War stories from YOUR ancient relatives

[Gucumatz]

So I was asking my family a bit more about our history and found out some interesting things - my Great grandmother's cousins were twins and both Cardinals - one of them who presided over Salzburg. Apparently she and her father ran a small post office during the war and with help from one of her cousins helped get out a pair of Jewish brothers from their village during the war. Not exactly a war story, but I found it fascinating enough. The surname of the boys that she got out of Germany via a train to the north and then via ship was Juler. I couldn't find out from my family though what happened after my family members accompanied them to some northern city port and escorted to a ship [headed to the US]

 

[warpus]

My grandfather on my mom's side, now deceased, used to steal food from the Germans and bring it back to his family, during the war. All of his brothers joined the Hitler Youth - they had a last name that could be easily Germanized.. In fact, it probably used to be German before it was Polishized. So they all changed their last name to the German version and joined the Hitler Youth - not because they hated the Jews or Poland or anything, but just so that they wouldn't be killed and have a better chance of surviving the war. My grandfather refused and instead lived a life of. well, I'm not quite sure, but the only thing I remember is that he'd wander around ruins and steal food wherever he could. And now I'm here, so I suppose he did a good job.

My grandfather from my Dad's side had a whole bunch of medals from WW2, but we never got talking about what he got them for.. I was just too young..

 

[trader/warrior]

One of my ancestors (can't quite remember the exact relation) fought on the Danish side in the war against Prussia over Schlesvig-Holstein and left a diary that some years ago was given to a museum and published in some form. I only vaguely remember reading it, and it mostly consisted of extremely hard to decipher sentences about marching here and there so I kind of forgot about it untill recently. I really need to find out more!

 

[Kyriakos]

I now regard Apollonios of Pergamon as my most distinguished ancestor

The man had a look between two worlds.

 

[Camikaze]

I think a couple of great great uncles died in Belgium in the First World War, but I don't know much about that, other than that there's a diary/collection of letters floating around with the family somewhere.

I actually went and found* one of their graves in Hazebrouck a couple of weeks ago. Was interesting. The guy was only 20.

*I went with an uncle who'd found it previously, so it wasn't that difficult.

 

[christos200]

My great-grandfather, during the German occupation of Greece, had a tavern, where Germans ate. They liked his food. He was also stealing cars and wine from other taverns (by using guns).

 

[Kyriakos]

^Wait, your grandfather is of a similar age as you, born at the same time of you, and just a bit younger?



(ie, the german occupation of Greece will not last much longer i guess)

 

[Traitorfish]

What an era we live, in when Nazi-sympathisers are clamouring to get the Germans out of Greece...

 

[Kyriakos]

I didn't know you were a nazi-sympathiser, Traitorfish Stop being one please

 

[Traitorfish]

You're bad at this.

 

[Kyriakos]

You're bad at this.

^ When one is bad to something bad, it is a bit like multiplying two negatives
The difference is that one negative, the original, was so as a basis. The second (my own reaction) as a means to have it anulled

 

[Traitorfish]

You're really bad at this.

 

[Kyriakos]

^ Or really good, considering i aimed to reply in a nice way to your own less-than-decent post

 

[_random_]

No you're still pretty bad.

 

[Lord Baal]

You're really bad at this.

So are the Golden Dawn, though, so at least he's consistent.

 

[privatehudson]

Well I have a great grandfather who fought in WW1 for several years as a Vickers machine gunner. We believe he was injured twice, one of which resulted in a metal plate being inserted into his skull. During WW2 he was a fire watcher keeping an eye out for enemy incendiary bombs.

My grandfather on my father's side was a truck driver with an Armoured Brigade and served in Africa, Normandy, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Two things really affected him badly during the war, the first was passing through the Falaise Pocket in the aftermath of the fighting there, the other was that he was one of the drivers assigned to deliver supplies to Belsen shortly after liberation. He was also involved in the Market Garden campaign, especially the battle for a place called Oss.

My grandfather on my mother's side was a despatch rider and served in Africa, Sicily and then Italy. He was seriously ill around the time of the start of Cassino, but recovered in time for the liberation of Rome (he was given half a day's leave to look around the city!).