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does any one have family that was in ww1 or 2

• Message 1.Ìý

  Posted by Luke (U2430257) on Sunday, 20th November 2005

  please tell me if any one in or you was in the ww1 or 2
  

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by iPad (U2181937) on Monday, 21st November 2005

  For actual fighting my Grandad was in the Grenadier Guards and was a tank driver. He went in D-Day +18 and went through to Germany. After the surrender he was posted to Palestine.
  
  My other Grandparents did all sorts, mainly factory work and firewatching for the war effort.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by (( sean )) Free Nordmann (U2053581) on Monday, 21st November 2005

  my maternal family came from Bedfordshire, Rutlandshire, Northamptonshire borders and mostly stayed as rural workers in both world wars, however my grandfather's brother was a motorcyle dispatch rider during WWI...his son died in North Africa in WWII...and I had an uncle at El Alamein...on my faternal side...my father, born in Eire in 1916, went accross joined the army in 1931, deserted in 1933, and worked in airfield construction throughout the war all around England, and the Scotish Highlands, etc...my mother, although serverly disabled worked in a munitions factory.
  
  why?

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Anglo-Norman (U1965016) on Monday, 21st November 2005

  A distant relative won the VC in 1918 whilst serving with the Rifle Brigade (now Royal Greenjackets).

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Stepney Boy (U1760040) on Monday, 21st November 2005

  Hi U2430257,
  My grand father served in the Royal Field Artillary in the first world war and was luky enough to survive.
  Regards
  Spike please tell me if any one in or you was in the ww1 or 2
  Ìý

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• Message 6

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  Posted by Mike Alexander (U1706714) on Monday, 21st November 2005

  My paternal grandfather served as a field gunner in Italy in WW1. He was too old by WW2 and served in the home guard. Sadly, he died before I was born.
  
  I also have a great uncle who went to France in WW1 as a 2nd Lieutenant - he was injured in a train crash on his way to the front, and so came straight back again!
  
  My maternal grandfather was exempted (in WW2) since he was working in vital industries; however my maternal grandmother's sister served in the WAFs.

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by Turnwrest (U2188092) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  Don't know much about this, but here's what I do know.
  
  My maternal great-grandfather (mother's mother's father) was a reservist at the outbreak of WWI. Within a week, he was back with the colours on his way to Mons, and his family were on the street, because, as a farm bailiff, he lived in a tied cottage. His language about Remembrance Day was always colourful, to say the least. "They think more of those * poppies than they did of our lives" was one typical comment. My paternal grandmother's father was a railway engineer, and served in the Mesopotamia campaign, building the railway that supplied the troops as they fought their way up through Iraq and Palestine. Other male members of the family may or may not have served, but I'm not sure, except that Uncle Bill was turned down by the army. Even the blindest MO would probably have noticed that he had only one arm (he managed to enlist at 14 and a few months and lost it during the Boer War). Most of the rest were farmers.
  WWII - my maternal grandfather (a farrier) volunteered for the Navy, but was turned down because he had a typical farrier's injury - varicose ulceration of the leg where he'd been kicked by horses. The infantry medic said his limp wouldn't matter "as the ground is uneven where you'll be going". Grandma didn't like that idea, and their MP asked questions of the relevant authorities, who finally decided Grandad was in a reserved occupation. My father got as far as OCTU before sanity broke out again (and then found himself serving as a bandsman), he had previously served in the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Guard, in what was regarded as the smartest unit in the area. His father, a tailor, got his team of seamstresses who did all the alterations to make a silk purse of the sow's ear issued uniforms. One of my father's jobs in the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Guard was signalling, by semaphore, from the top of a local slag heap (his company commander was a retired Lt Cdr RN). Not a long-term prospect if there had been armed enemies in the area, I'd say. One of my wife's uncles was taken prisoner at Singapore, and the ship taking him to a forced labour camp in Japan was sunk by an American submarine. My Grandfather's brother escaped from Singapore on one of the last ships to get through (he watched Tom Philips take PoW & Repulse out to their sinking) as he was suffering from a fever (don't know what fever).
  
  Hope that helps.

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• Message 8

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  Posted by Richie (U1238064) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  In WW1 one of my maternal Grandfathers fought in the Gloucestershire Regiment. He had previously served with the Glosters during the Boer War and the immediate aftermath before demobing and working for the Great Western Train Service. He re-joined his original Battalion and went to serve in France. Where he died just before the Somme campaign (I don’t have my full notes with me but I believe that it was Mons that he died, but it was in March ’16 anyway).
  
  My other maternal Grandfather was luckier. He was ( I think) conscripted into the KOYLI (Yorkshire Light Infantry) and went to serve in the Salonika Campaign where he was injured and received a Silver War medal for that injury (what exactly I don’t know as the records where burnt in WW2)
  
  My paternal Grandfathers were far luckier. One was a Coal Miner and as such exempt from national service since coal was a strategic material. The other had been discharged on medical grounds (TB I think) from the RM Artillery just 3 days before the outbreak of war.
  
  In the second WW my maternal Grandfather was in the RAF VRT and served out in the Middle East and Mediterranean Theatre. My paternal Grandfather was in the RM’s and had his 18th birthday on Sword Beach (if memory serves D Day itself)
  
  Do you know anything about your families’ service during these conflicts?
  

