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Original poster

Remembrance Sunday....any war hero Grandads?

141 replies

Tinkerboo · 10/11/2006 12:58

Mine weren't officially hero's, but thought it would be good to share all the stories in people's families.
One Grandad was at Dunkirk and rescued by the boats, Granny still didn't hear from him for 2yrs and 'presumed he'd gone down with all the rest.' Meanwhile he was sent to Italy and took part in the terrible battle for Monte Casino.
Other grandad Polish. Captured in first weeks of the war. Escaped couple of years later, recaptured and sent to Norway by Nazis. never returned to Poland.
Extraordinary stoies, but not unusual in that generation.
Anyone else want to remeber and honour their Grandad/Granny.

OP posts:
trefusis · 10/11/2006 15:56

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SaintGeorge · 10/11/2006 16:02

Grandad was in the Sherwood Foresters and the Machine Gun Corp when it was first formed.

Lied about his age to get into the forces. Ended up fighting on the Somme.

Gassed, leading to blindess in later life. Injured by shrapnel just before getting captured by the Germans. Had his lower leg amputated in POW camp but infection set in so he had a revision amputation after repratriation to England, losing it to the hip.

Died a few months before I was born. I transcribed his war diaries many years later. A copy is at the Imperial War Museum.

RIP Grandad x

danceswithmonkeys · 10/11/2006 16:06

Both my Grandpas fought in WWII both at personal cost. One was hunched over for the rest of his life as he was struck badly by shrapnel one piece of which remained lodged in his back. The other came back from the war an alcoholic, he managed to get sober but reverted back to drinking towards the end of his life. He never talked about the war but I think part of his service was in India. I wish I'd asked them about it when they were alive. Also dh's father was a radar operator, he sadly passed away at the beginning of this year.
I think I'll be 'managing' to maintain the minutes of silence at the weekend

JoolsToo · 10/11/2006 16:09

Don't know about grandads but my dad was part of Slim's 'forgotten army' (14th) in Burma, he got malaria and nearly died. He likes to tell the story of how he was apparently out for the count on his sick bed when he heard the doctor tell the nurse not to medicate him because he wouldn't make and he inwardly said 'oh yes I will you bugger' and he did! Just think, I wouldn't be here now if he had died

dh dad was also at Dunkirk but was rescued, his dad's brother was a fighter pilot and was shot down and killed.

JoolsToo · 10/11/2006 16:10

fabulous thread Tinker

Heathcliffscathy · 10/11/2006 16:18

tinker, my grandfather was polish and fought at monte casino...was shot in the knee...

my other grandfather was a german soldier, who later served under the foreign legion in vietnam.

fairyfly · 10/11/2006 18:20

My Grandad was bodyguard to Field Marshall Alexandra.

A Sergeant in the first Army.

Based in Italy, France and Tunis.

My father was telling me that now and again when his uncle came round he would catch snippets of their conversations but that was the only time they talked of what had happened. They were together serving for five years and when the war finished they moved to be nearer to each other. It was obvious but unspoken how much they had been through. Whatever happened they became incredibly close.

The only story really shared was how he once shook hands with Eiesenhower wuthout realising who he was and then later wished he hadn't!

NAB3 · 10/11/2006 18:21

My husbands grandad was an RAF fighter pilot. He died last year aged 87.

lucy5 · 10/11/2006 18:25

My Grandfather was at Dunkirk and one of the first troops into Belsen. He never really talked about it, he had a few stock stories. I really wish that I had asked him more.

fairyfly · 10/11/2006 18:40

This was reported in the Daily Mail in 2000 about my Grandparents.......

"It was filled with all the hopes and fears of a wartime wife for her soldier husband and it was sent to the front line in 1943. But the touching letter never reached her husband in North Africa, until now. Astonishingly it has arrived back at the home where they lived during the war 57 years later"

It had no covering letter, the new occupiers of the house traced my family and we were given the letter. We will never know where it was held, or who looked after it for all that time.

I have part of it and it brings it so much to home now i am a mother.

The letter says " I love you very much sweetheart. You are always in my thoughts dearest every minute of the day. The little son of yours ( My Daddy!) is calling to see if his tea is ready, I can see i am going to be very busy when his daddy comes home. But i will be one of the happiest persons in the world"

It also asks if he recieved the soap!

southeastastra · 10/11/2006 18:41

oh that's so sad

PeachyClair · 10/11/2006 18:43

Grandad Griffiths chose to dign up with the RAF, he had a few jobs, all interesting: one was taking part in test flights (as the on board mechanic), on one of these he crash landed and was taken prisoner (in Africa) but only for a few days- shared his cell with a boa constrictor apaprently .
His other main job was as the retrieval man for bodeies from air accidents which must have been truly horrific and for which he was very brave.

DH's Grandad was tail end Charlie on the Lancasters so it's just frankly amazing he survived.

KBear · 10/11/2006 18:54

My FIL was in the The Black Watch and fought in the war. He never claimed his medals but a few years ago we talked about how they would be nice for his grandsons to look at and should be in the family so I wrote to the Army Office and a year ago today they arrived! His War Medal, his Atlantic Star and another one. There is a long waiting list, apparently lots of men didn't claim their medals after the war, just wanted to forget the horrors I suppose.

