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My father served as a Sergeant in Belfast in the Home Guard, joining when only 15 or 16. Later he was in the 3 Bn Irish Guards; he enlisted successfully the second time at age of 18, having used forged papers the first time when underage. He started his training in ’43 and went on to Normandy a couple of weeks after D-Day, at the age of 19. The 3 Bn fought their way to Germany, my father being wounded once. He is still telling his stories and will be 84 this year.

Post war he joined the Merchant Navy, like his cousin who was in the Irish Guards and then served during WWII in the MN.

Another cousin of his was in the RAF as ground crew.


My grandfather was also in the Micks during WWI, but in ‘39 he enlisted with the RA. He trained with them and was a sergeant serving in Belfast during the Blitz. After the war he was considered to old to go overseas with his battery. All 4 of his brothers served with British Army.

His wife was a nursing auxiliary in Belfast during WWII.

One of his brothers served with North Irish Horse and Royal Innis. Dragoon Guards during and after WWI and for WWII he served in some capacity helping with ‘troop movements’. He lived out most of his civvy life in York.

The youngest of my great uncles was a drummer/bugler in Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers during WWI, but saw action in WWII in NW Europe with the Pioneer Corps. Estranged from the family, he died alone in Manchester, with no family to bury him.

During WWII my maternal grandfather served as a fireman, until late ‘43 when at the age of 35 he was ordered to join 4. Gebirgsjaeger Division. He fought at Kuban bridgehead. He refused promotion 3 times and twice refused the Iron Cross 2nd Class. It was sent to his wife who knew nothing of his wishes. It is known that he threw other official communications in the bin, possibly the Kuban Shield. He was severely wounded in ‘45, having over 60 pieces of shrapnel in his legs. Most of the shrapnel was never removed. He only really discussed one aspect of this time - that of the mysterious disappearance of his young Polish comrade, who joined the German Army as an interpreter, after his entire family was killed by Russians. Decades of searching revealed nothing.

His brother-in-law saw service with the German Army in, I believe Norway, where he is said to have been half of a 2 man outpost. Already suffering from depression, he had a mental breakdown when his 3-year-old daughter and only child died near the end of the War. His first marriage failed as a result.


A relative of my husband’s was a Serg. Pilot in the RAFVR and died aged 20 in 1940 after his plane crashed whilst on gunnery practise. Two uncles of this man died 3 days apart during 2nd Ypres. His father was with AIF in Gallipoli. This entire branch of the family was wiped out as a result of the two Wars.

Another relative of my husband’s, his youngest great aunt, was in the ATS, serving as an ambulance driver, and was killed aged 21 in 1941 during the Belfast Blitz. Her remains were brought home for burial in a container the size of a shoe box.

A brother of hers served with the British Army and was a POW in the Far East. He survived, but returned a broken man. He became estranged from his family, married and moved to the RoI.


My husband’s grandfather enlisted twice with the British Army, lying both times about his age, and served in WWII. We know next to nothing about his service for he refused to talk about it. It has been suggested that he was evacuated at Dunkirk…

And another relative on my husband‘s side, who was awarded a VC in the Boer War, also received a WWII Defence Medal for serving with the RAF in NI. He was in his mid 60s when he was accepted by them for duty!

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