WWII Question

[Maritime Q-Scout]

My grandfather fought in World War II, and I've heard some stories but not many passed down from my father and even fewer from my grandfather himself.

He never talked about the war, and resented people that glorified it. He wasn't the type of person that would wear his medals around town, but kept them in his room for him to look at from time to time.

So naturally I don't know much about where he served, or even the medals he's won. Something I would like to know, as he is my grandfather afterall.

I started to read about the Battle of the Schedlt as I *think* that's one of the few battles he mentioned to my father.

In today's day and age is it possible to find someone online a listing of soliders from WWII and medals they've won, battles they've fought in?

[redforever]

Have you tried contacting the Veteran's association? They also have some pretty knowledgeable people at the War Museum on Crowchild Trail. When I took my Dad there, he got a lot of his questions answered.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

My grandfather fought in World War II, and I've heard some stories but not many passed down from my father and even fewer from my grandfather himself.

He never talked about the war, and resented people that glorified it. He wasn't the type of person that would wear his medals around town, but kept them in his room for him to look at from time to time.

So naturally I don't know much about where he served, or even the medals he's won. Something I would like to know, as he is my grandfather afterall.

I started to read about the Battle of the Schedlt as I *think* that's one of the few battles he mentioned to my father.

In today's day and age is it possible to find someone online a listing of soliders from WWII and medals they've won, battles they've fought in?

If you were in Calgary you could research that through the Museum of the Regiments.

They do have an online research guide here

http://www.themilitarymuseums.com/ma...php?page_id=41

Also Cyndi's list

http://www.cyndislist.com/milres.htm

Those should get you started

[Rathji]

My Dad went down to the US to enlist in Vietnam, the stuff he saw there messed him up so bad that he never wanted to talk about it. I have done some research about it but never came up with anything concrete.

I really wish I knew what happened during this chapter of his life.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Rathji

My Dad went down to the US to enlist in Vietnam, the stuff he saw there messed him up so bad that he never wanted to talk about it. I have done some research about it but never came up with anything concrete.

I really wish I knew what happened during this chapter of his life.

And then again, maybe you don't

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by redforever

And then again, maybe you don't

Despite how bad it may have been, I want to know.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Despite how bad it may have been, I want to know.

I'd be curious too. My grandfather fought on the Polish side right from the beginning, and pretty much travelled Italy and North Africa, before being sent on his way to Japan. He never talked about it his entire life, but before he passed away, my Mom made him sit down and go through the entire thing on videotape for future generations in our family to watch. I haven't seen it, but I do know he talks about some pretty sensitive stuff. Then again, being shot twice in the neck and once in the head would do that to you...

[Flashpoint]

I recall a guy I was tree planting with in college. He told me about his grandfather who never talked about WWII until he went senile. Then all these stories started coming out. The most horrific things imaginable. Even keeping in mind the context (WWII where people are trying to kill you on a daily basis) his grandfather would be talking about taking a German officer and nailing him to a church door and cutting off body parts to get him to talk about which road the other Germans had taken out of town.

My point is that there may be a very good reason your Grandfather chose not to talk about the horrors of war.

I'm not saying don't do it. History is very important. Just be prepared for the possibility you might learn something you won't be proud of. War is horrific on both sides, and medals and battle orders don't tell the "on the ground" story of men killing and being killed.

[Muta]

I've always wanted to know some of the unheard stories of WWII. I bet there's so many things NOT talked about that it would be intersting to find out what really happened in some battles / theatres. It's interesting to know that individuals, who had no idea of others across the continent, were both fighiting the same war for the same cause. I bet there's all kinds of stories out there of Germans and Allied forces having small, fierece, non-documented battles in random places, or individual Allied and Axis soldiers engaged in one-on-one battles also in random places behind the public eye, perhaps.

I remember hearing from a credible source somewhere a while ago that the Germans were in the final stages of developing a tank near the end of the war that pivoted / rotated on a single sphere and could change in any direction on the fly. Just one of those interesting things that makes you wonder.

[habernac]

that's one big reason my grandfather was happy to be in the air: you can't see the horrible stuff from up there. He piloted a bomber in WW2.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by habernac

that's one big reason my grandfather was happy to be in the air: you can't see the horrible stuff from up there. He piloted a bomber in WW2.

My Grandfather on my dads side was a tail gunner on a Lancaster in WWII. On one hand your right, they couldn't see the bomb damage.

On the other hand hearing your buddies scream over the intercom as their plane spirals down in pieces and you don't see a chute, pretty horrifying.

[habernac]

good point, Captain. He told the story of how 20 planes went up one day for a big mission. His was one of 7 or so that returned. Scary stuff. He was based in Scotland, walked the fairways of St Andrews to relax and wind down after flights.

[CaptainCrunch]

I don't know if you ever watch the program Dog Fight habernac, but they had an exceptional one recently on WWII Bomber pilots and some of the craziness that happened when the Germans started to use ramming tactics on Bombers.

