20th Century Stories about WW1 or WW2 you have been told about your grandparents or great-grandparents

[LennyStarkiller]

I thought it would be interesting to share stories you may have heard about your grandparents or great-grandparents during the World Wars.

My grandpa fought for the British during WW2 and landed in France on D-Day. He told me how when he stepped off the landing craft he just sunk like a stone and could not find his footing anywhere and had to be helped and pulled ashore by another soldier which would have been embarrasing.
Another story he told me was when he was paired up with another soldier to operate an anti-tank rocket launcher. They hid in some bushes while a German tank went passed them. When they emerged from the bushes my grandpa had the rocket launcher ready to fire on the tank only to look around and see the other soldier bolting away s**t scared in the opposite direction. So my Grandpa quickly did they same.

My Papa never saw action but was training in Darwin for deployment to Singapore and a couple of days before getting deployed, the Japanese invaded Singapore so he never left.

 

[The Coup]

My grandfather fought all over the place.

Was one of the Rats of Tobruk, was there the day Barassi Snr. got killed by a dive bomber. He was supply column so he got to know and fear the German divebombers pretty well.

Then he fought in Damascus, Egypt and a few other spots in the middle east. Then he came "home" to fight in the pacific.

I was too young when he passed to be able to get any really great stories out of him. And he didn't love talking about it. But he shared a few with my old man, and generally talked quite fondly of his time in the middle east and africa (he made it to france at some stage too i think). PNG and the Pacific were a different kettle of fish, I am quite certain he was involved in some very gory stuff there.

He lost a brother somewhere over Europe, a navigator on a plane they never found. I think another brother was a commando, they were a very quiet family of farm boys (Scottish heritage) and very fit blokes. I really hate war and I know that a lot of what my grandfather was involved in was crushing democracy (that was our job in the middle east), but I'm still proud that he was part of the first battle the Nazis lost in WW2 and that he was able to raise his family and seemingly keep his sanity after seeing so much in so many different parts of the world. We get copies of letters the living or recently deceased Rats sent home tot heir families during WW2. Some great reading and the Aussie sense of humour just shines through (as does our latent racism lol).

 

[Kram]

Great Uncle fought in the Battle of Crete, apparently said that it was an amazing sight to see the sky just littered with German paratroopers although at the same time obviously very scary as well.. Was captured and spent the rest of the war as a POW, don't think he was treated too badly apart from copping a couple of beatings with rifle butts although that was being caught during an escape attempt.

Other Great Uncle fought somewhere in North Africa, was pretty uncomplimentary about Italian soldiers, would often surrender at the first opportunity..

Both made it through the war but sustained injuries that caused health problems and didn't live much past middle age unfortunately.

 

[Redalert]

Grandparents and great-grandparents spent most of 1941 fleeing the Germans, they heard stories about reprisals going on in the German-occupied territories and felt it best to get the hell out of Belarus and Ukraine. Part of my family ultimately ended up in the Ural mountains and found work in the Soviet armaments factories, while others settled further east and waited out the rest of the war.

Meanwhile a bunch of my extended family were also called up for action on the Eastern front and fought in quite a few engagements, lost a great uncle at the Kursk (missing in action, presumed dead) when his bomber never returned and another in the last week of the war somewhere in Germany, the family rumour is that it was during the battle for Berlin itself. Others survived the war although I only really spoke to my one of them though (one of my great-grandparents), but as a few have already mentioned on here he was reluctant to talk about it. Poor guy came back from the war half-deaf when an artillery shell landed close to him, damaged his hearing and his mental state was a bit fragile after that, although he ended up living into his 80s which I thought was a great effort.

Basically 1941 wasn't a good time to be in the Soviet Union, pretty much every family was heavily affected by the war.

 

[Jakko]

Basically 1941 wasn't a good time to be in the Soviet Union, pretty much every family was heavily affected by the war.

I've heard the statistic that 80% of soviet males born in 1923 didn't survive the war. Crazy times.

 

[Gough]

My Grandad served in Europe, and had what my Gran described as a "tough war", he was a motorcycle dispatch rider and saw Belsen freshly liberated, as far as I am aware he barely spoke of it to anyone. Over the last few years of her life I took to taping the conversations I had with my Gran, because when a person dies that oral history dies with them and I felt that I could preserve some of it. She remembered the end of WW I although just a child, "games on the lawn of my parents house", she was a school teacher by trade, but also served in the WAAF in WW II during which two of her brothers were killed. Just for good measure she and my Grandad moved to Rhodesia at war's end, where they then endured the days of UDI and the guerilla war. "War", she would look at me and say, "is hell."
I guess she'd know.

