What did your relatives do in the war, Daddy?

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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).

 

If i find anything Ill let you know.

CvM

 

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....

 

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.

 

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.

 

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...

 

Sorry for your family losses Red Baron--im definately looking forward to reading more about your family--specilly your fathers service in Kenya--as I know so little about the Mau Mau uprising.

 

Carl some stuff from Mau Mau days..From the Brit vets....

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/kenya/index.html

 

My grand cousin was on the third wave of infanty for the normandy invasion. He was with the 29th ID and was killed when an artillery shell landed a direct hit on his transport ship, killing everyone onboard.

my grandpa was with the US navy on the USS topeka, he was the guy on the anti-aircraft gun that moves it up and down. he was a guam and then later on anti-shipping duity around the Japanese mainland.

 

Hey guy's sooo many great stories here.

I know this thread is pretty old. But...

One of my Grandfathers (who's name I use on this forum) served in the 5th Army Signal Corps, with the 63rd Signal Battalion, in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. Until he broke his back, runnning through an Italian street during and air raid. A big Greek soldier picked him up and carried him to saftey (he never knew the guys name.

Several Field Hospitals, and One Torpedoed ship later, He finaly got his release at a Daytona Beach Hospital.

My other Grandfather, who I don't know near as much about loadded ordnance in the Pacific Theater. Mostly Guam, the whole war.

Both joined in 1942.

 

My Grandfather (dads side) was a Bombardier/Navigator in the 97 Squadron (RAF). His wife (my Grandma) had three cousins who were in the RCAF (Royal Canadien Air Force) - all fighter pilots who were all shot down and killed in the same month. I am not sure who they served with or where. My grandmothers side of the family had a long military history with the UK - pictures from the late 1800's of her grandfather/greatgrandfather in military uniform. I do know that one of my distant-relatives on her side of the family was killed at the battle that took place at a farm in Africa - the one portrayed in the movie ZULU (i forget the name of the Battle). I do not know anything of my mothers side - her dad was an Orphan in Ireland and moved to England shortly after the war so he did not serve.

 

strange I have not replied to this old post. One grandfather-mothers side served in the US infantry during WW 1 although the last name of Baer seemed to catch many eyes and that he was a German infiltrator.
The other grandfather not sure of his his WW 1 service but during Ww 2 of all things he was sent into Latvia after the Russian occupation to observe the Latvians living conditions on the part of the US government. It was horrible needless to say.
My father inlaw served on a "Tin-Can' in the pacific and saw much action with the result his boiler room exploded with him there and he was lit up light a candle from his head to his feet. The medics were there in a hurry and squirted his whole body with parafin so he was wrapped up like a ready made candle till he could be treated in a hoispital short term. There is not one burn mark/scar on his body to this day............amazing !
Two cousins on my mothers side served in the Luftwaffe, one Hans Baer was Gruppenkommandeur of II./NJG 5 and was an ace in NJG 3 and in NJG 5 before he was killed tragically in a flying accident in his Bf 110G-4 when a engine failed and his crew was able to bail but he went dodwn with his craft at low altitudue. the other cousin Siegfried Baer was a daynfighter pilot with 3 missions and was killed in action south of Misburg on 26 November 1944 flying a Fw 190A-9 in 5./JG 301.
3 other cousins on my mothers side served in the Heer on the Ost front. One kiiled in action antoher missing and the other died enroute home to the Pfalzland from a Soviet Gulag.
One uncle on my mothers side served in the US infantry from Normandie till war's end

E ♪

 

Been talking to my Missus' family...

Her Grandfather worked for the RAF breaking Japanese codes in the Far East, her great-Uncle was a runway layer for forward airfields in Italy. He watched Vesuvius erupt in '43. Her Grandmother (who was English) had a collection of letters from various RAF and Army soldiers wishing her a happy birthday!

Very interesting for an Irish family...

 

Not sure about my fathers side but on my mothers side my grandmother served in the RAF Balloon Command. She was the first female from her town, a small scottish place in the borders, to leave. I have a picture on my matlpiece of her in her RAF uniform.

My grandfather, on my mothers side was a dispatch rider in the Royal Signals, and if memory serves me right he served in the 15th Scottish Div in NW Europe. It is something which i keep on meaning to check up on.

As for more up to date my father served in the royal signals for 22 years seeing service all over the world. i suppose that is why i have such an interest in military history.

I attempted to join the RAF a few years back as a pilot but was turned down due to my failing eyesight, so instead i intead to write history.

[ 22. September 2004, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: Mahross ]