Did any of your family serve during WW2; if so what did they do?

oops must add Mother in law W Hird WRNS telephonist based at Winchester part of the network on signal intercept feeding in to Bletchley.

Persistent lady .. insisted on joining up despite job with the railways. (LNER Newcastle upon Tyne) Plenty of stories of her life among the men .. despite being engaged ... still when fiancee eventually got back in December 1943 the were married and took every opportunity to meet in Manningtree where he was Winchester and 24 hour passes to London .... daughter born December 1944 ... seems there were a lot of 8th Army babies that month... something to do with pre-embarkation leave around April 1 1944.

 

good day ron goldstein.yesterday,07:14am re:family contribution to ww2.i must congratulate you and your family for all there partisipation.it makes a massive contribution to the war effort.and while i am on the subject i congratulate all ww2. and later war vets.its a never ending cycle.it may come right one day.we hope.well done and bless you all.bernard85

 

Hi Guys,

Chesson side.

My father was too young to enlist but was a souvenir hunter first class, he lived in Wychling.
Wychling was right under the German flight path for Detling aerodrome during the battle of Britan. My father did meet a German fighter pilot when he crash landed in a field next to lynstead church. The local kids all ran to the turnip field that the Messerschmitt had landed in & watched the pilot get out, sit on the wing and light a cigarette while waiting for the home guard to arrive. The only thing he said to the kids was “Kaput run out of fuel”.

My Fathers father (George or Sid as he was better known) was to old, much to his disgust to volunteer for active service. He had to be content with being part of Churchill’s army. My father however loved it. Getting to help with the guns, grenades, knives & fags!

Later in the war the farm that my grandfather managed was commandeered by the New Zealand army. And used as a camp for the Maori’s while they trained for the D-Day landings.

Later in the war they had German POW’s help out on the farm.

My father’s uncle Wally was a bit of a radical & decided to join the Irish Fusiliers. I don’t know much more about Wally other than he got my father a luger & used to sit on the veranda once his leave had finished saying “if they want me they will come and get me, they know where I am” (which they always did).

My Fathers uncle Frank was in the Palestine police force before the war. He came back to England and joined the Buffs (I think). He then went to North Africa where he was mentioned in dispatches. (I don’t know if it was because he had been out in the desert before the war, but, the family seemed to think he was in either the LRDG or SAS). He then went on to Italy, I am not sure if this was via Sicily. Next he has joined the Para troops. He did his basic training & jumps in Palestine.
He was then put in 4 Para, 10th Battalion. The family also seemed to think that Frank & another chap by the name of Barrett were Roy Urquhart’s body guards.

Sgt. F.H. Chesson 6285440 was aged 30 when K.I.A. in an ambush at the 6Km. marker outside Arnhem on 19-09-1944. Frank is buried at Oosterbeek.

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/airborne/52221-sgt-f-h-chesson-6285440-a.html

My father’s mother’s maiden name I think was Corp or Corps.
Both her brothers were Officers, one a Royal engineer the other in the royal artillery.


Spencer side.
All I know about Mums dad is that Kaitlin (Jock) was part of a Lancaster ground crew up in Norfolk.

My Wife's father Alf Shersby was a dispatch rider somewhere down the west country at the beginning of the war.

Al-tho he was a Royal engineer he then went to North Africa as a mechanic in the 8th army motor pool. Apparently Alf liked the Italian armored cars as they had as many reverse gears as forwards.

From Africa Alf went to Sicily & Italy via Monty Casino. Other than being mentioned in dispatches I don't know much more about Alf's war.

I would very much like your help in finding out if the Chesson bit is all true.

Thank you Shaun.


CHAPTER 2 — England | NZETC

Partway down page 28. The Wychling farm my dad lived on was requisitioned & the officers lived with my Grand father & family , The troops were out the back

I have never found this anywhere before.

Apparently the guys made a carving on a tree & it is still visible today!.




The weather, which had been perfect, broke after a few weeks, and early in October the men moved from their muddy tents to billets—C Company to Wichling, B Company to Doddington, D Company into the hospital, A Company to Eastling, and Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company to Stalisfield. They were all villages in 7 Brigade's area.

