What did you do in World War II daddy?

[macelena 1,070]

Well, this is not exactly related to the film. The VE thread by Emp_Palpatine gave me an idea to conmemorate

the second world war: Get a history of some survivor you knew or ever met and post it here. You know, the debt of the

world with the veterans and so

 

Here goes mine: I could once met a veteran from the Spanish Civil War. He fought on several fronts from Madrid to the Ebro river

(wich is a lot of war) and escaped to France after the war. Anyway, the republic was after him because of the death of a political

comissar.

 

Along with many other republican veterans he joined the french forces after

the invasion of France. While almost 40.000 veterans in the era mounted the paramilitary branch of the french resistance in the early

days of the occupation, he was deployed overseas with the 2nd Free French Armoured Division, in a spanish republican recon company

known as "the Ninth"

 

With this outfit he fought through Africa, and in Europe, they were the first troops from the 2nd Free French AD to enter Paris, their storu would betold

in "Is Paris Burning?". He was about to participate in the invasion of Spain, wich was eventually cancelled. They stood as the spearhead of Leclerc´s Division. Do you remember

the Easy Co. racing french troops to the Eagle nest? He was there.

 

After the war,the incident of the commie comissar helped him not to be considered communist, wich would have caused him trouble with

the new order. A Spanish captain on the other side (he fought in Leningrad along the Blue Division but that´s another story) gave his word

to the regime that he was relyable, so he could get back to his hometown (Cartagena, my home also) where he made his living on a

food shop. He married and had three children. I had the honor to meet him before his death in summer 2007

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_9th_Ar..._(World_War_II)

 

 

PS: The first photo, reenactors in Normandy. The second, the "Ninth" entering Paris

Edited May 8, 2009 by macelena

[pitchblack 0]

My Dad, was a A-25 (SBD) gunner and then later a B-25 Top Turret Gunner stationed in New Guinea.

 

Most planes he ever saw in the sky where Japanese. He was in multiple engagments and they had to evac on a barge during the battle of the Coral Sea.

 

Very interesting stories.

[Derk 265]

My dad didn't fire a shot on Java in the Neth. East Indies, was captured by the Japanese and slowly being killed by them, working on the Birma Railroad, untill he was saved by Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Never fully recovered, he died at the age of 65 in 1968 in direct connection with the hardships he had to endure in Thailand

 

Hou doe,

 

Derk

Edited May 8, 2009 by Derk

[firehawkordy 34]

My dad didn't fire a shot on Java in the Neth. East Indies, was captured by the Japanese and slowly being killed by them, working on the Birma Railroad, untill he was saved by Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Never fully recovered, he died at the age of 65 in 1968 in direct connection with the hardships he had to endure in Thailand

 

Hou doe,

 

Derk

 

My uncle Art was taken by the Japanese on Wake Island in 1942. He wound up in the Japanese home islands, until the nukes saved him too. He never talked much about what he went through until he learned that I was being assigned to HAL-5, then he had a lot of advice and wisdom for me. We found out shortly before he passed away that he and some others were introduced to the Recon Marines at Camp Pendelton as their forerunners. When I told my son about his great-uncle he was very quite for a bit , then he said that he would try hard to live up to that family legacy.

 

I also worked for a older gent at Meadows Field in the '80's that had been in the Dutch Underground during the war. He had some amazing stories to tell. I remember him asking what I had done as a teenager, I replied "going to school, he answered back "killing Germans". That left a big impression on me. He also gave me lot's of advice in unconventional warfare, now days it would be called terrorism, but back then it was freedom fighting. One time some Army pilots parked in his space, I got the job of telling them to move their car. I was also told "tell them the next time they park there I'll blow their car, you know I know how to do it." After explaining to the Army guys about him and his threat they never used his space again.

[Wrench 9,429]

well, Dad didn't do anything really spectacular, like millions of other GIs...he was just one of them 'that was there'

 

I just scanned this off the original print (I think the dots and stuff were on the negative, or curd on the lens) to post here; S/Sgt William C. Stein, USA (Military Police), Leyte, PI, sometime in late 1944

 

Wrench

Kevin Stein

[fallenphoenix1986 603]

Maternal Grandfather (Harry) had abysmal eyesight so was never called up, spent the war in a shipyard on the Clyde.

