VE Day

[Rikki Tikki Tavi 0]

My mom's dad scared the Japanese into surrendering - the day he left for the Pacific theater, they surrendered.   In post war Pacific theater, he drove LC's.

One of his Brothers saw a lot of combat in Italy and southern France, and the other worked on communications in North Africa.

My aunt's father was just about to be transferred to the S.S. before he was killed on the Eastern front.

[Balschoiw 0]

Grandpa number 1 was serving in poland and russia. He was with artillery and field gun units. He was captured and sent to russia for slavery work. After 6 years of slavery work he was released and had to walk home. When he returned home he had 48 kilos.

He died at the age of 81 some years ago and never talked much about the things he had experienced, but never got over the thing that all his neighbours who were also sent to russia for slavery work died there of starvation.

Grandpa number 2 was drafted and served in Afrika with Rommel.

When he got home after the war he found his big farm burnt and looted and the family was driven out of Czechoslovakia by locals.

My grandma and the rest of the family had to flee with nothing but their clothes on. As they were not in the Nazi party and never served any Nazi purposes she never got over that. She is still alive, aged 82. The farm, a really big one, was turned into a military camp and it´s not possible to go there, even today. The only way to see it is to ride a train that passes the military complex.

The other side of the story.

[somebloke 0]

Grandad, still alive, Merchant Navy. Ordering the Supplies from America.

Grampa, Worked on naval ship engines on the Tyne. Still Alive.

[Nemesis6 0]

My grandfather (and of course others) served in the homefront as AA man in Finland, he was mainly active in the Civil War so I'm aware of those wars .

One could of course also wonder about the inclusion of Israel, a nation that didn't exist until 48.

BM

Actually, Israel first became a nation in 1312 B.C.E.

As far as my family goes, my dad's brother was a saboteur during the German occupation in Denmark, he was ultimately caught and sent to a concentration camp. Neuengamme it was called. My dad's sister's husband was also sent to a concentration camp, not sure if it was the same one. He had apparently been storing some weapons for the resistance in his summerhouse. The story is pretty unclear, but that was what I could get out of my dad.

[Warden 0]

My Mums dad Served in the Royal Navy during World war 2, first in the atlantic (both ships torpedoed) and then moved onto the Pacific, according to legend landed in burma with a crate full of gold to pay the locals to fight the japs, also served on HMS belfast. We took him there before he died and boy did that tour guide get a shock when the old guy starts telling him hes wrong about stuff

My dads Aunt was a WAAF on radars, she also didnt like the tour guide at Hendom Air museum when we went.

My dads dad was in a reserved occupation (farmer) German POWs (those considered not to Nazis) worked on the farm with him, mainly downed airmen, also had a Sherman tank driven off a bridge on his land by some dumb yank.

His brother served in the Army and was killled in North africa.

[marcusjm 0]

My grandfather (and of course others) served in the homefront as AA man in Finland, he was mainly active in the Civil War so I'm aware of those wars .

One could of course also wonder about the inclusion of Israel, a nation that didn't exist until 48.

BM

Actually, Israel first became a nation in 1312 B.C.E.

As far as my family goes, my dad's brother was a saboteur during the German occupation in Denmark, he was ultimately caught and sent to a concentration camp. Neuengamme it was called. My dad's  sister's husband was also sent to a concentration camp, not sure if it was the same one. He had apparently been storing some weapons for the resistance in his summerhouse. The story is pretty unclear, but that was what I could get out of my dad.

But was this flag(in your sig) even set in stone at that time? (45) that is. I'm fully aware of the jewish volunteers fighting for the allies.

One could argue about "nation" though since proper nations didn't really exist until age of nationalism.

marcus

[Gollum1 0]

Both grandfathers in the Finnish army, one as an infantryman (was stuck in enemy territory after an assault once and managed to sneak back, very hungry, a few days later) and the other as a truck repairman (originally an infantryman, but engineering education + bad hearing got him the position).

[Gadger 0]

One grandparent spent the whole of WW2 "imprisoned" on the Isle of Wight due to him being Czech.

The other fought in N. Africa, Italy and later peacekeeping in Austria.

[Fork122 0]

My grandfather washed clothes for the United States in the Phillipines.  Not the most glorious job, but somebody had to do it.

My other grandfather was a radio operator on a US ship, I'll try to find out what one it was.

[Harnu 0]

My great uncle on my mothers side was an aerial gunner in the Army Air Corps, I believe he gunned on a B29 Stratofortress. He was shot down a few months before D-Day. Got shot down over northern Germany IIRC, a few guys from the crew supposedly made it out on foot but were killed soon after as they tried to make it out of Axis controlled area.

[Ares1978 0]

My great uncle on my mothers side was an aerial gunner in the Army Air Corps, I believe he gunned on a B29 Stratofortress.  He was shot down a few months before D-Day.  Got shot down over northern Germany IIRC, a few guys from the crew supposedly made it out on foot but were killed soon after as they tried to make it out of Axis controlled area.