 

Just about everyone in my family that could serve, did.

My maternal grandmother was a WAAC.
My maternal grandfather was an aircraft mechanic during the Battle of the Caribbean

His three brothers:
- One served as mess hall staff in the US due to age restrictions.
- Another served with the 37th Infantry during the Bougainville Campaign.
- The last brother was with the 505th PIR, 82nd Airborne. Sicily, Salerno, and KIA Normandy.

My paternal grandfather worked as a Navy recruiter. He was a high school teacher & his ability to build a rapport with the students was thought to be helpful during the recruiting process. The HS he taught at moved him down the hall from his classroom. After the war he was allowed to start teaching again.

 

Hi Guys I have made a few little mistakes.The amended details are in red below


http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/searching-someone-military-genealogy/6439-did-any-your-family-serve-during-ww2-if-so-what-41.html#post572908

Chesson side.

My father was too young to enlist but was a souvenir hunter first class, he lived in Wychling.
Wychling was right under the German flight path for Detling Aerodrome during the battle of Britan. My father did meet a German fighter pilot when he crash landed in a field next to Lynstead church. The local kids all ran to the turnip field that the Messerschmitt had landed in & watched the pilot get out, sit on the wing, light a cigarette & place his sidearm on the wing next to him while waiting for the home guard to arrive. The only thing he said to the kids was “Kaput run out of fuel”.

My Fathers father (George, Sid or Sidder as he was better known) was to old, much to his disgust to volunteer for active service. He had to be content with being part of Doddington Home Guard & Churchill’s army. My father however loved it. Getting to help with the guns, grenades, knives & fags!

Later in the war the farm that my grandfather managed was commandeered by the New Zealand army. And used as a camp for the Maori’s while they trained for the D-Day landings.

Later in the war they had German POW’s help out on the farm.

My father’s uncle Ronald was a bit of a radical & decided to join the Irish Fusiliers. I don’t know much more about Ron other than he got my father a luger & used to sit on the veranda once his leave had finished saying “if they want me they will come and get me, they know where I am” (which they always did).

My Fathers uncle Frank was in the Palestine police force before the war. He came back to England and joined the Buffs (I think). He then went to North Africa where he was mentioned in dispatches. (I don’t know if it was because he had been out in the desert before the war, but, the family seemed to think he was in either the LRDG or SAS). He then went on to Italy, I am not sure if this was via Sicily. Next he has joined the Para troops. He did his basic training & jumps in Palestine.
He was then put in 4 Para, 10th Battalion. The family also seemed to think that Frank & another chap by the name of Barrett were Roy Urquhart’s body guards.

Sgt. F.H. Chesson 6285440 was aged 30 when K.I.A. in an ambush at the 6Km. marker outside Arnhem on 19-09-1944. Frank is buried at Oosterbeek.

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/airborn...6285440-a.html

My father’s mother’s maiden name was Corp or Corps.
Both her brothers were Officers, John was a Royal engineer the other Walley worked his way up through the ranks to lieutenant in the royal artillery.


Spencer side.
All I know about Mums dad is that Kaitlin (Jock) was part of a Lancaster ground crew up in Norfolk.

My Wife's father Alf Shersby was a dispatch rider somewhere down the west country at the beginning of the war.

Al-tho he was a Royal engineer he then went to North Africa as a mechanic in the 8th army motor pool. Apparently Alf liked the Italian armored cars as they had as many reverse gears as forwards.

From Africa Alf went to Sicily & Italy via Monty Casino. Other than being mentioned in dispatches I don't know much more about Alf's war.

I would very much like your help in finding out if the Chesson bit is all true.

Thank you Shaun.

 

My father did meet a German fighter pilot when he crash landed in a field next to Lynstead church. The local kids all ran to the turnip field that the Messerschmitt had landed in & watched the pilot get out, sit on the wing, light a cigarette & place his sidearm on the wing next to him while waiting for the home guard to arrive. The only thing he said to the kids was “Kaput run out of fuel”.