Paternal Grandfather (Tommy)was in the Parachute Regiment and flew a Horsa into Arnhem. Stayed in the Army until '52 and also served in Korea.

Maternal Great Uncle (Aleck) was torpedoed and lost on his first trip accross the Atlantic. He'd applied to the RAF in the mid 30's as aircrew but was turned down (working class boy, rich mans flying club). When war broke out the RAF tried to draft him so he joined the Merchant Navy to spite them.

Paternal Great Uncle (Robbie) was at Dunkirk, he was medically discharged from the Army shortly after returning and subsequently also entered the Merchant Navy, he was torpedoed 4 times, he survived the war and now lives in Glasgow aged 89.

A recently deceased family friend was in the Royal Navy though he didnt like talking about the war, all I know is that he was a gunners mate.

 

Craig

[Rambler 1-1 9]

One of my grandpas (the Irish one) was a gunner in Lysanders, and he saw a lot of the French Resistance through pick-ups and drop-offs in occupied france.

 

My other grandpa was a ferry pilot with the RCAF. He flew everything from Ansons and Fireflys to Halifaxes and Lancasters across the atlantic, and even saw a nazi patrol plane while he was taking something across. Never saw combat, but was current in almost every plane used in europe.

[Caesar 305]

Grandfather on my mother's side was a plane-mech (blue shirt) but ended up never going on a cruise (think he was stationed at Pearl Harbor, only after the attack).

Grandfather on my father's side was a CB and was part of the island hopping campaign, building runways as they went along.

[+ST0RM 145]

My Grandfather was with the 5th Army and in the initial wave when they invaded Italy through Salerno. Previous to that, he fought in North Africa. He spent the remainder of the war in Italy, and was being shipped over to the Pacific when the Japanese surrendered.

 

My Step-Mother's father was with the OSS in the CBI theater. Before he passed away, he was writing a book on his experiences. I had the chance to read some of the notes and view pictures. It was pretty cool. Sadly, the book has not been completed and probably won't. None of the sons have the drive to complete it and it all just sits in a box. My step-mother wanted me to have it because I actually have the most interest in it, but since I'm not blood, they all said no. Too bad.

[+331Killerbee 840]

My Father was killed in Vietnam in 1970. My Mother's Father (My GrandFather) was a Higgins (LCVP) Boatswain's Mate/BM. USS Mendocino APA-100. He was at Leyte Gulf, Saipan and Okinawa. Debarked 96th Inf Reg. U.S.Army "White Beach I" at Okinawa......In later Years, He referred to them as "My Boys"......As Flag Ship of the 19th Cargo Fleet, The USS Mendocino was lead Ship for the "Magic Carpet" Fleet returning Veterans back to the United States.

 

331KillerBee

[+Tailspin 3]

My dad was in the Air Force. Trained as a bombardier in B-24s and being trained for B-29s when the war ended. Didn't see any action. Father in law was in the Army in the Phillipines, New Georgia, ect. My Great Uncle on my mother's side was Oscar Koch. Patton's Chief Intelligence Officer throughout most of the war. I remember visiting a few time when I was 10 or so. Oscar had a bunch of neat stuff in his bedroom I couldn't touch.

[ONETINSOLDIER 2]

I had a book that was done by readers digest, "the illustrated history of ww2", and one day the topic of ww2 came up as a friend of my step dads was visiting, we somehow started talking about aircraft carriers and such and I brought out that book and flipped to the page with this picture on it of the lady lex before she went down,

he got a wierd look in his eyes then explained he served aboard the lexington and ended up floating around hearing his shipmates being taken by sharks.

He said as he left that he had something I might like to see. A few days later he came by with a large manila envelope, and inside was the original of the pic you see here.

He never explained where he got it, probly a navy pilot friend or whatever. Its always cool to come that close to things that "were there", hell, the people too, for that matter.

~S~ to the greatest generation.

P.S. @ STORM, maybe they dont want you to have his writings and pictures, but it sounds like he wanted his story told, and it sounds like yer the guy to do it. Would they object to that?

[Derk 265]

Must say this is getting quite moving.

