Donald B. Greenwood - he was part of the 17th Infantry Company - 7th Division

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"It won't be long now until I come home, darling."
(Donald B. Greenwood - 'grampa' - in a letter home to his wife in Oct. 1943 - he came home in Sep. 1945)

One of my Grandads was a RNAS pilot who transfered out to the Royal New Zealand Engineers and served in N. Africa and nearly the entire Italian campagain.

My other Grandad took Patrol Boats with the convoys to East Africa and then worked on patrol boats here in Wellington.

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David

When you go home
Tell them of us, and say
For your tomorrow
We gave our today.

Welcome aboard Granpas Girl, thanks for sharing

and David--thanks for sharing too. [img]smile.gif[/img]

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

My granfathers twin brother served in a volunteer swedish work force during the winter war, he made tank obstacles.

regards/daniel

My grandfathers twin brother served in a swedish volunteer work force during the winter war, he made tank obstacles.

regards/daniel

My grandad was part of an anti-aircraft battery during the blitz. His battery managed to blow up a house.

[edit]It was a British house by the way. No one was in it.[/edit]

[ 28. October 2002, 09:51 PM: Message edited by: Panzer Lehr ]

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Thank you GG, i will look him up in some of my information,

CvM

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My granddad was forced to work for the ArbeitsEinsatz. He was allowed to stay in Holland due to him having a big family. He was a bricklayer and build bunkers on Schiphol airfield. One story I remember; They were building bunkers when the airfield came under attack. All the German brass took shelter in a newly build bunker, while the workmen were left outside to fend for themselfs. My granddad took cover in a ditch/trench. The bunker with the brass in took some direct hits. 'We never saw one of them come out!' my granddad said, rather thriumpantly. He didn't care much for Germans.

Don't know what the other did. Still working on the histories of some other (possible) familymembers.

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"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!" - Homer Simpson

(banner by Otto)
www.basher82.nl

My father, mother and 4 uncles were all in the war.

Dad was a orderly in the Royal Army Medical Corps, joined not long after war was declared. Went to France with the BEF, ending up at Dunkirk, and had a boat ride home. Then stayed in England until being transfered to the Middle East theatre. He was on Crete until evacuated with casualties to North Africa. Whilst in Africa he went on patrol with the LRDG, then got sent to India for a few months. After India he returned to the Middle East being sent up into Iraq with the troops protecting the oil pipelines. After that, another short stint in North Africa before returning to England. Tried out for the 6th Airborne, but broke his ankle in training so didn't get in. Married my mother on 10th June 1944, After D-Day +16, went into Western Europe,serving with 46 Battalion Ambulance Train, travelling up through the Low Countries and eventually ending up in Germany. Stayed there until '46, then home and discharged.

Mum joined up in 1940, serving with a Barrage Balloon company, then became an ambulance driver. Eventually she became a nurse serving on various RAF airfields around London.

My uncles joined up just after war was declared. Actually one was in the Territorials, so the very day war was declared, went straight into service. All of them ended up at Dunkirk (this is before they met my father) and were evacuated safely, although one of them was in the water for 5 hours waiting to be picked up. I am not sure were they served as unfortunately they are all dead now and mum doesn't quite remember. They all survived the war without too much drama I know that much.

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"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his."
- General George Patton (1885-1945)

In war there is no subsitute for victory - General Douglas MacArthur

Mi grandfather Concentratiekamp Dachau for 16 months he is still alive.

I've mentioned this before, but what the heck...

My Grandpa - hospital surg. tech, then combat medic on Saipan, Guam, and tinian.

His brother - 9th Inf. Div, 47th Inf. Landed in north africa and got all the way to germany. Pretty amazing stuff.

I had 6 other uncles in the US forces in WWII, and two in the Italian forces.

Two uncles in the Korean war (Army and Navy).

My dad was in the first cav in Vietnam.

Great grandfather was in Polish blue army in WWI.

I was in, uh, ROTC. Hehehehehe. Oh, my cousin is now a major in the Marine Corps.

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Living History at http://oldreliable9_47.tripod.com

Great stuff, and for J.Jence--Im glad your grand pa is still living--if you can tell us anything of his day to day experiances--we would like to hear them.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

My Uncle was a Lance Sgt in the 4th Armoured Btn, Coldstream Guards and went into Normandy as part of 6th Guards Armoured Brigade using Churchills and Shermans(Ronson Lighters as he called them).

He fought through Normandy and the rest of the Campaign in North West Europe,Belgium,Holland,Ardennes and Germany,the Rhineland and the Rhine Crossing.

Got "brewed up" by a hit from an 88mm gun but got out ok.

He was proud to be a Coldstreamer throughout his life.

Paul

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Nikto ne Zabyt . Nichto ne Zabyto.

Let no one forget . Let nothing be forgotten.

My father served with a Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, in North Africa and Italy from 1943-45. He ended the war in India as a Battery Sergeant Major and Instructor in the School of Artillery, training for the planned invaison of Japan - which never came.

My grandfather was a regular in the RAMC and served at Arras and Dunkirk in 1940.

Numerous other uncles were 'in'; one was Royal Navy and landed men from 29th (US) Division on Omaha on D Day - his landing craft was KO'd and he was wounded.

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Paul Reed
Webmaster - Battlefields of WW2- http://www.ww2battlefields.info
D Day Ancestors: The British Army in Normandy - http://www.ddayancestors.com

Let me know if you find anything on him or his infantry, CvM, if you would be willing?!

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"It won't be long now until I come home, darling."
(Donald B. Greenwood - 'grampa' - in a letter home to his wife in Oct. 1943 - he came home in Sep. 1945)

I just found out from my gramma that my grampa's brother was a pilot and was one of the guys who flew missions over the Hump. I guess he was known as a maverick of sorts - flew more missions than most.