"Superfortress"

[FerretFangs 0]

My great uncle on my mothers side was an aerial gunner in the Army Air Corps, I believe he gunned on a B29 Stratofortress. He was shot down a few months before D-Day. Got shot down over northern Germany IIRC, a few guys from the crew supposedly made it out on foot but were killed soon after as they tried to make it out of Axis controlled area.

"Superfortress"

And they didn't fly until later in the war, in the Pacific theater. Could have been a Liberator, or a Flying Fortess, though.

[marcusjm 0]

Wasn't gunner the most dangerous position in those? Or am I thinking of the B-17?

I'm not an expert on these planes so I don't know whether they had that "glass bubble" on both types.

BM

[FerretFangs 0]

Ball turret, on a B-17 ( belly gunner ) was thought to be one of the most dangerous positions to be in during the entire war. The turret couldn't be retracted, and if it wasn't in the right position the gunner couldn't get out. So if a damaged bomber returned from a mission and couldn't get it's gear down ( frequent problem ) the ball turret gunner got crushed. It was not enviable to be a ball turret gunner.

The weapon was retractable on the B-24. But the gunner was still liable to get creamed from ground fire.

[Ares1978 0]

Wasn't gunner the most dangerous position in those? Or am I thinking of the B-17?

I'm not an expert on these planes so I don't know whether they had that "glass bubble" on both types.

BM

Depends on what you mean. Turrets were always targets. And the one below the plane were always at risk during take-off and landing. If the landing gear malfunctioned, you'd end up as red stain on the pavement.

[Warden 0]

I thought the Ball gunners only got into the turret when the Aircraft was well off the ground, seems common sense really.

Although i wouldnt envy any gunner position, especially Tail End Charlie.

[FerretFangs 0]

That's true, they didn't get into the turret until the plane was airborne. But sometimes the turret jammed during the mission, and as I said, if it wasn't in the proper position, the hatch couldn't be opened so the gunner could get out. If the bomber also developed hydraulic problems, ( as happened frequently ) the gear wouldn't come down, and the ball turret and gunner became a landing skid.

[Warden 0]

Didnt pay to be short in WW2 then!

Christ i wouldve carried a pistol on me

[der bastler 0]

One grandpa was sent to Denmark, i.e. was lucky. Died when I was a year or so old (afaik cancer).

The other grandpa served on a submarine in the Baltic. He was born 1920, is still alive and kickin, can still drive his car and just got a new mobile phone (my old nokia). If I would give him a computer I suppose he'd start to learn how to use it. Admirable man. From what I know he didn't encountered much action (some time ago he told that once, when they returned from shore leave, they found their boat bombed; so I suspect it was more like a garrison job; didn't hear any Schleichfahrt stories from him).

Some years ago I did a recherche at the Kriegsgräberfürsorge and found that at least one ancestor from another branch of family lies in a wood somewhere in the Ukraine. Easter front -- bad luck.

[iNeo 0]

Quote[/b] ]The other grandpa served on a submarine in the Baltic. He was born 1920, is still alive and kickin, can still drive his car and just got a new mobile phone (my old nokia).

Dad's dad is turning 87 this year (born 1918), still drives his car and has a mobile phone. He was by the border to Finland as a regular infantry soldier, outpost thing I guess, and didn't encounter any action afaik, but he heard the war rage between the Finns and the Russians.

[Daddl 10]

Well not sure about my other grandfather (died before I was born), but my dad's father served from 1939 - 1945 as a driver (trucks and apcs) first in Poland, then France and later the eastern front. Got away lucky as at the end of the war his unit surrendered to the americans and not to the russians.

Also, when they were released and about to be transported back to their home region (then controlled by the french), the americans let them go instead of delivering them into french captivity. He then continued on foot, was lucky to encounter a former neighbour while still out of town and received civilian clothes and a bicycle from her. If he hadn't switched clothes the french would have imprisioned him again - release documents or not.

So he arrived safely at home almost one and a half years after he married my grandmother - they hadn't seen each other since then - and he was also very lucky to see her alive and their house being one of the few that survived the bombing raids. Just one road further on everything was flattened to the ground.

Aereal image of my hometown in 1945.

Thank god they survived and are still alive today!

[brgnorway 0]

Daddl, your picture says it all! There's a reason why most europeans are slightly unwilling to encounter another war!

[IsthatyouJohnWayne 0]

Good question Rikki Tikki Tavi, these responses are fascinating.

The grandfather on my mothers side fought in the RAF. I recall he was involved in the closing stages of the Battle of Britain, though id have to double check that to be certain, and then later he trained pilots in Canada. My other grandfather (Scottish) worked on a Minesweeper and had to cut his own thumb off with his knife when it got caught in the sweeper chain and started pulling him into the depths of the ocean (the guy was a hard bastard who spent the thirties working as a street fighter in Canada and met Al Capone).