 

Hou doe,

 

Derk

[DaSpungie 1]

well my dad's uncle Foster was an AAA gunner in africa

the only store he ever told me was that one morning they heard planes then shooting by the time he and his crew got to their gun everyone else was dead.

one of my friends was a french legionnaire paratroop in Algeria in the 60's he did 12 combat jumps 5 at night. He is all of 5 foot 4 and the biggest balls you ever seen.

 

my only other family war stores are from my mum

she was 12 years old when ve day happened

as a German civilian she saw lots strafed by p-51's while digging potatoes

many time caught in the cross fire. but her family came through it all.

she lost 2 uncles in ww1.

 

as for vets my hat goes off to them.

and my heart to all those that have suffered through war.

we here in canada are too fortunate.

 

my dad was in the army as a combat engineer for 35 years and lucky for us all he did was train and instruct.

[charlielima 328]

My uncle Harry was on the Gambier Bay, CVE-73 when it skillfully surrounded the IJN Center Force, consisting of four battleships, six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and eleven destroyers at 18 knots. The Gambier Bay was the only american aircraft carrier to be sunk by gunfire. My uncle Harry couldn't swim a stroke, but was decorated for saving gobs of his shipmates.

I found this interesting poem while researching CVE-73:

 

This intuitive poem was written by L T John P. Sanderson, VC-1O Torpedo Bomber Pilot, shortly before a fatal catapult launching which claimed the lives of L T. Sanderson and his crewmen J.L. Richards and William Zanon, on July 26, 1944, off Saipan, Marinas Islands.

 

Carrier Life

 

"Carrier life is something" we've all heard people say,

"If you've missed this grand experience, get your transfer in today."

But when it comes to flying, you can put me on the shore.

For life on a CVE is something worse than war!

 

They get you up at three o'clock with a whistle and a bell,

And you stand by in the ready-room just sleepier 'n hell.

Word is passed to man the planes, and you race out on the double.

Then word is passed to go below, there is no end to trouble.

 

You'll be sitting in the cockpit when Borries says "fly off!"

You jam the throttle forward, and the engine starts to cough.

You go rolling down the deck, but you always feel the need,

Of just one extra knot to keep above stalling speed.

 

Or you're up on ASP, or combat air patrol

Your gas is almost gone, and your belly's just a hole.

You'd like to eat, you and your plane have both been cruising lean,

But airplot says to orbit, there's a bogey on the screen.

 

Sometimes we're told to scramble, and you go charging to your plane,

But you sit there twenty minutes while the shrapnel falls like rain.

When the enemy is gone, the Admiral says "Let's go!"

So you retire with your gear to the ready room below.

 

They put you on the catapult, and secure you in the gear,

Pilgrim sticks his finger up, and looks up with a leer.

You're drawing forty inches when Charlie points "away!"

And you hope to hell you've power to get in the air and stay.

 

It's when you're landing back aboard that you find it really rough

You're high, you're fast, you're low -Christ Mac!! that's slow enough!

You're out, you're in your gear, and now Krida signals things

"Like Hook Up, Hold your brakes! Spill your flaps, Now fold your wings!"

 

YES Carrier life is something, dangerous and hard

Your wings will all turn green, and your ass will turn to lard.

Oh take us back to" Dago " , and give us stateside duty,

Where once a month we fly four hours, or maybe strop a beauty! !

 

:ph34r: CL

Edited May 10, 2009 by charlielima

[Coot 1]

My Dad's Dad(My Grandpa Ray Ray) worked on/in Grumman Avengers during the end of WW2.(I think '45 and '46) He was a radio man and gunner. He stayed Stateside. His brother my Great Uncle I believe served in the Pacific and did see combat.

 

My Papa (my Mother's Daddy) served in the Army during Korea. I don't think he talked a whole lot about his experiences. Thankfully when I was younger he did share some of those experiences with me. I do remember some stories, but I wish I would have been more attentive as well as write those things down. From what I can recall, he was stationed 5 miles south of the 38th parallel. He helped with triangulating enemy positions through different means and called in fire missions. He spoke about F-86 Sabres and I remember saying "I saw one at the airshow" and he said well you didn't see them do what I saw them do. I don't know the story, I'm not sure any of my family really does either, but I heard that he had a real frightening experience while there. Once again he didn't talk about it much. He also told me a story If I remember correctly that one of their base's sentries got turned around or something at night and fired into their camp.

