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

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Paul Reed, Mar 3, 2004.

  1. Warren Matthews

    Warren Matthews New Member

    I joined this site to research my grand father.
    Harry Matthews was in the King's Royal Rifle Corp (KRRC). I think he was in the first battalion.
    He was in North Africa with the 8th Army desert rats.
    I hope to find out more about the KRRC and Harry's war.
     
  2. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Don't think I've posted about my grandfathers. Sadly I did not know either of them - one passed away before I was born, and the other when I was still a young boy, in the 1970s.

    My paternal grandfather, Donald Alan Camfield, somehow (not sure of the exact details) enrolled with the tanks, but when the Army discovered he had studied German at university he got taken out and placed in Intelligence. He worked at Bletchley in message translation and was a Captain (acting Major) at the end of the war.

    My maternal grandfather Thomas Edmund James May was a Mate and eventually made Captain in the Merchant Marine before the end of the war. He had a rather lucky experience in that he was never torpedoed.
     
  3. CRAIG DAVIES

    CRAIG DAVIES Member

    my granddad William Cannon (known as Les) was RSM of the BEDS and HERTS during ww2 . he served in N.Africa , Burma , and finished the war in the Black Forest in Germany . After this he went on to Palestine
     
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  4. gaj306

    gaj306 Junior Member

    I had six great uncles, all brothers, who served during the war.
    Richard Henry Rose of the 2nd battalion Green Howards died 18.05.1943. Has no known grave.
    Norman Rose of the 6th battalion Green Howards died 15.11.1944 He is buried in Jonkerbosh commonwealth war graves cemetery in Nijmegen Netherlands.
    Jonn Rose of the 6th battalion Green Howards, survived the war.
    Cyril Rose of the Kings own Scottish borderers, wounded twice but survived the war.
    Louis Rose, unit unknown wounded but survived the war.
    Bill Rose served in the RAF and survived the war.

    Norman Rose is the story I am researching. The family story is that Norman and John were together crossing a bridge when something happened and Norman was wounded but John was ok. I asked Louis about it and he wouldn't tell me, he said ask your uncle Bill. Unfortunately Bill died before I could ask him. Norman was initially buried at the northern end of Nijmegen bridge before he was moved to Jonkerbosh in 1947.
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2017
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  5. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Gary,

    Sorry to drag up old comments, but do you have much information about your father in the Canal Zone? My grandfather's last posting after Germany, Hong Kong, Malaya and Cyprus was in the Canal Zone in 1952, but I don't have much on it yet.

    I know he was with 3 Inf Div HQ (HQRA, that is) and moved with other reinforcements in the Spring.
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2018
  6. Jools Mckenna

    Jools Mckenna Member

    My Great Grandad on dads side (Peter Stuart Newton) was a major (later a colonel) in the York and Lancs.
    He was part of the Hallamshire battalion and won an M.C in France. He won it because of 2 separate occasions. first, he and some men cleared an enemy wood without casualties and secondly, he built a bridge under mortar fire.
     
  7. David Layne

    David Layne Well-Known Member

    I have written this blog about my father's time in the RAF during World War 2. He flew a tour on Hampdens and a tour on Lancasters before ending up a POW. Wally's War
     
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  8. Joe tonks

    Joe tonks Member

    My great grand father enlisted in 1938 with the cavalry. At some point he was transferred to 2 RTR he fought with them all the way through until his death on 3 September 1944 his name was sgt Joseph tonks 320423.

    We know very little about his service as my grand father ( his son) died befor I was born and my great grand mother suffered with dementia. Now I have my own son is like to find as much out about him as I can so I can pass it on to him to keep his memory alive for future generations.
     
  9. Incredibledisc

    Incredibledisc Well-Known Member

    Hi Joe, if you haven’t done so already I would recommend applying to the MOD for his service records. Once you have them members can help you interpret the information. Others can probably help you source 2 RTR war diaries for the period. There are specific sub forum for genealogy and research so make sure you post up your questions there also to have a better chance of other members seeing them.
     
  10. Joe tonks

    Joe tonks Member

    Thank you for yor reply I'll post in the geneaolgy threads. And I have printed the forms for the mod info.
     
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  11. Incredibledisc

    Incredibledisc Well-Known Member

    Good luck. As he was in the army from 38-44 there should be a decent amount of info in the pack.

    Have you looked him up on the Commonwealth War Graves website?
     
  12. Incredibledisc

    Incredibledisc Well-Known Member

    Here is his page from the CWWGC site Casualty. At the bottom of the page are scans of some of the original documents relating to burials in the cemetery.
     
  13. Incredibledisc

    Incredibledisc Well-Known Member

  14. Joe tonks

    Joe tonks Member

    Yes this is the only info I have so far all tho on one of the documents it has the letters 1cgr/ejs 1200 which I think is a reference to a burial site before his body was interned at gradara. I xand find any reference to it.
     
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  15. Michael Woodhead

    Michael Woodhead New Member

    Dad (Bdr RMO Frank 'Woody' 'Doc' Woodhead 1916-2000) was a regimental medical orderly for the 99th (RBY) Field Regiment RA from 1940-1945

    Mum (Private Ivy Woodhead 1911-1997) worked in communications, ATS R Signals
     
  16. TriciaF

    TriciaF Junior Member

    Dad - volunteered for the RNVR. Served '42 to 45. Mostly in the Med.
    Mum - secretary in the Home Guards office.
    3 Aunts , Red Cross Nurse, Land Army, Naafi.
     
  17. NannaPink

    NannaPink Member

    Thank you for your bravery and sharing your experiences. You are truly a hero and I'm honoured to be in such company as yourself and other ex service men and women.
    You look real smart there Sir...
     
  18. MongoUK

    MongoUK Junior Member

    Step-grandad was a driver mech in 12th Lancers, posted to GHQ Liaison Regt (Phantom)throughout the war, through Dunkirk, North Africa and Italy.

    Wife's great-grandad #1 was captured at Dunkirk with the Norfolk's we believe.

    Wife's great-grandad #2 died at Anzio with 2bn Loyals (N. Lanc's).

    My grandad then served with 3bn Grenadier Guards in Palestine in '47, before coming home, catching Polio and meeting my nan at Fritton Park hospital as we was being invalided out.
     
  19. Michael Woodhead

    Michael Woodhead New Member

  20. MongoUK

    MongoUK Junior Member

    Sorry, 1stbn Loyals
     

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