Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Did the knife see any 'action' as it were?

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Not sure, he never spoke of the war.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I found that to be true of many of the servicemen from WWII. I know my Dad who served in the Pacific and later in Germany after the war, never spoke of his years in the military but the ghosts did surface and became real again to him when he was nearing death.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I had a friend (Barry from Nottingham) who received a box of effects after his dad died, and he asked me to look up a paper he didn't understand as he'd never learned what his father did in the war. He was in REME and the paper was his share of a Unit Citation for building Bailey Bridges under heavy fire during Operation Market Garden. I had to explain what a Bailey Bridge was, and recommended he watch a movie to get a sense of what Market Garden was.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

My grandfather lost his leg in the Battle of the Somme. My uncles fought in WW2…one was paralyzed down one side of his body. None ever spoke about the war.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Seems to be the way with many veterans, they won't/can't talk about it. My stepdad, who was conscripted into Hitler's Youth, was the same. He and a mate who was in the same position as him emigrated from Austria to Australia together just after the war, and although they stayed quite close my stepdad would get angry and refuse to speak whenever his mate tried to talk about it.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

My dad is actually in that film!! (A Bridge Too Far). He was attached to 1 Para at the time as a parachute instructor, and 1 Para were the actual paratroopers used in the film.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

It's good that he survived it.

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My aunt's husband lost his leg in WWII when his spitfire crashed and they had to cut it off to get him out of the plane.. had a tin leg for the rest of his life
My maternal grandfather served in both WWI and WWII
My maternal uncle served in the fleet air arm
A maternal cousin worked as a Bevin boy during WWII.. after the war he became a doctor and an author.
My father was a desert rat, serving with the Royal Fusiliers, was captured after being shot in the leg in a strafing run, and was a POW for some months, after catching malaria he was repatriated to the UK briefly (exchange of prisoners) before returning to the front line.
My paternal great uncle was gassed in WWI and on return, wouldn't touch anything without gloves on (having the experiences he had in the trenches, he was germ and dirt phobic)

I have my Dad's war medals, his cap badge, regimental badge and tie, together with my mothers cigarette case (from WWII) with the regimental badge on it.. treasured possessions.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Wow Siouxie... you have a very intense history of family that served in the military, I would imagine rememberance day is particulary important to you! A lot of historic links for you indeed, thats quite the pedigree, now I understand your staunch patriotism for Queen and country.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Thank you so much. We are so excited. I have a pretty intense itinerary lol

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

They all answered the call when it came, to serve their country in a time of war... like thousands of others. We were lucky, they all returned home.

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We never knew exactly what my grandfather did during the war, maybe something in transport, but he didn't talk about it. We do know he was on The Long Walk. He met a life-long friend while serving and they would sign the letters and cards they sent to each other with their name and prisoner of war number.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

My maternal grandfather was in the Machine Gun Corp during WW1, came home safe, having seemingly not been wounded, though he did spend about 10 days in hospital in Basra with Influenza in 1918. His war records survived the fires in WW2, but there is about 6 months missing between him finishing basic training to be transferred to the MGC and appearing in Bombay waiting to board a ship to "Mesopotamia", which included modern day Iraq.

He was 30 when he signed on, married, with 3 children

The MGC is a very mysterious unit formed in 1915/1916, taking the best shooters from every regiment and from basic training. It was disbanded in 1920, and all the records were burnt in a very mysterious fire at the headquarters soon after that.

He never talked about it, but I do have a modified sword that he said he'd picked up on the battlefield, eventually gave to his daughter (my mother), and so it came to me. it has been identified as a modified Turkish/Balkan cross between two swords one that had a curved blade and the other a straight blade. Modified later also because grandfather and my father used to use if for chopping wood, the blade broke at the handle, and was re-attached with rivets :nod:

My paternal uncle, my father's older brother, was 19 when he had to sign on. He was wounded and gassed, was never very well for the rest of his life, but was eligible to be called up in WW2, though he managed to find a job as a store keeper in a factory doing essential work.

My father was lucky, he was qualified brass foundry worker, and so entered essential services, never talked about it so I have little idea what he did except that it was in our home town so he never had to leave home. He was also an Air Raid Warden.

OH's father was in the Royal Navy in WW2, he joined up voluntarily at the start of the war because that meant he could choose which Service he would serve in. He was a qualified optometrist, so he became a CPO in charge of all binoculars and similar equipment onboard ship. he spent most of his time in the Mediterranean.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Saw this yesterday didn't know where to put it, but this part of this thread seems apt.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...bfacb20a7a.jpg