 

[Freo Big Fella]

Not a direct relative, but a friend of the family.

Bloke was the heir to a French Viscountship, but wanted nothing to do with high society, chucked in the title and bought a farm out near Wyalkatchem with his brothers. War declared in 1914, both he and the brothers get a patriotic urge and enlist in the French army. Brother one wins a posthumous Legion of Honour fighting the Germans hand to hand in the Vosges Mountains. Brother two eventually jumps to the British Army and gets picked up by intelligence. Survives the war, settles in France and eventually wins plaudits fighting the Nazis as part of the French resistance.

The bloke in question survives two gunshot wounds, wins a stack of medals, comes back to the farm, wins several premierships with the Wyalkatchem Bullddogs and becomes one of the town's best-known characters.

 

[The_Reaper]

I've heard the statistic that 80% of soviet males born in 1923 didn't survive the war. Crazy times.

There is a reason why there is an almost pathological need for Russian government to install buffer states- and why Putin (or any Russian President) ain't ever going to let Ukraine join NATO

 

[The Coup]

There is a reason why there is an almost pathological need for Russian government to install buffer states- and why Putin (or any Russian President) ain't ever going to let Ukraine join NATO

Their natural topography is shizen for defensive purposes from my understanding. Might have actually learned that off a post here.

 

[little graham]

Their natural topography is shizen for defensive purposes from my understanding. Might have actually learned that off a post here.

Old Hungarian dood I knocked around with was telling me the history of European countries names. Told me Ukraine means the edge, because its always been on the edge. Edge of three completely different cultures. Mentally on edge as well, naturally. Alot of Ukrainians supported the Germans as result of what the Russians did to them. Probably the biggest single act of genocide in such a short time. This is kept out of history books as much as possible. Critical in how world war 2 was played.

He told me some other good s**t about when as a teenager and the red army moved in. Hungarians defended Hungary very well after telling Germany where to go late in the war. He was the one who taught me just how are you suppose to react to Stalin?

 

[The Coup]

Its hard to imagine a consistent national psyche there, the history is so complex, and in recent times just really depressing.

 

[Norwegian Blue]

My grandfather fought all over the place.

Was one of the Rats of Tobruk, was there the day Barassi Snr. got killed by a dive bomber.

My grandfather was KIA during the retreat to Tobruk, so not technically a Rat. Mum tracked down one of his old mates at the battalion and got an account of how he died. Apparently he held some Germans off with a Bren gun while his platoon made it to safety. He planned to re-join them later but never made it.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

My grandfather was part of the 3 Australia Corps Kimberley Guerrilla Warfare Group. The GWGs barely exist in the history books, nearly all records of them were destroyed at the end of the war. He gets a couple of mentions and photos in this book: http://www.ozatwar.com/books/ftk.htm

Due to the lack of official records, the book is mostly made up of personal recollections, letters, diaries, telegrams and the like so it's not an easy thing to read.

The best story involving my grandfather is of a Japanese submarine parked just off the coast one night (the Japanese used to come ashore for fresh water supplies and the sub would lay up overnight to recharge batteries). He and another guy volunteered to swim out with a bag of grenades in an attempt to get the sub. Halfway out they met a school of sharks and decided that rather than setting off explosions, discretion might be the better part of valour, and returned to shore.

Later in the war he went to Borneo and New Guinea. My father has some interesting things from his time in New Guinea, most notably a newsletter produced by the unit with stories of the various goings-on.

He also brought back from the war two Japanese helmets from soldiers he shot in Borneo, sadly those relics were disposed of by my grandmother when my grandfather died. My father says she would never let him talk about the war and would cut him off on the rare occasions he tried to. When he died, by the time my father got to looking for the helmets etc they were gone.

As an aside, my grandfather also worked for the UN in Afghanistan in the 1970s before getting the hell out as the Russians invaded. Sadly, most of the work he'd done - mostly involved with getting infrastructure like dams etc built - got destroyed once the Russians arrived.

I also have (had) a great-uncle who was awarded the Military Cross in Syria during WW2, though I don't now the details of exactly what he did to earn it.

