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Just remembered I had a relative on this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Poseidon_(P99)
Family Members, World War 2, Etcetera...
- Thread starter Edrof
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I don't know anything about one grandfather I never knew, the other all I ever knew was he was in a Japanese POW camp (in Taiwan).
I did find a site a couple of years ago that had some info and found his name on there so know he was a private in the '1ST BTN. CAMBRIDGESHIRE REG'T', which I believe was a TA regiment, and was at the Heito POW camp:
http://www.powtaiwan.org/The Camps/camps_detail.php?Heito-POW-Camp-2&name=Heito
Another family member has more info and medals etc that he received.
I did find a site a couple of years ago that had some info and found his name on there so know he was a private in the '1ST BTN. CAMBRIDGESHIRE REG'T', which I believe was a TA regiment, and was at the Heito POW camp:
http://www.powtaiwan.org/The Camps/camps_detail.php?Heito-POW-Camp-2&name=Heito
Another family member has more info and medals etc that he received.
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My gramps was in the Royal Engineers. I still think my favourite awesome story of his was when he was on board for the D-Day Landings. His boat was sunk on approach and he was apparently the only survivor. He was rescued by Canadian soldiers on a commandeered fishing boat and carried onward to the beach, making the landing.
It's kind of weird that cancer got him in the end. I know of many occasions when he should have been six feet under well before his time, yet he made it to 83. A life well lived. And some epic stories I had the good sense to listen to whilst he was still with us.
It's kind of weird that cancer got him in the end. I know of many occasions when he should have been six feet under well before his time, yet he made it to 83. A life well lived. And some epic stories I had the good sense to listen to whilst he was still with us.
I inhertited my grandad's and great grandad's war medals and one of them is in it's own box apart from the others. My great grandad won it for valor when he went over the top of the trench and rescued a wounded officer.
An uncle fought against the Japanese in hand to hand fighting in Burma - he never talked about his experiances with anyone to my knowledge such was the ferosity and savagery of the fighting.
My other Grandad was a desert rat and went about servicing all the artillery guns all over the middle east.
An uncle fought against the Japanese in hand to hand fighting in Burma - he never talked about his experiances with anyone to my knowledge such was the ferosity and savagery of the fighting.
My other Grandad was a desert rat and went about servicing all the artillery guns all over the middle east.
I was told my granddad had a couple of his fingers chopped off by the Japanese during ww2.
he died when I was very little of cancer so I'm unsure if what was said is true.
I also remember him or my dad telling me how before they jumped on the ships back they buried their guns which seems bizarre to me and I'm not sure if theres any truth in that either.
Rather than "ships" I'm convinced the actual word used was "ferry"
It makes me wonder if he actually escaped from a Japanese camp or something
he died when I was very little of cancer so I'm unsure if what was said is true.
I also remember him or my dad telling me how before they jumped on the ships back they buried their guns which seems bizarre to me and I'm not sure if theres any truth in that either.
Rather than "ships" I'm convinced the actual word used was "ferry"
It makes me wonder if he actually escaped from a Japanese camp or something
As far as i'm aware..
Mums side: Dad was in the Navy, based out in the Oceanic theatre, not really too sure on what he did out there though, mum was a nurse.
Dads side: Mum was a nurse, Dad was a navigator on the Lancaster and Mosquito's. I have a picture of his whole Squadron (114) at home from 1946. His flight records are somewhere as well, I really should find out where.
Mums side: Dad was in the Navy, based out in the Oceanic theatre, not really too sure on what he did out there though, mum was a nurse.
Dads side: Mum was a nurse, Dad was a navigator on the Lancaster and Mosquito's. I have a picture of his whole Squadron (114) at home from 1946. His flight records are somewhere as well, I really should find out where.
My grandfather (94, still alive) was an engineer with the merchant navy in WWII, his ship was sunk by a German U-boat and they were taken in as PoWs. It was a relatively ok PoW camp as far as we're aware, he doesn't talk about his time there much but anything he does talk about are positive memories.
My great-grandfather was in the horse cavalry in WWI, my mum found this picture of him the other week:
Yes that's a sword. Badass.
My great-grandfather was in the horse cavalry in WWI, my mum found this picture of him the other week:
Yes that's a sword. Badass.
heres my great granda, Thomas Cochrane Reid and his Wife Emma, He fought in the WW1, found this photo after years of searching, my cousin had a copy.
Was he Irish?
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My Granddad was in the Victoria Barracks in Windsor and served in WWII for a while.
I'll have to ask him more about it, but I remember him telling me about a Humvee-style vehicle with a drivers seat at 45 Degrees and just as many reverse gears as forward gears. They would sneak forward slowly and back up quickly if there was anyone there, then give an early warning to the people back at base.
I'll have to ask him more about it, but I remember him telling me about a Humvee-style vehicle with a drivers seat at 45 Degrees and just as many reverse gears as forward gears. They would sneak forward slowly and back up quickly if there was anyone there, then give an early warning to the people back at base.
