Do You Have Any Family/Personal History Stories?

I can only think of one for my family:

My great-grandfather (or maybe great-great....) served in WWI. He was in the trenches when there was a German gas attack on his area of the line that knocked him unconcious and temporarily paralyzed him. The medics were piling up the bodies to put in a mass grave, but before they buried them, they checked the pile for survivors. They kicked everyone in the pile, and my great-grandfather didn't move, because he was too dazed. But then, when they threw all the bodies in the grave and were about to bury them, he went "Ow!" because he was tossed in (and it was quite a drop!). So they laboriously checked all the bodies again, found my great-grandpa, and took him out. That was how I almost didn't exist.

Anyone else have personal/family stories about relatives in wars or famous events?

CG

Sure. My Grandfather was a Lutheran Minister. He was ordained in 1923 and married a few weeks later. His first calling was to mining country Colorado. He and his wife moved to a camp for railroad constuction workers near what is now Granby. From 1926-1928 he and his congregation chose, seasoned and felled the trees necessary to build a log church. It still stands. Currently it belongs to the local town and is used as a community service center. From this base he ventured out to satilite churches in a multicounty area. We have pictures of him in an Ford Model A and on skis. Evidently the Rabbit Ear pass(11,000+ feet/3500 meters) was not drivable during winter.

When the children started to arrive they moved to the Denver area, where he founded what is now the largest Lutheran church in Colorado. He continued there until after the end of WWII.

In 1948 he took a mission call to inner city Kansas City. He worked primarily with the blacks there until he retired in 1968. This made him a center of attention during the racial unrest of the 1960's. As one of the educated people, and as a man of the cloth, he was a spokesman for the black community. In 1968 he retired back to Colorado. When he died in 1981, he was well enough remembered in Kansas City that the local paper ran a story about him. His wife, my grandmother, died in 2000, just 2 days after his 100th birthday.

J

PS I may dig up a picture of the log church and attach it. First I'll have to hook up the scanner, whereverit is...

I mentioned a little bit abot my maternal grandfather. He's told me hundreds of stories of himself and his ancestors. Sadly my paternal grandfather died some years ago, when my father was only 11, so I have missed out alot on that part of the family. My paternal grandfather's father (my great-grand father) died when my paternal grandfather was only 8, and then he died when my father was only 11. Fortunately I have been spared of this. Thank god for that.

Anyway here's the story of the war. This was in colonial India. My grandfather went to a top college in India and was part of the army corps. Soon after he graduated, the war started. Then the two ways to be an officer in the British army was either going to the military academy or going to a good college IIRC. He matched one of the criteria. He was 2nd leftenant when the war started, but was promoted to Captain for a duration. I haven't totally understood why. So him and the whole battalion of thousands of soldires, mostly Indian were leaving India. There were most likely 2 destinations. Either Iraq or Singapore. They were passing the edge of India heading east, most likely towards Singapore. At that point they were excited, because Singapore was a lovely city and they didn't expect any trouble so they all were getting ready their dress suits for nights out and no work. Unfortunately (for them at that hour) most of the ships turned around at night and headed back towards the Persian Gulf. They were disappointed.

My grandfather told me that night he had a dream (he has a lot of dreams like these, and I believe him. Why would he lie) in which he was in a Japanese POW camp. The Japanese had him and the other soldiers lined up. Then they moved all the officers into a different line. Something was up. Then they started walking down and shooting all the officers one by one. They were getting near. Then out of nowhere a man came and picked my grandfather up and took him away. This man is a slightly famous ancestors of our's and my grandfather had only seen portraits of him. Believe it or not...

They came to Iraq to quell a rebellion that had started. My grandfather mentioned his colonel alot, who was a British. He liked him very much and that man was one of the major influences in his life. (My grandfather speaks like a Brit, says bloody and hell alot ). The colonel was killed by machine gun fire sadly. A few days/weeks later they found that Singapore had fallen. The Japanese had attacked without declaration of war and invaded and dived right into the two great British battleships. (Prince of Wales and I can't remember the other one). Singapore fell and many soldier were taken prisoner. Later- maybe a few years later, he found out that some of his friends had died in POW camps, and some that returned were phycologically damaged and didn't recover.

He was fortunate not too be sent to Singapore.