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• Message 9

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  Posted by (( sean )) Free Nordmann (U2053581) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  so U2430257...what is this thread for?

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• Message 10

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by Turnwrest (U2188092) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  I think that Mons was in German hands from 1914 until nearly the end of the war - I'd suggest you need to check where your relative was killed in March 16 - that location is a bit iffy at that date.

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• Message 11

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by Richie (U1238064) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  i've got it written down in the house, its just that my memory can be shall we say eratic

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• Message 12

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  Posted by Plancenoit (U1237957) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  My Mum's father was with the Ox & Bucks at Pegasus Bridge on D Day. He was Lt David Woods 'batman' and they were both wounded shortly after landing in the second glider. If you could call it landing. One of his best muckers was Den Brotheridge, allegedly the first allied soldier killed during the D Day operations. 'Chubb' as he was often referred to, was well known as a "likeable rogue". He passed away Nov 17 2003 aged 80.
  My Dad's father was in the 'Dorset's' in '39 but transferred to the Royal Artillery and ended up N Africa. Joined the Paras, I don't recall exactly when, but he had quite an eventful war ending up with 2 Para at Arnhem, and about 8 months in a POW camp. He lived to tell the tale, at least until Feb '92, when he died aged 77.
  Are you asking purely out of interest U2430257?? There's enough information there to blow my anonimity,....in fact that could be Interpol at the door right now...........

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• Message 13

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by Dirk Marinus (U1648073) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  so U2430257...what is this thread for?Ìý
  
  
  
  
  hoi_polloi,
  
  U2430257 himself would not even know why he posted this thread.
  
  Why everyone responded beats me.

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• Message 14

  , in reply to message 13.

  Posted by (( sean )) Free Nordmann (U2053581) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  so U2430257...what is this thread for?Ìý
  
  
  
  
  hoi_polloi,
  
  U2430257 himself would not even know why he posted this thread.
  
  Why everyone responded beats me.Ìý
  
  maybe it plays into the British desire to que up . i posted anticipatating that a perspective altering question would soon be posed to the select few who responded, and i didnt wish to be left out in some implied congenitally 'conscientiously-objecting' cold (or should that be 'no mans land')...

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• Message 15

  , in reply to message 13.

  Posted by Plancenoit (U1237957) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  A kid doing his homework trying to learn something. Curiousity maybe. Someone a bit a bored & lonely looking to get a response from others. Wonderful thing technology and the internet, it should definately be encouraged.

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• Message 16

  , in reply to message 15.

  Posted by (( sean )) Free Nordmann (U2053581) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  A kid doing his homework trying to learn something. Curiousity maybe. Someone a bit a bored & lonely looking to get a response from others. Wonderful thing technology and the internet, it should definately be encouraged. Ìý
  
  you're making me blubber now.

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• Message 17

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  Posted by Plancenoit (U1237957) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  My apologies. I just like to think of myself as the Robin Hood of the net. I steal ideas from the intellectual, and give them to the not so intellectual, and no, I dont wear green tights. I just noticed the original post came from someone who normally posts on CÂ鶹ԼÅÄ so I thought as a younger member of the community, it might not be pleasant for them to have their post criticised and ridiculed. It appeared to be going in that direction, so I thought I'd do my good deed for the day. I'm blushing now......come on everyone group hug!!!!! Or may be its an older person who posts on CÂ鶹ԼÅÄ?? I really don't know.

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• Message 18

  , in reply to message 17.

  Posted by (( sean )) Free Nordmann (U2053581) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  My apologies. I just like to think of myself as the Robin Hood of the net. I steal ideas from the intellectual, and give them to the not so intellectual, and no, I dont wear green tights. I just noticed the original post came from someone who normally posts on CÂ鶹ԼÅÄ so I thought as a younger member of the community, it might not be pleasant for them to have their post criticised and ridiculed. It appeared to be going in that direction, so I thought I'd do my good deed for the day. I'm blushing now......come on everyone group hug!!!!! Or may be its an older person who posts on CÂ鶹ԼÅÄ?? I really don't know.Ìý
  
  yes, i see you're right...young people are present...(although they are being seen and not heard). apologies for the ribbing...
  
  

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• Message 19

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by Richie (U1238064) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  I think that Mons was in German hands from 1914 until nearly the end of the war - I'd suggest you need to check where your relative was killed in March 16 - that location is a bit iffy at that date. Ìý
  
  Just checked my notes and it was Neuve Chapelle that he died at

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• Message 20

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  Posted by Turnwrest (U2188092) on Tuesday, 22nd November 2005

  May he rest in peace, wherever he fell. I think that Mons was in German hands from 1914 until nearly the end of the war - I'd suggest you need to check where your relative was killed in March 16 - that location is a bit iffy at that date. Ìý
  
  Just checked my notes and it was Neuve Chapelle that he died atÌý

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• Message 21

  , in reply to message 20.

  Posted by Moonglowmoon (U2491049) on Wednesday, 23rd November 2005

  To answer the question, my paternal great grandfather served in WW1 in the Hampshire Regiment and died in 1917 near Ypres. Two of my maternal great uncles also served in WW1, and both survived.
  
  As for WW2, my grandfather (UK, survived war), paternal great uncle (North Africa, survived war) and maternal second cousin (died in Italy) all served in the forces. My other grandfather worked in Southampton docks in a reserved occupation in ship building.
  
  MGM

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