I don't know much about my Grandfather as I was about 5-10 years too late to get to know him but he served for the entire of the second world war in Africa and up into Italy in an anti-aircraft unit. I don't know how he survived that long, my dad sometimes tells me that their lives would literally be the result of a coin flip onto which units went where 
.
He was a good man though, he voluntarily signed up just before the war started because he thought it was right thing to do.
My great great uncle died in the battle of the somme. I visited his memorial a very long time ago, before i could really appreciate the significance.
.He was a good man though, he voluntarily signed up just before the war started because he thought it was right thing to do.
My great great uncle died in the battle of the somme. I visited his memorial a very long time ago, before i could really appreciate the significance.
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yes
Both of my grand-dads were involved in WW2,
One was part of the military police (dealing with captured Nazi's in the UK) & the other spent most of his time fighting the Japanese (Burma iirc) then some time as an air-craft engineer (fixing spitfires/hurricanes) back in the UK.
He also work in a team which built much of the groundwork for the newer London underground parts if I recall correctly.
One was part of the military police (dealing with captured Nazi's in the UK) & the other spent most of his time fighting the Japanese (Burma iirc) then some time as an air-craft engineer (fixing spitfires/hurricanes) back in the UK.
He also work in a team which built much of the groundwork for the newer London underground parts if I recall correctly.
My Grandad was a marine on HMS Repulse when it was sunk in SEA. I think he joined up earlier in 1939 so he could choose what service he went into. He went to Singapore after he was rescued and I guess was pretty lucky in that another ship that docked there was short a few marines so he volunteered to join and left Singapore before the surrender. He then spent the rest of the war on various Cruisers. I have a print of the Repulse on my living room wall. I never remember him talking much about it and always thought it was not my place to ask - I think my Dad said after the war he kept getting asked to give talk about it (the Repulse sinking) so I guess maybe he got fed up of talking about it. Hope to get my hands on his diaries at somepoint, I think one of my aunts has them.
My great uncle was a bomber pilot in the RAF but got shot down and killed in North Africa, he is buried in El Alamein war cemetry.
My great uncle was a bomber pilot in the RAF but got shot down and killed in North Africa, he is buried in El Alamein war cemetry.
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My grandad (now dead unfortunately) was in Italy and North Africa and also landed in Dunkirk the day after the main assault. He was wounded at some point in Italy, we're not sure how or by what, but he stayed in the army and drove halftracks and various other things - something to do with horses too. My gran (90 and still going strong) worked in munitions factories I think.
He did tell a story of having to go and sit in some Italian ditches with his mate armed only with an anti-tank weapon as there was tank on the prowl. He was one side of the junction, another 2 fellas were further down the other side of the junction, they heard the tank coming (brown trousers time as he said!) but fortunately rather than go his way the tank turned off towards the other guys. Never said what happened after though.
We've got his medals somewhere, mostly service medals, and his papers so we were able to track his regiments and broad movements during the war. My dad has them all atm.
He did tell a story of having to go and sit in some Italian ditches with his mate armed only with an anti-tank weapon as there was tank on the prowl. He was one side of the junction, another 2 fellas were further down the other side of the junction, they heard the tank coming (brown trousers time as he said!) but fortunately rather than go his way the tank turned off towards the other guys. Never said what happened after though.
We've got his medals somewhere, mostly service medals, and his papers so we were able to track his regiments and broad movements during the war. My dad has them all atm.
Ah, I don't suppose you'd be able to help. My father-in-law has been doing quite a bit of research about his 'father-in-law' as he was KIA during the first few days of D-day. We have name, unit, location and date but have no more information about him.
It's being done for really his daughter who's now getting on and was only very young when he died; we want to find any more info we can and hopefully more importantly a photo.
My Grandad (mum's side) was Bomb Defusal and also in the Battle of Dunkirk. He survived and lived to 87. After the war he became the chief of police in Edinburgh and was also the Queen's security advisor. The Queen visited had dinner at home with him (and my Nan) in what could only be described as a proper Kings Speech moment (where they rock up at the Doctors house). My mum also had the Queens car as her wedding car
My Granddad on my dad's side served in WW2 and survived. From memory I can't remember what exactly he did. He died around the age of 84 from a debilitating chemical imbalance in the brain. After the war, he became the CEO of Cadbury Schweppes. His wife (my Gran) worked on the bolts for the wings of the Lancaster and after the war became a house wife (as did my Nan).
My Granddad on my dad's side served in WW2 and survived. From memory I can't remember what exactly he did. He died around the age of 84 from a debilitating chemical imbalance in the brain. After the war, he became the CEO of Cadbury Schweppes. His wife (my Gran) worked on the bolts for the wings of the Lancaster and after the war became a house wife (as did my Nan).
My Granddad was an AA gunner during the battle of Britain. He never talked to me about the war, and wouldn't say much to my Dad either, but apparently he lost a lot of friends in one single bomb hit which he survived, but he had severe PTSD afterwards. He lived to 87, Rest his soul.
Is there anywhere online I could look him up?
EDIT
OldCoals please could you do that for me? Shall I email you in trust?
Is there anywhere online I could look him up?
EDIT
OldCoals please could you do that for me? Shall I email you in trust?
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