At the same time my paternal grandfather was in Burma and southeast Asia flying for the RAF or whatever it was called in the region. He was shooting down Japanese, and helped defend India. Like I mentioned before, he died many years ago, so this I found out from my maternal grandfather and few other people who knew him.

Well, my grandfather entered studying Conservatory in St.Peterburg when WWI began. He told that after hard losses of Russian army in 1915 (while losing in Poland) & in 1916 (while winning in Galicia) there was pressing need for officers then Russian government sought volunteers anywhere.
My grandfather had great knacks for foreign languages (it's our "family virtue") then he entered Russian military as translator in "praporschik rank" (corporal for English equivalent?) as volunteer in under-age & was sent into Russian Foreign Legion to fight in the France soil (we are "Russians" only in "foreign" eyes - then Russian Foreign Legion was recruited from "non-Russian" folk preferrably).
Well, he was down by "Spanish" form of influence in 1917 winter & was taken in French custody immediately after that (due to Revolution in Russia).
If you know - many of former Russian officers from Russian Foreign Legion who were released into Russia entered Red Army ranks immediately (Tuchachevsky, Uborevich - for example), because they were greatly despised majority of White Army officers & Entente as well (My granddad explained: "Frenches behaved themselves to us - really awfull. They considered us lower then s..t, naming as "barbarians" & send us in any fighting as "screening force" & "ram" of some sort - we lost very many good guys, because frenches send us in battle without any fire support - our attitude to France was very bad indeed! You can see - Red Army had very big influence of former Russian Foreign Legion Officers after & France till 1941 was considered as "most hateful enemy" by them, but Germany was considered as "fair-playing country" (He liked to repeat very strange stories about his comrades get better treatment in German POW camps of WWI times then from France officials!). He thought - it explained - very soft attitude to Germany from Bolshevik's government - Brest-Litovsk & Rapallo treaties, Ribbenthrop-Molotov & all other stuff.
In any case, - he stayed in France until Russian Civil war was finished, because he didn't like "Whities" at all, but he was "enemy" for most part of "Red" population due to his wrong "social ground". It seems be funny, but after First Emigration wave hit France - he didn't have a wish to stay there, because his strong disagreement with "white" emigrants. By the way - his former military friends ("Red" military officials then) asked him to return into Russia...
Well, he returned. He was one of the seldom educated guys who agreed to work for "Red Government" then he became Minister of Culture in his native "Republic", first Director of local National theatre, Director/Teacher of Russian Language/Literature in most well-known children school, bla-bla-bla... (You can find his name in "Soviet Musical Encyclopedy" as Violinist & Theoretist/Collector of National (Folk) Music). Then there was 1937 & all his former friends died. Then my granddad was inprisoned as well... Then...
New generation of Communist leaders in that region needed good teachers for raising their children as well. My granddad was considered as best - it was reason for his releasing from Stalin' prison in 1940. (He was his ulcer, kidneys & hepaty completely broken by tortures & my grandmother died in prison.)
Well, he explained to me - that he hadn't any choice in that times. He became Director in school & taught Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, Russian Language & Literature simultaneously (teacher ranks were more decimated by Stalin purges then Military ranks - most part of former teachers had "wrong social rooting" in 1937-1939...). He explained that childrem had to get their education in any case - with Stalin or not. "Stalin & his thugs" was one thing, but children education & prospect for future was different. Then it was proper thing for him anyway. Then - it was most natural thing for him to ask permission to enter Red Army in 1941 Summer. As "former political criminal" who had invaluable (for Red Army) "proper military training" (in Czarist Army) he was assigned as commander of "strafbatallion" & send to Moscow region in December of 1941 in "Siberian relieve forces".
He considered himself as very lucky person, because Germans suffered from colds greatly, but he (with his lads) was completely accustomed to -50 winter frosts which are common in Siberia region. He explained that Germans in time of our counter-attack simply died from frost-bites & couldn't shoot at all, because their guns freezed as well as soldiers. It was a reason for his survival "strafbatallion assaulting" in this counter-Drive (usual quota in surviving was 10-15% for "Strafbatallions").
Well, his infinitesmal losses & Red officials overjoy for "saving Moscow" gave him "complete pardon" & chance to became "regular force". More then that - his troops (due to their good resistance to colds) were driven into Karelia (against Finnish Army) & saved themselves from big battles in 1942-1943. Then very good education of my granddad showed again & he was replaced to commander of Howitzer detachement position in 1943 Summer. From this moment he "never saw any living German soldier till end of War"... but he took part in most important battles in any case. .
He never returned to "culture" department, or in Communist Party ranks after his 1939 experience, but he became Doctor of Philosophy instead, Professor of Geography etc, etc, etc... He always was "terminally ill", but he lived until 80-s, speaking that "creaking tree always creaks very long" & considered himself as very happy guy. (Oh, he became "People Teacher of USSR" as well...)
He always said - "Czar, Lenin, Stalin always come & go & blown away gone with wind, but children need their education in any case, then I'm happy man, because I always knew my Duty & Destiny in my Life.

