WW2 YOUR DAD/GRANDFATHER

[King Rat]

My Great Grandad was in Malta during the war. He was a tug captain in the harbour at Valetta and is buried in the naval cemetary at Kalkara.

Dad was on North Atlantic convoys, he was in command from the outbreak of war, first an armed trawler (built in 1938 with a 4" forward gun, depth charge throwers and twin lewis guns on each bridge wing). He was torpedoed north of the Faroes but was pulled out of the water by his number one. He was then given a Corvette, HMS Scotstoun and I have plenty of black & white pictures of her in the Faroes, there and Scapa Flow. They were adopted by a small lurcher in Shetland and took her aboard, not knowing she was in pup! there are pictures of her and the pups on the quay in the Faroes - they called her WREN!
He captured a German surface raider and sank 3 Uboats. He was again torpedoed mid atlantic and was then sent to train officers in anti submarine warfare and the use of ASDEC.

I want to visit the Faroes and take the pictures with me for locals to see and maybe recognise some of the spots in them. I bet they haven't changed a huge amount.

 

[Kneeslider916]

My grandfather spent the war years in the RAF working in experimental RADAR in Norfolk with the author Arthur C Clarke, was involved in the Berln airlift, then went on to spend a couple of years in Africa when the RAF RADAR mapped the continent. He moved to Australia in the 50's to work on the Blue Streak missiles at Woomera, moved back to england a few years later, and did numerous jobs including a bit of house building, owned a shop, and worked finally at a power station as an instrument engineer before retiring. A Gordie, his sense of humour was wonderful. He is much missed.

 

[Bilks]

For ELIMINATOR .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00hhrf6/Jungle_Green_Borneo/

 

[hank]

My Gran'pa Broon was in the Army in WW1 got gassed and taken
prisoner. My Dad was a gunner in the RAF in WW2. I don’t know much about their military days, my Dad never spoke much about the war, but I know he was stationed on the South coast of England and also at Rimini in Italy.

I have just found out recently that Gran'pa Broon escaped from the POW camp and was taken in by a Belgian family who owned a bakery. My Gran'pa had been a baker when the war broke out and soon offered his services in return for shelter. Despite many close encounters with the German troops he remained there till the liberation in 1918. My cousin told me he used to add special ingredients to the pastries ordered by occupying forces.

I would love to know more about his time in the army but with a name like James Brown it's not easy finding his records.

 

[stevedude]

My Dad turned 18 in 1942 and joined the Navy, where he was a gunner. He saw service in the Atlantic, Pacific Far East and Europe.

My Maternal Grandfather was a career Navy Man, joined the navy very young around 1920, and by the start of WW2 was a Chief Petty Officer, he was involved in many campaigns during WW2 and won the DSM. he continued after the war eventually retiring in 1947.

My Paternal grandfather was too old to serve in WW2.

God bless all of them, fine men that they were. To my great shame, I have promised time and again to get both sets mounted but haven't. I will do that very soon.

Top Row, My Grandad's medals; Atlantic star, Italy star, Africa star, 39-45 star, WW2 medal, RN LSGC medal & his DSM.

Bottom row, My Dad's medals; Atlantic star, Italy star, Pacific star, 39-45 star and WW2 medal.

 

[JWFr]

I didn't find out what either my maternal Grandfather or my Father did until after both my parents had passed away 10 years ago,and I was able to acces the trunk in the roof with all the papers in it. At last I was able to piece together what they would not talk about.

My mother's father was the gold medallist Chartered Accountant in 1912 ( top in year) and joind the RNR in 1914 as Second Lt Paymaster. In fact he never did that job, it was a cover, because he spent the whole of the first war billeted in the Hotel Splendide in Marseille as an Intelligence officer and code cracker. He was awarded the MID (Mentioned in Despatches) Oak leaf for his efforts, which is attached to the 14/18 Victory Medal. Inter war he went to theological college and took Holy Orders, and was vicar at Knowle Bristol when he was bombed in WW2 and lost part of his leg. Despite this, he managed to minsiter to his congregation and organise shelters, for which he was awarded the MBE by the King, the citation being for ''devotion to duty''.

