shelled by the Russians in late April of 45. He stayed with the service after the war in the Guard and retired a Lt. Col.

[ratford]

My father was a GM2 on the USS Indianapolis(CA-35) and when Pearl Harbor occurred he was with the ship at Johnson Island. Detached from the Indy in 42 he went on to the USS Ratford (DD-446) and spent the rest of the war on her, including the Battle of Kula Gulf.

My maternal grandfather joined the Army after Pearl Harbor at the advanced age of 31. He went to OCS and ended up with the 2nd Cavalry Group fighting in NW Europe. He even managed to get shelled by the Russians in late April of 45. He stayed with the service after the war in the Guard and retired a Lt. Col.

[Tha_Field_Marshall]

My Grandfather fought with the 90th Infantry.He was a radio operator, Landed on D+8 and was with them through the end of the war. He never would talk about his expirence there very much. The one story he told me, was that him and his buddy found a Benz and were tooloing around in it when there CO took it from them. From there is supposedly went up through the chain of command and eventually it became Patton's car.

[Tha_Field_Marshall]

My Grandfather fought with the 90th Infantry.He was a radio operator, Landed on D+8 and was with them through the end of the war. He never would talk about his expirence there very much. The one story he told me, was that him and his buddy found a Benz and were tooloing around in it when there CO took it from them. From there is supposedly went up through the chain of command and eventually it became Patton's car.

[Tha_Field_Marshall]

My Grandfather fought with the 90th Infantry.He was a radio operator, Landed on D+8 and was with them through the end of the war. He never would talk about his expirence there very much. The one story he told me, was that him and his buddy found a Benz and were tooloing around in it when there CO took it from them. From there is supposedly went up through the chain of command and eventually it became Patton's car.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

My grandfather from my mothers side of the family was German and was put in a work camp in Southern Germany for being in a resistance group. He survived and moved to Holland directly after being liberated.

My grandfather from my dad's side of the family was a poacher and kept away from getting involved in the war. However he encountered a patrol of a NSB-collaborator and a German soldier while poaching and shot them both.

Also a great-uncle from my mothers side who served in the Wehrmacht as a butcher. He was stationed in Stalingrad but was evacuated out because his CO saw little point in him stil being there when it got bad. He was later shot at the east front and was invalided home to Kiel and continued his butcher trade til wars end.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

My grandfather from my mothers side of the family was German and was put in a work camp in Southern Germany for being in a resistance group. He survived and moved to Holland directly after being liberated.

My grandfather from my dad's side of the family was a poacher and kept away from getting involved in the war. However he encountered a patrol of a NSB-collaborator and a German soldier while poaching and shot them both.

Also a great-uncle from my mothers side who served in the Wehrmacht as a butcher. He was stationed in Stalingrad but was evacuated out because his CO saw little point in him stil being there when it got bad. He was later shot at the east front and was invalided home to Kiel and continued his butcher trade til wars end.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

My grandfather from my mothers side of the family was German and was put in a work camp in Southern Germany for being in a resistance group. He survived and moved to Holland directly after being liberated.

My grandfather from my dad's side of the family was a poacher and kept away from getting involved in the war. However he encountered a patrol of a NSB-collaborator and a German soldier while poaching and shot them both.

Also a great-uncle from my mothers side who served in the Wehrmacht as a butcher. He was stationed in Stalingrad but was evacuated out because his CO saw little point in him stil being there when it got bad. He was later shot at the east front and was invalided home to Kiel and continued his butcher trade til wars end.

[zukkov]

dad joined the army air corps in 42, then volunteered for the airborn. sadly, i know little about any of his brothers experience if any. uncle ed worked in a bakery at the time so was exempt from service. uncle vernon joined the navy just after the war and served in korea. mom worked for western union...

[zukkov]

dad joined the army air corps in 42, then volunteered for the airborn. sadly, i know little about any of his brothers experience if any. uncle ed worked in a bakery at the time so was exempt from service. uncle vernon joined the navy just after the war and served in korea. mom worked for western union...

[zukkov]

dad joined the army air corps in 42, then volunteered for the airborn. sadly, i know little about any of his brothers experience if any. uncle ed worked in a bakery at the time so was exempt from service. uncle vernon joined the navy just after the war and served in korea. mom worked for western union...

[gaffertape]

My father, a machinist, was considered essential service, but he did take shifts on the factory roof spotting for V1s in his native England.