Sincerely yours, Alex

I've told you story of my grand-dad from father side, then this is a story of my grand-dad from mother side.
Yep, our families were considered as "non-Russian" from Russian point of view, but our folk was considered as "pro-Russian folks" in Siberia. Then Russian government found it very proper to send our "native local militia" forces against any other folks there. If my grandfather from father side family was considered as our folk "intelectuals" then great-grandfather from mother side was local military Leader for our folks & in this status he command "Lena' Shooting" in 1912. His military prowess was appreciated by local military governor - Baron von Rennenkampf & my great-ganndfather entered Russian Military in brink of 1914 as commander of our National Cavalry forces & went into East Prussia under von Rennenkampf command. He was died in long & bitter struggle in August of 1914 in East Prussia & his sons (my grandfather & his younger brothers) entered "Junker school" as children of "great officer fallen for his Motherland".
Their school was closed down after October Revolution & my granddad (with his brothers) returned to our native lands. They found out, that brothers of my great-granddad took over all family property leaving to my granddad - nothing. He argued with them - they throw him away, but they didn't recognize in him good military training & people' sentiments who considered him as "eldest son of eldest son of eldest son" in very impressive queue. Then my granddad rised up rebellion of some sort in this lands (everybody atated after - he wasn't Bolshevik or "Red" at all - he wanted only took back his family property - not anything more. Siberia of that times was under "White" general Kolchak management, then he saw my grandfather as dangerous local "bandit" & send very big forces against him. Any guy who fought against "White" generals anywhere was considered by "Red" officials as "partisan" & "people rights defender" then my granddad immediately got very high Rank in "Red" military.
His "star" moment came in 1921 when Baron von Ungern emerged in Mongolia. Ungern proclaim himself as "God of War" & "God of Death" then local population feared him & didn't resist him at all. Then my grand-dad married my grand'ma (who was considered by local population as very potent "Life Sorceress" - she got proper education in Medical school ) & proclaim himself as "Defender of Life" & "Servant of Peace" on this Reason.
People beliefs are very funny thing - Mongol tribes acknowledged my grand-dad pretensions immediately & their morale in fighting Ungern invasion improved dramatically. Then my grand-dad get his praising in Red Military ranks as well & got his Orders & citations for Victories in this war. (He became Head of Assembly of Labour Unions of People Siberia & Far East & Kombrig (Commander of Brigade) of Red Cavalry if you wonder.)
Then he was killed in May of 1932 under Tashkent by subduing Local unrest ("Basmach movement") there. (Bolshevik government as well as Czar government was sure that "non-Russian" forces is preferrable in subduing of local unrests. Then all my bragging about that Russian Empire didn't change her ways - has these roots as well.)
My grand-ma had got very high Rank in Military Medicine department & married again on best friend om my grand-father. He was Colonel as well & was killed in Caucasus in 1944 by subduing local unrest.
My grand-ma married again to best friend of her former husband & he was Colonel as well & he was killed in 2 Oct 1956 in Hungary. (by subduing...)
Grand-ma decided that three marriages are enough & didn't married after that, but I remember that very my good "grand-uncle - Colonel "Deda" Sahsa" was killed in 1968 in Checkoslovakia when.... I think you understand meaning of this sentence...

This is a Story of my Family from this side.

Sincerely yours, Alex.

P.S. All younger brothers of my grand-dad from mother side went all "concentration camps" routine in 1937-1939 for their "wrong social origin" crap any way - then our Family always thought that his death in 1932 from Basmaches was God-blessing for us.
My mother was rised as "daughter of great military leader slain by evil enemies", but not as "daughter of notorious enemy of peoples" - it helps her in many ways!