Great story. Thanks

The German sounds like kind of a nice guy, I wonder what happened to him.

 

Dave55 Thank you.

I must also add that the kids for miles around attended Sunday school that particular weekend, as they had to walk right past the Messerschmidt & its armed guard.

 

Greetings Ron
Interesting to note you were in the 4QOH - the Regiment I joined in 1951! Still have some photos from the early 50s!

 

hi my father served in burma his name was kenneth edwards d.o.b. 10/12/2023 i am trying to find out has much as i can about the time in was in the welch regiment of wales if anyone can help

 

Dads side
His dad ww1 Kia
His 4 uncles ww1 and ww2
His uncle dick ww2 dessert Rat
Dad burma his brother Italy

Mums side
Her dad ww1
Her 3 brothers ww2 1 navy 1 army 1 RAF uncle Bill got shot down and was a POW for most of the war

My husbands side
His grandad served in merchant navy then ww1 and ww2 navy
His dad arctic convoys
His dads brothers...
1st brother navy
2nd brother navy
3rd brother navy
And the 4th brother army and family was told his ship that was transporting him to Cairo got Torpedoed and he was lost at sea. Ten years ago my husbands cousin on researching the brothers war history found out he was not lost at sea but died during the evacuation , apparently he was shown as getting on the ship but on hearing his friend and others that were injured was still waiting for transport he removed himself off the ship and Took (today it would be theft) a vehicle and got them back to the ship And was returning for more injured when he took a hit and was killed .the family have the official letter which for some reason after the war never got sent .

 

My dad joined up in 1942 after a struggle(reserved occupation) basic training at Brancepeth Durham,he then did what you should never
do in the army "volunteer". driver training and ended up with the RASC,He landed I believe in Naples when the port was put back in use.
he then was attached to the 56 div.all the way to the end,I believe the place was Gorrizzia near Trieste,back home and was posted to
Lympstone training to drive ambulance jeeps with the litters attached for the far east,Thankfully it all ended.and after marrying my mum
waited for de-mob but ended up in Palestine somewhere called Greek camp in Gaza until late 46 where he was an air dispatcher in Dakotas.
His brother Bob was a pre-war territorial "c" coy 9th Durham Light Infantry killed on the 26th of may 1940 when
his companies billet received a direct hit,sadly he has no known grave he is my profile picture.

 

my father served in the fifty seven sqiud in the welch regiment he was csm and his name was kenneth edwards it would be nice if someone had some photos

 

Fathers side
Grandad - Royal Observer Corps
Eldest Son - Coldstream Guards (captured at Tobruk)
Eldest Daughter - WVS + also served as Post warden & Telephonist for her village invasion scheme
Dad - R.A.S.C.
Youngest Son - R.A.S.C (his wife also took in evacuees from Hull & Teeside)
Youngest Daughter - W.A.A.F. (her future husband was also R.A.F. joining in 1937 and serving 37 years)

Mums side
Grandad - Special Constable (had served as a Cavalryman in East Riding Yeomanry in WW1)
Mum - Auxiliary Nurse

am very proud of the lot of them

 

Only know about my mum's side:

• Pop - RA Maritime Regiment (Convoy Escort): Iceland, Atlantic, Italy, Burma, Operation Anvil/Dragoon, part of the convoy in which the Rohna was sunk: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMT_Rohna (the report from NARA makes for interesting reading.)
• Nan - WAAF: she mentioned she used to pack parachutes for airmen
• Great Uncle - RN Minesweeper duties

 

I had a great uncle who was in the Royal West Kents in the First World War. He went missing at the second Loos in 1915 having told my grandmother he knew he would never come back.
One maternal Uncle in the Royal Engineers.
One Maternal Uncle in the RAF
Father was called up and served 1940-1946 with the 9th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment and went to India, Burma and Malaya.
I also have several other relatives on my family tree who served in the forces in the Second World War including Lt Col A.Salmon,OBE who was in the RAOC and talked about "Monty"- and another officer who lost a leg after stepping on a mine.
Yet when I was a child I used to get sick of all the grown ups talking about the war damage because all our roofs leaked from the bombing!

