WWII: who did your family fight alongside?

[Intheboondocks]

I have two cousins who were on Liberators in WWII. One was a navigator who flew "carpetbagger" missions dropping secret agents in Europe, was shotdown and rescued by the OSS. The other was a pilot in the Pacific,and was almost killed when his top-turrets gus warped and fired into the cockpit.

[Dueck]

Originally Posted by Reddisback

My Grandfather was a Panther Commander in the Waffen SS. He told the truth about the war and everything he has seen, He Passed away Just a Year ago during the Hollidays. Never seen so much WW2 vets togheter. thats all you get.
when i tell people that my Grandfather was a Member of the SS, ' Specially a Tanker, then they say ' Oh, then you must be a Nazi and all...' I hate that..

I'm thinking abauth Joining the German Tank Corps Next Year. Hope I'll make it!

(If ya havent Noticed, I'm a Tanker. I know Squat of Airplanes. ' cept ME's, those are German...)

The funny thing is the fact most people back in those days were anti-semetic. My family in Scotland were pretty opposed to the Jews. My great-grandfather (from Glasgow) used to have books of all the Jewish owned businesses (to avoid), Zionist conspiracy stuff, etc... However, my German family does have some offshoots born in 1946-1948 in Paraguay. Now that's a much worse sign than anyone being in the SS lol... There was some Evas, a couple Adolfs, and a Heinrich, if memory serves me.

[blacksungregg]

Originally Posted by KurtG85

My grandfather was a field medic serving under patton in the battle of the bulge. He didn't talk much about it because he was a long time medic in Korea as well and just saw way too much action but one time when he was drinking he told the story of how he and about 200 guys were camped at night and were ambushed. Enemy slit the throats or gunned down at close range every guy except for him and one other dude. Don't remember if that occured in Korea or WW2, probably korea.

Wow. Talk about blessed and cursed at the same time. I feel so badly for vets that happened to view stuff like that, that of course have a hard time getting over it. My father was lucky in the fact that he didn't see as much action, but was more involded with administrative tasks. He was still a war vet, but at least had the chance to live the rest of his life without having visions.

I was in the Navy and the purple heart winners are all in the barraks, all dead, and all medics from what I saw. Great heros!

[Arnow]

Well, during world war II, my grand mother/father/uncles were in very different places...

My grand father fought for the free french in northern Africa, but he never really spoke about that. My grand mother was just a civilian in southern France (Nice), and when the allied arrived, made portraits of soldiers.

My other grand father was a soldier in the french army but was made prisoner soon after the beginning of the war in May 1940 I think...
He was sent to Berlin, where he met my grandmother, which had been sent there because of the Service du Travail Obligatoire (Forced Work Service), which forced french people to go to Germany to contribute against their will to the german war effort. They married in Berlin in 1944...I still have at home this frightening wedding certificate with an eagle/swastika stamp on it...

And finally, the shame in the family, my grand uncle, who died last year, volunteered in the SS in the last months of the war.... I first knew about that a couple of years ago...

[blacksungregg]

My father was in the Atlantic campaign and was a Captain in the Naval Air. He didn't see much action as he was in commisioned ranks by the time WWII started. His name was originally Echterbecker to which he changed to his step dad's name (Black) before he went into boot camp. Many did this if they we're say of German heritage. The most action he saw was when they were crossing the atlantic in troop carriers and the wolfpack had downed a number of ships that had his buddies on them. He teared up telling that story. He also was a key administrator in the Berlin airlift after the war. He used to tell me how good the food was in the German families houses he had stayed in after the war. My father was a good, honest upright dude, and not some macho shithead. It was awesome to hear his stories. I remember them all!

[Burtonboy05]

I had three relatives in WWII + one in WWI

Grandpa who was a Radio operator Gunner for 2 years on a Catalina (RAAF) rescuing downed pilots in the pacific. Earned the DFM and has some great photo's log books, stories and other collectables from his 2 years service in the pacific. Passed away 5 years ago but a great man who worked tirelessly for legacy helping widows who lost partners in WWII.

Another Uncle (Australian army) who was an Infantry man in WWII fought in Egypt through to New Guinea against the Japanese at Kakoda. 4 years front line service against the Germans and Japanese without getting injured. For obvious reasons didn't like to talk about his experiences. Passed away this year.

Another was a Gunner navigator on Lancasters in WWII right at the end of the war with the RAAF and flew 6 missions before the war ended. He was pretty young and is still alive today.

I also had a great great grandpa on my wife's side the was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in WWI for action at the BATTLE OF POZIERES. A number of more junior officers (which he was) were awarded the DSO, and this was often regarded as an acknowledgement that the officer had only just missed out on the award of the Victoria Cross. He crawled out over an 8 hr period in to no mans land under heavy machine gun fire to rescue 6 wounded fellow soldiers. Our family has an amazing leather bound citation hand written from his commanding officer describing his actions over a 3 day period. He was later nighted and awarded a OBE post WWI.

[XR62MIB]

My grandfather was a gunner on a B24 during the Burma campagne He told me that him and his best buddy flipped a coin one day to determine which plane/mission they would go on. Both planes were shot down that day. My grandpa survived, his buddy didnt.

My grandfather is still alive today. He loves to talk about his time in Burma and I love to listen.

[FOZ_1983]

Grandad was a rear gunner on lancaster bombers and also halifax bombers, doing 2 tours with the RAF.

Other grandad (not seen seen i was born) was in the merchant navy, but i know vry little of him.

[JoNnY AnDrEwS]

My Grandad, who just passed away aged 90, fought with the British Royal Artillery as a spotter. He served in North Africa and Italy and was the first man to inform artillery where shells were landing, and where they weren't. He had many interesting stories to tell, including the shelling of an SS headquarters in Italy.

[Irishmandkg]

One Grandfather in the Pacific, and one who fought in the Korean War.