I could actually go on far too long; I've been blessed with an interesting family.

As mentioned elsewhere:

1. Great-Great-Uncle designed the Crystal Palace in which the first world's fair was held in London. Great-grandfather was in nice, rich capitalist family, but disinherited for marrying "below station."

2. 3rd cousin was the guy who ran the first four-minute mile (Bannister)

3. Step-great-grandfather was commissioned on the battlefield at Ypres, military attache to the Dalai Lama in the 1920s , and participated in the Amritsar massacre.

4. Unbroken line of one male from each generation serving in either UK or Canadian artillery since the Crimean War

5. Half-french Great Uncle in SOE, blew up SS officers mess on D-Day after several years undercover as a waiter; disappeared and then reappeared with an airplane and a big pile of gold sometime in 1945, later founded bigass airplane manufacturing co. in UK

6. My grandfather's work in WWII is mentioned elsewhere; he was literally one of the last off at Dunkirk after he and his battery were captured; left guarded by one german with a rifle, the whole battery decided to get up and dare the guy to shoot, and succeeded in scaring the bastard. Later, g-father was sent to Burma, fought with 14th Army for the duration of the war.

But I will stop there, for fear of going on...

My great grandfather and great great uncle went on the Jarrow March/Crusade. That is pretty much the only historical thing that has happened to my family but then I haven't really bothered to look.

Good stories.

I was going to start a thread just like this, cjannon beat me to it.
I'll contribute some later.

Wow, R III, you have lots of interesting family!

My grandfather on my mother's side (the aforementioned great-grandfather was one father's side) was drafted in WWII. However, he had a glass eye (Don't play with explosives, kids!) so he ended up serving by repairing tanks. I am not sure where he repaired tanks, but I think it might have been England. I'll have to ask him.

CG

Supposedly my family can be traced back to William the Conquerer.

1. Mentioned my maternal grandfather.

2. After WW2 and after Pakistan's independence, my paternal grandfather became air force commodore. He was the second highest ranking air force pilot in the country, when he died in an accident in the plane. I'm not totally sure about what exactly happened.

Anyway one of the major air force bases (which I believe the U.S may have used in the recent war in Afghanistan) was named after him.

3. A great-great grandfather/uncle somebody, who lived in the mid-19th century India, became a Sufi, and started a large movement. He is mentioned in books related to Sufism.

4. Back in the old days, 1400's Timur/Tamerlame was destroying Persia, where he captured many people. He used to take the educated people and artisans as prisoners to take back to Samarkand and make it more beautiful. He captured my ancestor, and after sacking Delhi, he was forced to leave many of his POWs. Every soldier or officer, had 2 prisoners each. One was to be killed the other let free. Luckily my ancestor was let free, he found some distant relatives in the area, and the local king recognized him, because his (my ancestor) grandfather was some great saint and well known, so my ancestor was given a fief.

5. Another ancestor was the Judge Advvocate General (whatever) of the army of Shah Jahan the Mughal emperor. There were a few stories of him and Shah Jahan.

6. One of the my grand/great-grand uncles was captured by the Germans early in WW2, and was freed at towards the end.

7. A silly one. My maternal-grandfather maternal grandfather was poisoned by his step brother who was trying to gain the family estates. In turn his sons (the dead one's )poisoned him. A bit silly, but it started a very silly family feud and it went to court but was thrown out, and my side won! It happened sometime in the 20's or 30's.

8. This one is extremely stupid but also true. My maternal grandfather's, maternal grandfather's (my great, great grandfather) uncles, also had their feud. They started a competition to see who could build a larger clock tower so it could be seen all over the country side. They both kept on building it, until one of them died and the other gave up. I went and saw the towers. They never actually finished them. They're lying in India half-done.

MY family from the Dutch side didn't do much more than building dikes and rivertrading...or if we go back as far as 17-18th century they all were in the council of the city of Hardinxveld-Giessendam

More recent is from the German side. My granfather served in the Kriegsmarine on a minesweeper in the eastsea, skaggerak and kattegat, smetimes northsea as well. For some reason I'm never told a lot when it comes to the war...can understand in a way though. Anyway, my granfather was captured by the English somewhere in 1941 or 1942, but was released before the end of the war. When he returned to Germany, he arrived in (I think it was) Kiel, where he saw how ships, with holes in them everywhere and doomed to sink, filled with Jews were sent out on the ocean.... this stuff I all heard from my granmother, since my grandpa passed away before I was old enough to really be interested in it.