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"It won't be long now until I come home, darling."
(Donald B. Greenwood - 'grampa' - in a letter home to his wife in Oct. 1943 - he came home in Sep. 1945)

My grandfather fought against the germans in may 1940 when they invaded Holland. I don't know much of it. He passed away in 1994. At that time I was not so busy with WWII as now.

He served in an Infantry Regiment 28. Once he told me they were shooting at paratroopers and that when you hit them you saw them pulling up their legs. The other thing I know is that he got wounded by a shell. He was hit in the neck. He always kept that piece of shell. After he died I got it together with a commemorative medal and award document.

When I have time I want to go to Dutch war archives to learn more of the 28th infantry regiment.

My father's father, who has lived with us many time is a veteran with a lot of stories and interestings WWII stuff collection. So, since I was born all the house was full of guns, uniforms and books... What should I have done? Beside, my grandfather is the closest old person to me. He has thaught me a lot of things. Well, he joined the Wehrmacht in 1938 when he graduated from Dresden's military academy. He saw a little action in Spanish Civil War but later he was personal secretary to Generaloberst (by then) Fedor von Bock.
When the war started he was serving in:

84. Infanterieregiment (8. Infanteriedivision): Sep 1939-Jan 1940
33. Panzerregiment (9. Panzerdivision): Jan 1940 - Jun 1941
5. Panzerregiment (5. Leichtedivision -21. Panzerdivision): Jun-Ag 1941
280. Infanterieregiment (95. Infanteriedivision): Ag 1941 - jun 1944
767. Infanterieregiment (376. Infanteriedivision): Ag-Sept 1944
9. Panzergranedierdivision (26. Panzerdivision): Sep 44- mar 45
Wachregiment (Infanteriedivision "Berlin"): mar- may 45

As you can see Oberstleutnant Gottfried von Hammerstein und Hartmann (Dresden 1916-) kind of travelled and fight all around Europe. RK 1944.
He lost the left eye and a bullet pierced his throath during the battle of Berlin. He has not been able to speak since then.

Another family veteran: my grandmother was a Hauptgruppenführerin (Chief of group) in the Luftwaffenhelferinenschaft (Auxiliary Female Corps of the Luftwaffe) in 1944. She had studied engineering at Bonn and volunteered in 1943. She was such an intelligent woman. She married my grandfather, Oberstleutnant Gottfried von Hammerstein und Hartmann in 1935 at 18. Unfortunately she passed away in 1995.

And captain William A. Jolly (Glasgow 1894-Strasbourg 1968), my mother's father served in British Army 1914-1918. Most outstanding in West Yorkshire 10th batallion (One of the most affected during the battle of Somme).

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

If i find anything Ill let you know.

CvM

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Interesting one, can see where and why many of us have an iterest in the subject...

Dad was Royal Navy corvettes on convoy escort duty then found his way on LST on 6th June...
His brother was Royal Navy too year younger than him, he told me story of walking on quay at Devenport naval base hearing a Liverpool accent shouting you short a..e, looking up at berthed ship and seeing my dad shouting at him...

One Uncle killed in East Lancs regiment at Dunkirk 1940

One uncle in Royal military police who at end of war when everyone being demobbed found himself hunting and getting shot at by army deserters in Germany...

Grandad, battery sergeant major in Royal Artillery 14th army Burma mostly Indian troops attached.

When dad died, few years back, was taking morphine and was in a different world, thought he was back on ship..talked to me and my brother asking us to help him sow up the bodies of the Russians they picked up yesterday before they got despatched back to the water....

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Prepare to repel borders.
William L. McGonagle, MOH, U. S. Navy, Commanding Officer, USS LIBERTY 1967.

My Dad's father was in the Royal west kents and was wounded in the rearguard at Dunkirk, he was hospitalised after getting back to Blighty due to 'Shell-shock'. He pulled his mates head off while trying to pull him to safety as a Stuka bomb blew them both up. He was paralysed from the waist down afterwards and remained a very angry bitter man, who suffered from depression due to his wartime experiences till his death eight years ago. I never saw him much but hope to get some more info off my father in the future.

My other Grandfather was Sgt for a mortar team with the 3 inch mortars, but never managed to get into action before the war ended.

My Stepfathers Grandfathers both fought in the Spanish Civil War and were both killed fighting for the Republican forces.

My dad was in Keya and fought the Mau Mau.

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"Watch that Fu*ker, he'll 'ave someones eye out!" King Harold at Hastings 1066.

I like this--this thread continues to get more and more interesting as it goes along.

Urgh--and Red baron--I would like to hear more when you got the time.

Im slightly familiar with the Mau Mau, but if you cna get your father to tellus something of his experiances with those natives--im all ears. [img]smile.gif[/img]

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

I have only recently met up with my father after not seeing him for eight years and I have been trying to find out more about our families time in the army. My dad was an artillery man in Kenya and was wounded by a tripwire attached to a rifle which shot him through the legs! His favourite story is of the bird spider he kept as a pet as from a distance he could wear it as a beret!

My family have all served in the British army, but the first world war cost the family dearly and my great-grandfather was the only one of four brothers too survive.

My Great great uncle served in the Motor Machine Gun corp in Mesopotamia and I have his uniform and photos from WWI in that area, including his photos of the ruins of Bablyon I believe and many pictures of the Rolls-Royce A/Cs that he used. He went on to serve in the home guard during the second world war and died of a heart attck during the blitz.

I am seeing my dad soon so will post some more from his house when I visit... [img]smile.gif[/img]

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"Watch that Fu*ker, he'll 'ave someones eye out!" King Harold at Hastings 1066.