My father was in the TA, and was a Royal Artillery Battery Commander of heavy artillery. He campaigned in North Africa with the 6th Army and also in Italy. At Monte Cassino he was put forward for an Immediate MC for rescuing some soldiers depsite having been shot through both knees. This was later commuted to a Mention in Despatches due to the large number of awards given at this action. He was awarded the territorial decoration (TD) as well.

He was demobbed in 1946 a Lt Colonel, two days before his 30th Birthday.

When I think about what he went through at such a young age, I just get the jitters.

 

[OTTer]

My dad joined the Royal Navy In WW2, starting as a petty officer artificer before transferring and training as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm. As far as he will admit he never fired a shot in anger. Got loads of campaign medals because he said they kept moving him around!
Kept crashing his planes (mainly Fireflies) becoming a member of the Goldfish club twice over for ditching in the drink. When his squadron was due to change to jets, my mother made him transfer to the regular navy before he killed himself. Then went into navigation and direction of planes on aircraft carriers.
Now just turned 90 and still going strong-ish, his biggest claim to fame may be that he drew cartoons for the Navy News for many years until fairly recently, may be known to some ex RN on here as "Smiles"

 

[Mick-B]

My father (Royal Norfolk Regiment) arrived in Singapore days before the Japanese overran the territory then spent the next 4 years or so slowly moving up through Burma on the railway. Repatriated some time in 1946 in very poor health which he never really fully recovered. He never really forgave the Japanese but positively loathed the Koreans (whom the Japanese employed as POW camp guards).

His brother was accidentally shot by a US GI who was playing with a loaded side-arm - not entirely sure of the exact circumstances other than it happened in the UK but rather than remaining with his unit, once discharged from hospital he was taken into HQ support staff as an military intelligence film projectionist - one of his assignments was in connection with the D-Day landings intelligence briefings. Interesting, given the information that follows...

Their father (my grandfather) was originally from Frankfurt (family name until changed by deed-poll in 1919/20 was Gottsheim). Although he served in the British army in France 1914/18, had an army pension, etc., etc., during WWII his mother (my great grandmother) was considered to be an enemy alien and had to report to their local Police Station in east London periodically...

My father's brother-in-law was part of the BEF sent to France in 1939/40 and his regiment (I believe Middlesex Regiment) was detailed to try to delay the German advance on Dunkirk whilst the beach evacuation was carried out - consequently their positions were taken by the overwhelmingly superior numbers of German troops and he spent the remainder of the war in various POW camps.

 

[Paul Rochdale]

This is yours truly during the 80s at Sennelager Ranges in Germany on a BSA B40 350cc bike. I took part in the Rhine Area Motorcycle Trials that year. I wonder what became of 78ET99?

 

[Fluffmeister]

I'm a Mongrel, One Grandad on my mothers side was on 8th Army and made it through the War alive but lost both of his legs at El Alamein, the other Grandad on my fathers side was an SS Fallshirmjager, and my Great uncle was a "Tankie" in Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler, he did not make it through the war.

My German Grandad was captured and eventually got shipped back to a UK POW camp, the German side of the family where / are "Easties" so he avoided repatriation after the war because he was a skilled toolmaker or a machinist of some kind, then married my Grandmother, who's from Edinburgh.

I'm ex military myself, and have some "cool" stuff, a Christmas Card from the 8th Army, a few letters of my Grandad's before going into action at El Alamein, and I have my German grandfathers Iron Cross (oldest Grandson) and other items some may consider less savory.

 

[jez]

My paternal grandfather was working in the Naval dockyard in Plymouth so was exempt from "going to war" as such. Plymouth was a major target for the Germans because of the docks and my grandfather was killed during one of these raids in April 1941 shortly after putting my gran and my dad (then about 4yrs old) in the Anderson shelter at the bottom of the garden.

My Maternal grandfather was a carpenter and spent the war working on building airfields around the country. Apparently Honiton, somewhere in Cheshire and London were some of the places he was stationed. I wonder if any of his handywork is still standing?) He contracted TB in the underground bombshelters in London and died shortly after the war.

