QotD: Any war veterans in your family?

[Davey Boy 2.0]

My Dad was a navigator in the RCAF but didn't fight in a war. I do however have an ancestor that fought on the Plains of Abraham.

Any on your side?

Here's to veterans.

:thumbup:

[jaybone]

My Poppy fought in WWII. He worked on a submarine.

He made it through the war, only to die of a heart attack in his 40's.

[AD]

QotD: Any war veterans in your family?

Not anymore, nope.

[Patchoulia]

My dad was in the Navy in WW II. He operated the telegraph (morse code).

He never told me any "war stories"...he only ever talked about funny things that happened or friends he'd made..and while he paid his Legion dues every year, he never hung out there as he wasn't interested in reliving or talking about the fighting/death/destruction he'd witnessed.

[Kanada Kev]

Hey Davey Boy, I too had a relative who fought on the Plains of Abraham!!! Wild. I was talking to my grandmother about it the other month. She was watching some (Canadian) show on TV where they investigate items people find in their attics, or family heirlooms that they don't know the history behind. In this one episode they were tracking somebody's relative back to the Plains of Abraham and they were figuring out who all the people were in some famous painting from the time. She was hoping that a family name would pop up to link it to us, but it didn't

My grandfather served (Army) in Korea and then in UN work in Japan and the Congo.

My other grandfather served as an officer in the Navy during WWII on a minesweeper. Spent time in the Atlantic out of Halifax. Minesweepers weren't huge vessels and they got tossed around a lot in the open Atlantic. He was then stationed at HMCS York in Toronto (i have his desk from back then). When the War was over, all employee's at Eaton's were presented with a gold ring for thanks. Ever since he died, I wear it every day.

[Esau.]

Both my grandfathers were in WWII, one was stationed on a corvette and my little brother is currently serving in the British airforce (QRAF), he served 7 years in the Canadian navy (HMCS Toronto when it was commisioned, then later, the Iroquis) previous to moving to the U.K.

[Schwa.]

My grandfather was in the Navy and was stationed on a ship in the Atlantic for WWII.

[c-towns]

My Grandfather was a motorcycle messenger in WWII, he also didn't speak of the things he saw over there.

[Jaimoe]

My great uncle Eric Ball (he's in his mid 80's) was in the Korean War, in the navy.

[boiler]

My Great-Grandfather fought in WW1. He fought in some pretty famous battles. My Grandfather fought in WW2, was overseas for a bit and stationed in Labrador operating artillery. My Other Grandfather was a Navy mechanic in Sydney, NS during WW2. My little brother was also in Canadian Navy for about 7 years and he's now an officer in the Army, based in Petawawa.

[nellie]

My Grandfather was a motorcycle messenger in WWII, he also didn't speak of the things he saw over there.

My grandfather did the exact same thing, and it was rare for him to speak of what he saw.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

My grandparents on my mother's side lived in Holland during the war and my Opa would talk about the things they had to do to get by (tearing up railway tracks for fuel to burn) but didn't often mention the more grisly experiences.

I guess we all have a very general feel for the depths to which humanity can plunge but when you see it first hand I would guess it's a profoundly different thing

[headymamamyrna]

My Aunt's husband was killed in the war and she had 4 kids.

She is in a nursing home in N.B. and she will be 94 the end of Nov..

[Jaimoe]

Has anyone seen, or plan on seeing Paul Gross' acclaimed film about Canada in WWI? It's doing fairly well in the theatres.

[AD]

I've heard that it is a sappy love story. The marketing is good though - during HNIC the trailers show it as a war movie and at other times I've seen trailers really play up the romance angle.

Haven't seen it though, and probably won't.

[meggo]

1. my grandpa on my mom's side [american] was the captain of a minesweeper in the south pacific. he wasn't supposed to be the captain but his superiors got court martialed for some misbehaving! i think the navy was a lot less crazy than infantry as far as witnessing so much violence.

2. i took my history class to see passchendaele... the love story is definitely OVERDONE. it is about 2 hours long, and about one whole hour in the middle of the movie is just in calgary following the love story. but, the war scenes are good, if a bit brutal. that's war i guess. i thought it did a good job of depicting just how awful it was in the trenches, especially with all the mud and rain they had at passchendaele. a renter i think. and paul gross is actually pretty cute.

[Guest Low Roller]

Both my Grandfathers were officers in the Polish army when WWII broke out. Both managed to avoid the mass Soviet execution of Polish officers in Katyn and also managed to avoid being sent out to the gulags and concentration camps.

I don't really know specific stories of their wartime ordeals, but they both survived the war.

[Thorgnor]

My father's father and his father were both photographers in WWII in the German Army.

Today is my father's birthday.

I feel deeply on Armistice Day and I'm thankful for all Canadian Veterans.

I should add that I've also had several generations of Metis and Quebecois family serve.

Cheers to all who risk for us.

Edited November 10, 2008 by Guest

[hamilton]

My great-grandfather (who died when I was about 12) had the odd distinction of serving in both WWI and WWII - he was just old enough to volunteer the first time, and just young enough to be accepted when he volunteered the second time. I know that he was at Vimy Ridge, and I can remember him telling us about mustard gas attacks.

[Kanada Kev]

Both my Grandfathers were officers in the Polish army when WWII broke out. Both managed to avoid the mass Soviet execution of Polish officers in Katyn and also managed to avoid being sent out to the gulags and concentration camps.

I don't really know specific stories of their wartime ordeals, but they both survived the war.

This was a horrible atrocity. I lived across the street from the Katyn Memorial in Toronto (a few houses down). It's quite the powerful sculpture and there is barbed wire sculpted into the ground beneath it. I recall walking by one evening when they were having a memorial service and talking to some of the Polish mourners. They were so kind and were more than happy to educate me on what it was all about.

[dancingbear]

my moms father was in wwII. he never talked about it. he was a medic.

[Ms Zimmy]

My grandparents on my mother's side lived in Holland during the war and my Opa would talk about the things they had to do to get by (tearing up railway tracks for fuel to burn) but didn't often mention the more grisly experiences.

I guess we all have a very general feel for the depths to which humanity can plunge but when you see it first hand I would guess it's a profoundly different thing

My Opa fought in Holland too, he was a POW. He is 96 and still wont really talk about it...he has talk about moving here with his kids and the devastation following a war.

Where did your grandparents settle in Canada? (I assume they moved to Canada?)

[Blane]

My dad was an army brat.

Both my grandparents (still alive today) were stationed in Australia in WWII.Grandma was a truck driver and grandpa was a radar technician. He went on teaching in the army for many decades afterward. They met and married there.

My great uncle (grandma's brother) was killed by the Japanese in a Thai internment camp near the river Kwai. My grandma went to visit his grave there for the first time a few years back.

A few great old photos:

Grandma in the Aussie army:

Grandpa (on left) on R&R break down under:

Grandpa (left) and other officers when they were stationed in Alabama in the 1960s

Edited November 11, 2008 by Guest

[Thorgnor]

great photos

[Davey Boy 2.0]

My grandparents on my mother's side lived in Holland during the war and my Opa would talk about the things they had to do to get by (tearing up railway tracks for fuel to burn) but didn't often mention the more grisly experiences.

I guess we all have a very general feel for the depths to which humanity can plunge but when you see it first hand I would guess it's a profoundly different thing

My Opa fought in Holland too' date=' he was a POW. He is 96 and still wont really talk about it...he has talk about moving here with his kids and the devastation following a war.

Where did your grandparents settle in Canada? (I assume they moved to Canada?)[/quote']

St. Jean, QC