And finally, a great-great-uncle who landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, and managed to last until the 27th before he was killed.

 

[little graham]

Australians fought the french forign legion in Syria. Seventh division minus 18th brigade which served in Tobruk. Evidently the French fought like Germans.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

My Grandfather was also part of this:

The Japanese occupation of Tanimbar Islands, 1942
A KNIL Detachment was sent to Tanimbar Islands in July 1942 and it was stationed in the town of Saumlaki. The detachment consisted of KNIL Sargeant Julius Tahija and 12 men (13 men total) with 2 light machine-guns. The Japanese ships entered the bay at Saumlaki on July 30th at 0400 local time and consisted of 2 destroyers and probably a small transport ship. The Japanese used small boats to get to the jetty, so the boats they used were not landing craft. The Japanese filed in ranks on the jetty and wanted to march in close order into Saumlaki. At close range, Sargeant J. Tahija and his men opened fire with their two light MGs. The Japanese retreated to their boats leaving several dead on the jetty.

On 31 July 1942 an Australian contingent (Plover Force - 1 officer and 29 men) tried to land in Saumlaki in order to reinforce the Dutch party, but the attempt failed. The Australian party left Darwin in the little vessels Southern Cross and Chinampa on 28th July 1942. Pulling in to the jetty at Saumlaki (Tanimbar Islands) early on the 31st the Chinampa was fired on from the shore and the commander of the Australian detachment on board was killed. Both vessels then returned to Darwin taking the whole of the Australian group with them.

After the retreat, the Dutch came under naval gunfire which at daybreak became more accurate and caused some casualties. Then came a second attack on a wider front and the small Dutch force retreated before being overrun to a sailing ship and escaped to Australia as they were ordered to do. KNIL Sergeant Tahija arrived in Australia with only 6 men left. For his actions he was promoted and was decorated with the Militaire Willems Orde (MWO). Of the total of 82 men that the KNIL dispatched in operation "Plover" only 50 men returned to Australia.

From http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/banda_sea.html.

Not exactly a great battle or famous victory, but I guess typical of what the great majority of military operations are actually like.

 

[John]

I had 3 great uncles in the RN and all three survived. One had a nickname he despised, The Ships Rat, as he was moved from one ship to another and each time he left the previous ship was lost to enemy action.

 

[The Coup]

Australians fought the french forign legion in Syria. Seventh division minus 18th brigade which served in Tobruk. Evidently the French fought like Germans.

My grandfather was the 9th division I think, might have been the 8th. One of the big ones at Tobruk anyway. Fought against the Vichy French in Damascus. Definitely not pussies.

 

[little graham]

My father was drafted at 18 and sent here.

http://markcurtis.wordpress.com/2007/02/12/the-mau-mau-war-in-kenya-1952-60/

A Channel 4 documentary made in 1999 – offering a rare glimpse by the media into the reality of the British war – referred to “free fire zones” where: “Any African could be shot on sight… Rewards were offered to the units that produced the largest number of Mau Mau corpses, the hands of which were chopped off to make fingerprinting easier. Settlements suspected of harbouring Mau Mau were burned and Mau Mau suspects were tortured for information”.

I know this to be true. When i was about 7 or 8 and my father told me abnout his service, I asked him if he had ever killed anyone. All he would say was that one day they saw a couple of blokes running away in some grass, so the platoon opened up on them. Father was the bren gunner and when they came across the bodies, it was felt they had the classic wounds in their backs of a bren gun burst. All he would say. Other stories of throwing grenades in caves they knew women and children hid.

When I grew up, there was lots of movies and TV about war. It was being glorified.This was the period the best war movies were made (Since learnt they're all a load of s**t) We thought the British were the good guys. Naturally expected that the Kenyans were the baddies, as a young boy I wanted to know was my dad a hero for having to kill badies to save the planet.

There was outright abuse of power and some of the crimes committed were horrific. One day six Mau Mau suspects were brought into a police station in the neighboring district to mine. The British police inspector in charge lined them up against a wall and shot them. There was no trial.” Asked if he thought whether colonial forces committed human rights violations, he replied: “If throwing a phosphorous grenade into a thatched hut with a sleeping family inside isn’t a human rights abuse then I don’t know what is”.