 

[Paul Rochdale]

Stevedude

Are you familiar with 'court mounting' medals? My son recently left the RAF after fourteen years and had had his six medals court mounted, the same with mine and the same with my grandfather's. The medals are mounted on a card with new ribbons wrapped around the card. Very smart IMO. We had ours done at the Tailor's Shop in Woolwich Barracks.

 

[Paul C]

My Dad was a kid living near the GEC factory in Bham, so had quite a few noisy nights and irregular schooling. Tales of watching incendiaries going into the lake on brookvale park and going in after them... So... they were let out during bombing raids!!

 

[Davy F]

Portrait of my Dad.

 

[GreatScott]

My Grandad joined the RAF in September 1918 flying bi-planes. By the time WW2 came around he was a Wing Commander in Bomber Command. Had a fabulous hand bar moustache and rode a Norton International. When he left the airforce he worked at Marshalls on the prototype of Concorde.

 

[iandavid]

My old man was present for the scuttling of the Graf Spee. He lived in Argentina during the war, and was doing something for the British Embassy which required him to go to Montevideo, possibly to assist in the pressure being put on the Uruguayan government to intern Graf Spee if it did not leave with 24 hours. Or, as a fluent Spanish speaker, who could pass as a native Argentinian, he might have been spreading rumours about what ships the British had waiting. He never let on exactly what he was doing though, at least not to me, but as he should have been called up in 1942, he must have been doing something fairly useful, as he stayed in Buenos Aires until after the end of the war.

My Uncle on my dad's side was a Regimental Seargant Major in the Royal Marines and he was on HMS Exeter waiting outside Montevideo for the Graf Spee to come out. The Exeter was badly damaged in that fight. He also served on numerous cruisers and battleship throughout WWII and when I asked him "what did you do in the war Uncle" he said - "learn't to swim, learn't to bloody swim lad" Apparently he was sunk many times.

My Aunt was married to my Uncle Ernie (before I was borne) and he was called back on urgent duty to the Hood on the night of his wedding. He was killed on HMS Hood when the Bismark lobbed the shell that went through the magazine. There were only 2 or 3 survivors I believe from a Battleship compliment of men.

Dad was in a reserved occupation, he lived in Portsmouth, and was a fitter at HM Dockyard by day and a ARP at night.

 

[Paul Rochdale]

My paternal grandfather was a clerk in London's Docks during WW1 when he joined the London Rifle Brigade and must have seen action on the Western Front as his lungs were damaged in a gas attack and he was invalided out.

My maternal grandfather joined up in 1917 on his 19th birthday and enlisted in the Machine Guns Corp, a particularly hazardous unit to be in. The Germans both feared and hated the machine gunners and always retaliated with ferocity.

It wasn't until I looked at his Medal Card (online) this year that I realised he also went abroad.

Sadly Service Records for both men were lost in the Blitz of WW2 but I shall keep beavering away to discover more. I just WISH I had asked more questions when they were alive.

 

[iandavid]

What I missed out from my earlier post is something that has left a lasting impression on me.

Our Grandparents and parents went through things that we could never imagine, this was front line stuff, no drones, no AWACS, no sophisticated intelligence.

My respect is endless, if they hadn't sacrificed their lives we would be living in a different Europe.

One more thing which I'm sure some of you will associate with is that my father could recollect stories about the war easier to my son than he could to me. A very proud man whom I sadly lost last August on the morning of his 90th birthday.

GOD BLESS THEM ALL

 

[Mick-B]

....

Our Grandparents and parents went through things that we could never imagine, this was front line stuff, no drones, no AWACS, no sophisticated intelligence.

My respect is endless, if they hadn't sacrificed their lives we would be living in a different Europe.

...

Yep - so that scroats of today can whine about their "rights"; half of them couldn't spell "responsibilities" let alone have a pussy-clue what it means. Thank God our forebears had integrity.

 

[JPB]

Yep - so that scroats of today can whine about their "rights"; half of them couldn't spell "responsibilities" let alone have a pussy-clue what it means. Thank God our forebears had integrity.

You don't by any chance read the Daily Mail, do you?