 

My Grandfather Harry Lawson served in RAF 57 Sqd, mainly based at Feltwell. Rear gunner in wellington. Crashed on 15.07.41 Ops Duisberg. Only survivor. I've spent years researching, still unearthing lots of information.
Am now trying to locate family of the other crew members so I can pass on information.

 

hi new to this site

I've been trying to find about my grandad (dads dad) I never knew him sadly ,but I know he was in the 2nd battalion royal Sussex regiment from 1931 as I have a picture of him with the regiment boxing team he may of joined earlier and he was with them until 1936 because we have his certificate on leaving the regiment Dec 1936 based in Khartoum at the time of leaving .

He was called back up with regiment in 1939 with the royal Sussex, but also I remember years ago seeing he had a parachute regiment cap and parachute wings , the wings my dad still has with north Africa star and other medals I have heard that some royal Sussex member went to 10th Para ,my mum does recall years ago my nan talking about him in paras but not much so I would love to know more about him but don't know where to start .

have loads of pictures taken by him in Egypt ,Karachi and place im not sure of yet .

 

Father was in a reserved occupation so was turned down to start with but eventually ended up in the RAOC as a driver and later in the REME workshops as a paper pusher/driver/recovery operator. His big problem he discovered was seasickness so troop ships were hated and going from Greenock to Suez Canal area via S Africa was a nightmare. His big claim to fame was he met Monty and after the war he was bothered with malaria.

Mother was a cook at an Aerodrome

An uncle was in the RA and another was in the Navy from 1943 having attended the no 67 Observers course, Hood division, HMS St Vincent.

An aunt was in the ATS and an ‘uncle’ married to my mother’s ½ sister was in the Royal Engineers for 21 years.

Other family members were in reserved occupations, mostly railway workers and one nurse plus a farmer type and not sure what he did during the war. After the war he kept loads of hens, rented out farm equipment and him as an operator/tractor driver if needed.

There is always the odd ball in the pack and a man an aunt married was rejected after a week in the army and was termed unfit, he died in the early 1980’s - Parkinson’s type disease.

Unlike the First World War nobody in the family was killed during WW2 – amazing.

 

My maternal Grandfather served in the ist and 2nd world wars. He was granted an emergency commission in the Royal Artillery on the 15th Jan 1940.
He was posted to 9th Anti Aircraft Regiment RA Exeter then to 9th AA"Z" Regiment RA Saltash, AA Command Bristol, 9th (M) AA"Z" Regiment RA Bristol and 20 AA Area (M) Regiment RA Bristol.
He received various promotions the last being Temporary Major on 25 Aug 1944
He was awarded the AA Command Certificate of Good Service in 1943.

My Father Leslie Rossiter was a gunner in the Royal Artillery and served in North Africa and Italy
His four brothers were also in the Army-
William Rossiter served in the Royal Artillery
Levi Rossiter served in the Loyal(North Lancashire) Regiment. I know that at one point he was in Burma
Harry Rossiter (the youngest) served in the East Lancashire Regiment. He was injured at Dunkirk and spent five months in hospital in Worcestershire. He suffered from Shell Shock or as it is known today Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Harold Rossiter- I don't know which regiment he served in. Only that he did not see service overseas.
His sister Eileen served in the Royal Observer Corps.
Happily all survived the War
Diane

 

Father's side

WW1
His Uncle John A. Kennedy Artillery 28th Div. (US) Lost a leg at Chateau Thierry
His Uncle's Brother George H. Kennedy, US Navy aboard USS Utah.

WW2
Cousin James L. Kennedy 4th Marines, wounded at Iwo Jima, survived.
Cousin Robert Russell, Army, South Pacific
His brother Bayard Russell, Marines. They actually ran into each other on an island in the South Pacific

My Dad, Army Chemical Smoke Battalion during the Korean War but stationed at RAF Sculthorpe on the North Sea.

The Kennedy side of the family were from Wales, their father was a coal miner.

I have both purple hearts in shadow boxes