Your WW2 Ancestors

[Mark Hone]

My dad John (Jack) Hone was born in Small Heath Birmingham on September 30th 1923. Called up in 1942 he served on an ack-ack battery at Gravesend before being transferred to 1st Battalion The Northamptonshire Regiment. He saw action in Burma from October 1944 to March 1945, including the crossings of the Chindwin and Irrawaddy rivers and the battles of Monywa, Budalin and Mount Popa. He eventually came home from the Far East in 1947. He now lives in retirement in Bury, Lancashire opposite me!
The photo was taken in Visapur, India in October 1945

[Dieppe]

This is Andrew Lee, my maternal grandfather's cousin.

He was commissioned on the 21st November 1941 in Bangalore, India.

His shoulder badge states '16 Punjab' and 'Airborne'; so I presume he was in gliders or such like.

[Dieppe]

This is my great-uncle Stanley Peppiatt. Stan served in the 13/18th Hussars and in the Wiltshire Yeomanry.

He was a Tanky in North Africa (with, I believe, the WYs) when he won the Military Medal. I have been told he had driven a truck into a minefield to rescue some injured soldiers.

After Africa he went onto fight at Monte Cassino, he died in 1995 at his home in Southall.

[Paul Reed]

Some great photos here everyone - just what I was hoping you would all do!

Lee you have some interesting WW2 ancestors! Am hoping Bepposappone will see these - as he is an expert on WW2 insignia and will no doubt comment.

[Raster Scanning]

Originally posted by Lee@Mar 5 2004, 02:34 PM

Percy Bradbury was my great-uncle. He lived in Southall, Middlesex but ended up in the 5th Bn the Suffolk Regiment.
Sometime after training he ended up on the USS Wakefield, and in a convey headed towards India but his ship, and one other, ended up at Singapore.
Whilst working on the 'Death Railway' he succumbed to sickness through mistreatment and died.

Hi Lee.
As you can see I have jumped the fence as well.
I intend to go to Thailand to visit the cemetaries sometime while I live in the area.
Do you want a picture of the grave?
John.

[Dieppe]

Originally posted by Paul Reed@Mar 6 2004, 03:32 PM
Lee you have some interesting WW2 ancestors!

Paul - Thanks for the comments mate.
I've told this story on the GWDF in the past, but I'll bore everyone with it again!

One of my maternal nan's brothers, Alec Farmer, joined the RN in WW2. He was assigned to a ship, and when he took his first look at it he told his mate that it was a doomed ship and promptly went home.
He was nicked and taken back to the ship, but ended up back at home when he walked out of the Guard Room when he was being booked in!
He was nicked again and placed in custody for a few months and his ship sailed without him. The ships' name? HMS Hood!

[Dieppe]

Originally posted by Raster Scanning@Mar 7 2004, 02:56 AM
Hi Lee.
As you can see I have jumped the fence as well.
I intend to go to Thailand to visit the cemetaries sometime while I live in the area.
Do you want a picture of the grave?
John.

John - Thanks very much mate, it would mean a lot to my dad as well as me.
Percy is in Collective Grave 1.P. 54-58.

There is no way that I'll be able to afford to get out there (unless the Benefit Office pay my travelling expenses ), and to date none of my family have been there.

I'll contact you off Forum.

[Dieppe]

Originally posted by Paul Reed@Mar 6 2004, 03:32 PM
Lee you have some interesting WW2 ancestors!

Paul - I was talking with my mum last night and she told me that she has a newspaper cutting about the Lee brothers.
Apparently, apart from Andy, there was one brother in the British Army, one in the RAF, one in the RN and one in the MN!

And if anyone is thinking that I was named Lee in honour of my grandfather's cousins...No, I wasn't. Actually the Dean and Lee families didn't get on

[Dieppe]

Another one I know so very little about!
This is my uncle (my dad's older brother) George William Bradbury. He served in the Buffs, joining up late in the war; this picture was taken in around 1944.
The man on the right is George's best mate, Peter Withy, just before he too joined the Army.

George was recommended for Officer training but one of the requirements was that he had to have his own bank account (with, I think, £50 in it); he didn't have a bank account and told the Army what to do with their idea.
He ended up as an instructor and only got abroad after the war to serve in Palestine.

He went on to work at Heathrow Airport and lived in Hayes, Middlesex; he died tragically last year.

[MalcolmII]

Originally posted by Lee@Mar 6 2004, 10:19 AM
He was commissioned on the 21st November 1941 in Bangalore, India.

His shoulder badge states '16 Punjab', any idea what they were (Paras I presume).

Lee,
Looks like he was in the following.

44th Indian Airborne Division, badge was pale blue Pegasus and legend INDIA on Maroon background.
In this Division were 14th Indian Airlanding Brigade with 2nd Black Watch, 2nd King's Own , 6/16th Punjabi and 4/6th Rajputna Rifles.
The Division was formed June 1944 from the nucleus of the 21st Indian Division from Assam.
Before the Airborne he could have been in any one of the 8 Battalions which were 1/16th to 7/16th or 9/16th Punjabi.
Aye
Malcolm