Not a relation per se, but a close family friend whom I've always known as 'uncle', was one of the Poles who made it to England and flew spitfires for the RAF (post Battle of Britain). he currently resides in a veterans home near Toronto.

[gaffertape]

My father, a machinist, was considered essential service, but he did take shifts on the factory roof spotting for V1s in his native England.

Not a relation per se, but a close family friend whom I've always known as 'uncle', was one of the Poles who made it to England and flew spitfires for the RAF (post Battle of Britain). he currently resides in a veterans home near Toronto.

[gaffertape]

My father, a machinist, was considered essential service, but he did take shifts on the factory roof spotting for V1s in his native England.

Not a relation per se, but a close family friend whom I've always known as 'uncle', was one of the Poles who made it to England and flew spitfires for the RAF (post Battle of Britain). he currently resides in a veterans home near Toronto.

[Boo Radley]

My father started out as a waist gunner on a B-17G in the 568th Squadron of the 390th Bomb Group stationed in Framlingham, England. He then got booted "upstairs" to the top turret position.

My mother's oldest brother was a pilot on a B-24, while her middle brother was a bombadier on another 24. Her youngest brother was a pilot in a B-25 Mitchell. He made the Air Force a career, flying C-123 cargo planes in Korea and then Viet Nam. He retired as a full Colonel.

I remember when my father, a very laconic person, mentioned about the time they wrecked their plane.

I said, "Dad! You're telling me you survived a plane crash?"

I was about to be amazed, I thought.

And in his drawl, he proceeded to say, "Yah, we were on the flight line, getting ready for take off, when this idiot in the plane behind us ran into our rudder with his port outboard prop. Chewed the hell out of the rudder. We didn't go up that day."

My father the comedian.

[Boo Radley]

My father started out as a waist gunner on a B-17G in the 568th Squadron of the 390th Bomb Group stationed in Framlingham, England. He then got booted "upstairs" to the top turret position.

My mother's oldest brother was a pilot on a B-24, while her middle brother was a bombadier on another 24. Her youngest brother was a pilot in a B-25 Mitchell. He made the Air Force a career, flying C-123 cargo planes in Korea and then Viet Nam. He retired as a full Colonel.

I remember when my father, a very laconic person, mentioned about the time they wrecked their plane.

I said, "Dad! You're telling me you survived a plane crash?"

I was about to be amazed, I thought.

And in his drawl, he proceeded to say, "Yah, we were on the flight line, getting ready for take off, when this idiot in the plane behind us ran into our rudder with his port outboard prop. Chewed the hell out of the rudder. We didn't go up that day."

My father the comedian.

[Boo Radley]

My father started out as a waist gunner on a B-17G in the 568th Squadron of the 390th Bomb Group stationed in Framlingham, England. He then got booted "upstairs" to the top turret position.

My mother's oldest brother was a pilot on a B-24, while her middle brother was a bombadier on another 24. Her youngest brother was a pilot in a B-25 Mitchell. He made the Air Force a career, flying C-123 cargo planes in Korea and then Viet Nam. He retired as a full Colonel.

I remember when my father, a very laconic person, mentioned about the time they wrecked their plane.

I said, "Dad! You're telling me you survived a plane crash?"

I was about to be amazed, I thought.

And in his drawl, he proceeded to say, "Yah, we were on the flight line, getting ready for take off, when this idiot in the plane behind us ran into our rudder with his port outboard prop. Chewed the hell out of the rudder. We didn't go up that day."

My father the comedian.

[Nick Carter]

My great uncle, John Franklin Carter, was the head of one of Roosevelt's "spy" rings, gathering information through his journalistic and social circles, as well as gathering info from Germans in the US. I was pleased to see quite a bit about him in "Roosevelts Secret War" by Persico. My elderly cousins Mark and Vera were, according to family rumor, in the OSS as well, but no stories from them were ever passed down. Everyone else was either too old or young to take part.

Of course there were all the people in my wife''s family who vanished in the holocaust, or fighting as partisans in Russia.

Never Again!

[Nick Carter]

My great uncle, John Franklin Carter, was the head of one of Roosevelt's "spy" rings, gathering information through his journalistic and social circles, as well as gathering info from Germans in the US. I was pleased to see quite a bit about him in "Roosevelts Secret War" by Persico. My elderly cousins Mark and Vera were, according to family rumor, in the OSS as well, but no stories from them were ever passed down. Everyone else was either too old or young to take part.

Of course there were all the people in my wife''s family who vanished in the holocaust, or fighting as partisans in Russia.

Never Again!