[icarus]

My grandfather flew Lancasters as well during the war, and sometimes Halifaxes. Like most vets, he doesn't talk much about it. The mortality rate for bomber crews was very high. He lost a lot of friends. He has spoken to me about it once. His squadron (not sure if that is the correct term) flew a lot of secret missions, so in addition to bombing, they would also drop supplies behind enemy lines to spies and might even land behind enemy lines to drop off/pick up spies. He flew missions everywhere from Norway to North Africa. The most amazing story he told me was how he once flew his Lanc 100ft off the ground over a German flak battery to avoid their fire. It is hard to imagine a bomber flying 100ft off the ground, it must have been incredible.

However, my grandfather did meet and marry my grandmother during the war, who was an English radio operator. Both are still alive, but in failing health. In 2004 the whole family went to northern Scotland where there were based to witness them renew their vows for their 60th anniversary. Next year, if they are both still alive (God willing), we will all go back again for their 65th anniversary.

In September/October my grandparents went to France to visit the grave of my grandfather's uncle who died in WWI after serving at Amiens, Vimy, and Passchendaele (see here: http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/s...asualty=535038). By all accounts, it was an emotional experience for him.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by icarus

My grandfather flew Lancasters as well during the war, and sometimes Halifaxes. Like most vets, he doesn't talk much about it. The mortality rate for bomber crews was very high. He lost a lot of friends. He has spoken to me about it once. His squadron (not sure if that is the correct term) flew a lot of secret missions, so in addition to bombing, they would also drop supplies behind enemy lines to spies and might even land behind enemy lines to drop off/pick up spies. He flew missions everywhere from Norway to North Africa. The most amazing story he told me was how he once flew his Lanc 100ft off the ground over a German flak battery to avoid their fire. It is hard to imagine a bomber flying 100ft off the ground, it must have been incredible.

However, my grandfather did meet and marry my grandmother during the war, who was an English radio operator. Both are still alive, but in failing health. In 2004 the whole family went to northern Scotland where there were based to witness them renew their vows for their 60th anniversary. Next year, if they are both still alive (God willing), we will all go back again for their 65th anniversary.

In September/October my grandparents went to France to visit the grave of my grandfather's uncle who died in WWI after serving at Amiens, Vimy, and Passchendaele (see here: http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/s...asualty=535038). By all accounts, it was an emotional experience for him.

Awesome awesome story Icarus.

Outside of a few things here and there, my Grandfather never talked much about WWII, except that it was a god awful thing except for the English Girls.

I had two uncles serve in Korea, one as a tech weenie, the other was in the infantry and was a bit of a hell raiser who came back to Canada after the war in Handcuffs.

My father got as far as Korea before they turned him around and sent him home because he was only 15 and used a false ID and false reference to get in so that he could join his brother.

I guess you could say that our family has a bit of a military tradition, fortunately nobody in our family has ever served with the good for nothing navy.

[habernac]

I'll have to check it out, Captain, thanks.

Great stories, Icarus. My aunt is transcribing a bunch of stories grandpa told her the last year he was alive, I'm looking forward to reading them. I have two portaits hanging on my wall of him and his two different crews taken in Scotland in 1944. He had one regret in life: he never got back to Europe after the war.

[icarus]

Originally Posted by habernac

His was one of 7 or so that returned. Scary stuff. He was based in Scotland, walked the fairways of St Andrews to relax and wind down after flights.

Do you know what squadron he was in? My grandfather was in the 161st which was based in England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Tempsford) and then in Scotland was based with RAF Kinloss (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Kinloss) on Moray Firth in the north (which is far away from St. Andrews, which I believe is near Dundee). I am not sure what squadron he was with at Kinloss.

[habernac]

My wife's grandparents were married during WW2. Grandpa was a Canadian engineer, grandma was a Sargeant in the British Army. He died more than 50 years ago (he was older, served in both WW1 and 2). Her Dad was actually born in Wimbledon in 45 and immigrated to Canada when he was about 8 years old I think. Poor granny never remarried and was quite lonely I think. She died 3 years ago and had a military burial in Vegreville. One of the neatest things I have ever experienced. Got to talk to a bunch of old vets, including one guy who actually kept serving after the big war and was part of Queen Elizabeth 2's coronation.

[icarus]

Originally Posted by habernac

He had one regret in life: he never got back to Europe after the war.

Our family is happy that our grandparents have been spending the kids' inheritance and travelling back to Europe. They went for the 50th anniversary in 1995, and a few times since. When they were there in September they visited the white cliffs of Dover, which my grandfather had never been to but had been the most welcome sight in the world for him so many times during the war. If anyone has seen Atonement, the scene where James McAvoy and Keira Knightley are cuddling at the white cliffs of Dover... such a great scene for me as I was totally imagining them to be my grandparents.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by icarus

Do you know what squadron he was in? My grandfather was in the 161st which was based in England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Tempsford) and then in Scotland was based with RAF Kinloss (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Kinloss) on Moray Firth in the north (which is far away from St. Andrews, which I believe is near Dundee). I am not sure what squadron he was with at Kinloss.

I don't know. I do know that he flew these:

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazin...wellington.htm

He used to talk about bombing u-boats.