 

We have a long time family friend who flew B-24s and also saw combat. I believe he also was a bombardier and also trained others. When told we saw a B-24 at the airshows he said those are Cadillacs compared to what he flew.

 

This gentleman and my Papa were also NASA veterans. They both worked for Redstone then NASA. My Papa told me a story that he and a friend used to sit in the local restaurant/hangout with this little black box with a button on it that they had made so that whenever one of the rockets would blow up from the early testing they would make people believe they were the ones doing it.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

My Dad was an SOE operative in France....working with the French Resistance.

 

You can read a bit about him here.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/40/a3694340.shtml

[macelena 1,070]

My Dad was an SOE operative in France....working with the French Resistance.

 

You can read a bit about him here.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/40/a3694340.shtml

 

 

Already heard about it last time you mentioned. Reminds me of the tales

an uncle of mine told me about our civil war

[Emp_Palpatine 501]

All Great-Grandparents did WW1, but I didn't got stories from grand parents, saddly.

 

Both my grandpas did WW2 in French army (and one great-uncle in the belgian one). My dad's dad was mobilised in a fortification division, in the Maginot Line. They sat there during the phoney war. At some point during the invasion, they had to fought their way south but he got captured in June by the germans in Burgondy (near the town Tonnerre). He spent the rest of the war in POW camp.

 

My mom's dad came from Algeria. As a young man he joined the army for four years somewhere in 1935. You did the math, he indeed made 10 years. I haven't much details of his 39-40 campaigns -a few research might help as my Grandma gave me his military book, so I know his unit-. After the defeat he was with the Armée d'Afrique, waiting in Algeria. After Operation Torch, as you know, French North Africa joined Free France, and his unit was reequiped and such. I haven't meet him as I was a toddler when he died, and he never spoke much about the war, but among the scarce details of his carrer in his military book, Provence D Day is mentionned...

 

Apart from this, my God father volunteered for fighting in Algeria in the late 50's-early 60's.

Edited May 15, 2009 by Emp_Palpatine

[Weasel Keeper 0]

My Grandfather was an airplane mechanic (like me) in the Army Air Corps during WWII. He earned a Purple Heart during the attack on Pearl Harbor by getting shrapenal in his back side.

 

He never talked about anything to the family because he lost alot of friends that day. He did retire from the Army after serving in Germany (post WWII) and in the Korean War where he worked on helicopters and observation aircraft, and passed away around 1982 from cancer.

[Nathan 0]

Hi all ,

Well both my grandads served during the war , one was a driver as he had diabetise and couldn't be front line . My other grandad was in the Army in Borneo fighting the Japanese Army , he got bayonneted in the stomach at some point by a Japanese soldier and was medi vaced to the UK . After he recovered the Army would not take him back , so he joined the new Royal Air Force Regiment . And eventually ended up doing long range patrols in the desert . He also served in Korea and did many experiments on Christmas Island etc with Nuclear weapons . And was responsible for training in Nuclear enviroment training ( what we call NBC now ) , where he got an over dose of Radiation and had to have a complete blood transfusion . He lived to a ripe old age so i guess radiated food and people are not much different lol . He got to the rank of Warrant officer although he was offered a commission but turned it down ( reasons only known to himself ) . When i joined the RAF as a Firefighter i never thought i'd meet some one that might know him ......as he was a nasty B%^)(*D as a training WO , but no i was wrong . I was doing my CCS course at my base when the SGT called " Paddy " as he wanted to be called , looked at me and said " Whitworth you the son of WO Bob Whitworth " .........me ......ere no grandson ........help !!!!! . Paddy ....he was a Bastard to me in training when i was in basics . At this point i thought .......oh im in a world of poo , but quick thinking i said its okay he was a Bastard to me to ....at which point i got a slap on the shoulder and he said i was alright . Paddy as it turned out was a great bloke and even though he was alot older turned out to be a party animal .....loved the booze ....nice bloke

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Already heard about it last time you mentioned. Reminds me of the tales

an uncle of mine told me about our civil war

 

Whoops!..sorry about that!..My first time in 'The Pub'

[macelena 1,070]

Whoops!..sorry about that!..My first time in 'The Pub'

No sorry, man. That´s what the thread was about