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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:
eidsvold · 13/11/2006 00:02

not grandparents but great uncle fought in the Kokoda track. He went off to war and my great grandmother had not seen him for a number of years. During a news reel in the cinema she saw him and called out excitedly pleased to see he was still alive - only to be shushed by other cinema patrons...

paternal grandfather was at Dunkirk. Unfortunately that is all I know.

eidsvold · 13/11/2006 00:05

but being a history teacher and teaching about these wars - always brings it home to me - eg when I teach year nines and tell them of young boys their age lying about their age to go and fight. such a waste....

JanH · 13/11/2006 00:17

My grandads were WWI - one was in the Guards and was an Old Contemptible, the other was (I think) too young for the war (he was my grandma's second husband, her first was killed in the war, they were only married a few days ).

My dad was in WWII but in a safe-ish unit - baths - but he nearly got electrocuted by a wet pipe and a bare wire once

DH's Dad was at Dunkirk and Crete (he specialised in retreats )

ghosty · 13/11/2006 06:15

My Grandad was in WW1 ... very young, saw the last 6 months or so. He was in the Navy.

My Uncle was a Battle of Britain pilot. He got a medal I believe (a distinguished flying medal or something).

geekgrrl · 13/11/2006 08:30

Germany's remembrance day is on the 19th of November this year. It is there to remember all victims of wars and tyrannies.

hulababy · 13/11/2006 08:39

My grandad is too young. DH's grandad flew fighter planes. He doesn't really talk about the war though.

Bugsy2 · 13/11/2006 09:25

Some amazing stories here.
My Grandpa's are dead, but my English one was a RAF pilot in WWII. He was sent over towards the end of the war to do the raids on Japan (mercifully, no involvement with the atomic bomb). I know he received several medals, but I'm ashamed to say I don't know what for.
My English Granny was a nurse & she also ended up out in the Far East, which is how she met & ensnared my Grandpa!

earlgrey · 13/11/2006 09:30

My English grandfather was killed in Monte Casino, Italy. One day, I swear, I'll go and see his grave.

My Italian grandfather was sent on a ship from England to Canada (as, apparently, he was an illegal alien), then the ship got torpeedod.

Life's funny

lou33 · 13/11/2006 09:41

My father was a para, and did a few tours, tho as i havent seen him for 30 yrs my memory is not too good on what he did

Bloke i am seeing is a navigator on landing craft, and went to iraq

judemum · 13/11/2006 12:20

My Grandad fought in Burma during WWII and had some amazing stories. He was a seargeat and one day they caught a Japanese guy trying to have a number 2 behind a tree! (apparently everyone was horrifically constipated- for obvious reasons)Normally they would have shot him, but my Grandad said this guy was so thin and terrified, they just couldn;t do it. In the end they gave him their food and a few ciggies and let him go. A wonderful story considering the human losses and tragedies on both sides- they knew this guy could kill them the next day, but at some level you have to respect your fellow man, even in war. My Grandad died earlier this year and it came out at his funeral that he had been demoted 7 times!! He was a real character, fought hard, had women in every town (apparently!), lost his best friends and his health, and I am very, very proud to be his grandaughter.

judemum · 13/11/2006 12:32

PS- can't read anymore of this thread as its making me very weepy and I'm at work!!! Good to know that there are so many wonderful stories out there from all sides that are still being kept alive. These stories should definately be passed down the generations so that the terror and tragedy of war is never ever forgotten. This is the important lesson of all of this.

HappyDaddy · 13/11/2006 12:57

My grandad served in the Royal Artillery in WW2. Fought in Sierra Leone and also in Burma (Myanmar now). Never really spoke about Burma.

I've been trying to research his records through MOD.

HappyDaddy · 13/11/2006 13:08

My great uncle was at the Somme. He used to talk of walking over the bodies of his friends as they advanced. He and all his mates joined up together, were stationed together and he was the only one to return.

latchy · 13/11/2006 13:38

My Husband has just returned from Iraq and lost a few of his friends out there whilst on tour, to me they are all heros. I am so proud of him and all his friends

cat64 · 13/11/2006 20:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

fransmom · 13/11/2006 21:08

some of these stories just catch at you don't they? it's hard to read some of them but i feel that if we don't then these are going to be only remembered by a very few.

happydaddy, can you tell me how you contact mod as i would like to research my gdads service? he was in south staffs and black watch.

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