My granmothers' father served in WW I for Franz-Josef of Austria-Hungary: they lived in Sudetenland, which was Austria-Hungerian territory back then. Once again, for some reason never told a lot, but I'm pretty sure he served on the italian front. I'm at least certain of one thing: he lost an eye there because of a granadesplinter.

My mom's uncle also served in WW II, just like my granfather, only he was in the Wehrmacht. From 1941 he was at the easternfront. From what I heard his adventures where the *greatest* (as far as you can speak of greatness when it comes to war). After a battle he ended up behind the enemy lines, badly wounded and close to death. Somehow though he managed to steal a horse and go towards German territory. According to my granmother he had to travel for a very long time, since he didn't exactly know where the lines where either. In the end he didn't make it to the German lines though: he was captured in a forest by soviet troops patrolling. He was released after 10 years, and in 1954 he came back home (or actually, to the new home, since Sudetenland was no longer German). Now what I can't understand is that the soviets kept their PoW's that long...

My granmother and her family had to leave Sudetenland. When she tells about this she always gets very angry. In a lot of books it is said that the Germans left because they didn't want to live with the Chez, but fact is that their house was plundered and set to fire, and they were forced out of Sudetenland. You can really see the terror in her eyes when she starts talking about walking in a long line of people (more than 3 million people where forced out?) where people fell down dead or too tired to go on, and kept walking in their sleep....

Wow!

I dont know if I could handle the mental stress of being in a Soviet POW camp for 10 years.
I've read about that. Hundereds of thousands went in, only about 5% ever went home.

yupz, I never really knew the man, for he died when I was 4. From what my mom tells me he was very 'close' to us, and a man with a very big sense of humor....and a strange habit of stealing glasses from bars (which is, when I think about it, not too weird....do it myself too sometimes). He was burried with 2 bottles of beer....

Originally posted by willemvanoranje
yupz, I never really knew the man, for he died when I was 4. From what my mom tells me he was very 'close' to us, and a man with a very big sense of humor....and a strange habit of stealing glasses from bars (which is, when I think about it, not too weird....do it myself too sometimes). He was burried with 2 bottles of beer....

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I hope they do that for me too.

I also steal glasses from bars...
I have quite a collection.

At last call, I just cant stand to leave an un-finished drink!

hehe...but you know, sometimes thos things are really pretty any other stories?

Both of my grandfathers mined coal during the war. One worked a double shift in the mine to cover for his alcoholic father. The other also ran a small dairy farm while working in the mines. Not very heroic, but very necessary. Thanks guys.

I am related to the Duke of Wellington. My grandmother's grandmother married into the Pakenham family - the present Earl of Longford's ancestors.

I can trace my family on one side person by person back to the 13/14th century, and and on the other side to the Huguenots (Protestants expelled from France in the 16th century).

So there is some blueish blood in me somewhere! Probably my little toe!

As for interesting stories, none off the top of my head.

My grandfather was a surgeon who served with the Army in France from '44 to '45. One soldier whose life he saved gave him a very interesting thank-you gift. It seems that this soldier was wounded inside of a huge bomb crater and he discovered a sword sticking out of the ground. Seeing that it was old-looking, he put it in his pack and kept it until his wounds were fixed by my Grandfather, to whom he gave the sword. After the war, my grandfather took the sword to the Smithsonian Institution to see if they could identify it. It turns out that the sword was a Roman Legionaire's Gladius, used by Roman infantry from around 100 BC-100 AD. Since it was found in France, the sword may well have been used by Julius Caesar in his wars against the Gauls.

My cousin now has the sword, and I am currently making intricate plans to make it mine...

Originally posted by Titan2018
Supposedly my family can be traced back to William the Conquerer.

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We have this family tree. The first name listed is dated 1250 but illegible. The work was origonally done by Ernst Georg Gottlieb Nees 1774, copied in 1851 from the origonal, last edited by my father in 1961. This is a blue print made from a transparency of the origonal, which is in the possession of my father's older brother. I am in the top right hand corner.