I have two great uncles that were out in the desert somewhere - they've given their medals to my brother for safekeeping as they don't have children of their own. He treasures them.

One of the great uncles drove a tank and was hit by a shell. The guy in the seat next to him was decapitated, great uncle survived.

I am VERY proud to wear my poppy and remember those that fought for us.

JoolsToo · 10/11/2006 19:09

dad also fought in Malaya and Palestine - maybe other places I don't know about....

Original poster
Tinkerboo · 10/11/2006 20:12

This thread made me stop tonight and ask the old chap selling poopies in Tesco's what he did in the war. He told me he was at Arnhem(?) and into Germany with Montgomery and then cauhgt in the battle of the Bulge. He was in his 80's. Living talking history, it's humbling.

OP posts:
southeastastra · 10/11/2006 20:13

my mum lost two uncles at arnhem it was tragic.

drosophila · 10/11/2006 20:17

My uncle was a pilot in the RAF during WW2. He was one of the Irish men seeking adventure and he got it.
He won't talk about the war ever. He stayed in the RAF for decades after the war.

My other uncle on the other hand goes crazy if his kids wear a poppy. The havoc caused by the Black and Tans after the first world war being his reasoning. Families are funny, non?

drosophila · 10/11/2006 20:20

Really interesting series on UK History Channel at the moment or maybe a bit later - Sex, love and War. It really makes you see war from a slightly different prespective but just as sad.

Jimjams2 · 10/11/2006 20:26

My grandfather served on HMS Dorsetshire . It was sunk by the Japanese. He was picked up and taken to South Africa after spending a long time in shark infested/oily waters (over 200 men died). We're still in contact with the family who loked after him in South Africa.

Original poster
Tinkerboo · 10/11/2006 20:29

My Polish Grandad was in the merchant navy too Sophable

OP posts:
drosophila · 10/11/2006 20:33

Oh that reminds me of an interesting story. Near where I grew up in the tiniest and remotest of villages in Ireland 2 refugees from Germany spent the war have no idea how it was arranged. I think they were Jewish brothers. After the war they returned to East Germany behind the curtain

Years later after the wall came down they contacted the family and paid for them to visit Germany. I love that story. The man they stayed with was the loveliest man in the village probably.

They are still in touch today.

Mirage · 10/11/2006 20:38

I have 2 great uncles who died in WW1 & are somewhere in Belgium.Both were living in Australia at the time & came back to join up.They both died on the same day,2 years apart.

Great grandad was Irish & bred horses for the British army.He survived WW1,his job was looking after the horses on the battlefields.His brother was so badly injured that he lost most of his face.

Great uncle Ron was a POW in a Japanese camp & suffered horribly.He wouldn't talk about it much,but had awful nightmares.He died about 2 years ago.

Great uncle on my dads side died in Burma in WW2.He is on the war memorial in the next village & I will be at the service there tomnorrow.

saltire · 10/11/2006 20:43

Mt maternal grandfather was at Dunkirk. He met my granny when he got back to the UK. Then he served in Africa under Monty.
his younger brother who was only 19 was killed on 6th June 1944, by falling from a lorry on his way to Dover! My grandfather was in Africa at the time and never found out his brother's death until he got home.
On my grannys side, she was in the land army. One brother was in the KOSB, and went missing, but was found by a French couple who took him in. He had been wandering around (now he would be treated for PTSD). The other was in the Navy, and also i bleieve did some time on the north atlantic convoys.
When grandad was alive, he used to be like Uncle Albert from Only fools and horses and talk about "during the war", but i really, really wish i had listened more and asked him more questions. He met up with my granny again about three weeks after VE day - they had written to each other throughout the war, and got married three weeks after that. My mum was born in 1946!
The uncle who was in the KOSB was never right when he got home, and he wouldn't speak to his brothers and sisters, or his neices and nephews. The only ones he spoke to were me, my brother and my mum's cousins son. When he died, my brother got his medals - his will said we were the future, it was up to us to make sure no one ever forgot.

rustybear · 10/11/2006 20:44

DH's grandfather won the Distinguished Conduct Medal in WW1 (1917 I think)
My FIL died recently & we're clearing the house & found his medals and the citation:
"16864 Sergt. E.W. Rose, B/88th Bde., R.F.A. (Hounslow)
Awarded
Distinguished Conduct Medal
for Conspicuous Gallantry and Devotion to Duty

When the officer, sergeant and the team, who were pulling a gun out of action, were all either killed or wounded, this N.C.O., without waiting for orders, took up a fresh team and successfully withdrew the gun. On the same day he brought the gun limbers up to the battery position, through a very heavy enemy barrage of shell and machine-gun fire, and by his determined handling of the teams under heavy fire greatly facilitated the successful withdrawal of the guns. His coolness and efficiency were worthy of high praise."

marthamoo · 10/11/2006 20:51

yeahinaminute - how lovely that our Grandads must have known each other Glad to hear yours is still with us - this must be a very emotional time for him.

Reading this thread is very moving.