Dad told me one day early in his tour there had been threats to a police station. So into town they marched and dug in around the coppers.They stayed a week. The night they left, the place got hit. All died by machete. I mean all, women, children and men. karma's a bitch.

As in Malaya, the key aspect of British repression in Kenya were “resettlement” operations that forced 90,000 Kikuyu into detention camps surrounded by barbed wire and troops, and the compulsory “villageisation” of the Kikuyu reserves. The Kikuyus’ livestock was confiscated and many were subjected to forced labour.

“Villageisation” meant the destruction of formerly scattered homesteads and the erection of houses in fortified camps to replace them. This meant a traumatic break from the traditional Kikuyu way of life. Even when not accompanied, as it often was, by 23-hour curfews, it resulted in widespread famine and death. In total, around 150,000 Africans lost their lives due to the war, most dying of disease and starvation in the “protected villages”.

He worked on the trains for a bit moving these people to "re-education camps". In Europe they called them concentration camps, auchwitz, baden baden , sobidor, treblinka , belsen ect ect..

Learn something everyday hey?

He told a good story about being attacked by a rhino while in a jeep. He ploughed a lot rounds into that rhino while the driver was swerving around trees , unable to get speed up. Running of the bulls was soft he said.

When you read Australian history and the "villigiastion" from the moment Bennelong was captured, chained to a bed and fed grog. Realize that the British were still doing the exact same thing in 1950's, having been taught in primary school that when Germans did this, it was our duty to go to war and save the planet. Well?

The Greeks were right about their great warrior "Achilles", his wanton murder of anyone in his way,would come back on his family.

 

[The Coup]

Yeah Australians have been the bad guys more often than not in reality. When I was a kid I was the same, used to think my Pop was a hero. And I'm glad he was fighting in WW2 because its easy to understand.

If he'd served in Malaysia during the Communist suppression or something I'd feel really awful about it.

 

[The_Reaper]

None of my relatives fought in WWII but I did get the stories from grandparents living under Japanese occupation that got passed down

People who remember the colonial era have no love for Britain and indeed have a distaste from the UK and a chip on the shoulder. But people of my grandparents generation who lived under Japanese occupation, well there's a pretty widespread pathological hatred of Japan for that generation. Something apparently happened to my great aunt (which even my mother who was born after the war has never found out what exactly happened, just that she spent the next two decades living in the granny flat before dieing.).

And this is Malaysia which got it easy compared to Manilla, Taiwan, China or Korea. I'd expect people of the same generation in those places to have the same feelings

 

[Jakko]

Have a relative who was shot at Beersheba (a horseman). Another that was in late war training for air force but war ended before he saw action.

My grandfather was injured by shrapnel in the north side of PNG early 45, one of his brothers was a cook in Tobruk. Their official papers are typical of the time, from rural SA, only qualifications being country kids who knew horses, hard work and the family rifle.

 

[pokerspiv]

My Grandfather fought in Egypt in WWII before being reposted to PNG to fight the Japanese. He was wounded almost immediately upon arrival in PNG, carried by "fuzzy wuzzy" stretcher bearers back to base, and flown home to Perth to recuperate.

My grandmother was a nurse at Hollywood hospital when he was admitted fresh from battle. By the time he was discharged from hospital, she was already pregnant with my uncle.

He also stole the rifle he was given at cadet training, we still have it at home on the farm.

My grandfather was a pretty cool dude, shame he died before I was born.

 

[Richard Pryor]

My great grandfather was a native PNG fuzzy wuzzy angel on the Kokoda trail. Unfortunately I never met him so that's all I know about it.

 

[The Coup]

I know in a few towns in Australia its quite common to see the odd Japanese Imperial Katana sitting in a garage alongside a few other momentos.

Heaps of guns came back to country Australia, big ones

 

[skilts]

Was one of the Rats of Tobruk, was there the day Barassi Snr. got killed by a dive bomber. He was supply column so he got to know and fear the German divebombers pretty well.

A different story about Barassi Snr's death came out about five years ago. It said that he had been killed by friendly fire, from Allied ships offshore, when driving a truck away from the wharves. This accords with with your grandfather's recollections of him being involved with the provision of supplies. I had previously heard the story your grandfather related, when I did some research into Barassi Snr, about twenty years ago. Not too sure what to believe now, though Barassi Jnr seemingly accepted the friendly fire explanation when it came out.