Did any of your grandparents or relatives serve in WWII? If so, what theater? What branch of the Military? What Rank? Any medals awarded? My grandfather served in the war. He was a 1st Lieutenant in the Pacific Theater. He was with the Army. He recieved a Riflesman Metal and a Battle Star. I even have his Officers Uniform and a Japanese Rifle that he was able to purchase.
Grandfather fought in N. Africa, 1st Transvaal Scottish Regiment, I believe he was in El Alamein, not sure what medals he was awarded.
One granddad was in the South Lancashire Regiment, one of the first soldiers to hit the beach on D-Day. I have all of his medals and a cap badge mounted on my wall, although he only got the standard WW2 service medals, and a General Service Medal for service in Palestine after the war.
Other granddad was in the Supply Corps (I think) with the Desert Rats, went through North Africa and Italy.
SWEET!!! I have pics of my Grandpas uniform under the American Army Page, if you’ll look for the Army Uniform Thread.
My father joined the TA in February '38, because he believed war was inevitable and wanted to have some choice in his unit.
He joined a Royal Engineers Artillery unit, then transferred, first to the Essex Regiment and later to the Royal Artillery.
He served in a searchlight battery in London during the blitz and later on Bofors guns (light AA) in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.
Finished up as a WO2 (Battery Sergeant Major).
Mentioned in Dispatches Oak Leaf on his 39-45 Service ribbon.
I still have his paybook, call-up (6 hours notice to report or else) and discharge papers.
My paternal Grandfather was a farrier-sergeant in WW1, RHA and was awarded the Croix de Guerre.
Maternal Grandfather was in reserved occupation, but in relation to another thread, my mother made Albion revolvers, in Scotstoun in Glasgow.
My father carried one.
(Essentially a repost from relatives in WW2 Thread, edited to add info re awards)
(Edited to add: Yes, That’s his pic I’m using as my avatar :))
I’ll have a look at that in a bit mate - been trying to research my Granddad’s D-Day - VE Day time, but ran into a bit of a brick wall after D-Day - hopefully the Regimental museum will be able to help.
This is a nice thread, I am interested to see who’s relatives fought in which capacities during this war.
Both my grandfathers served in the Greek Army.
My father’s father: Volunteered for Crete, was shot in his right thigh (IIRC), which still ran puss until the day he died in 1999. The bullet had lodged itself in one of the veins and had to carry it with him for the rest of his life.
My mother’s father: Fought in the Albanian theatre against the Italians. Upon the Greek army surrendering with the German invasion, he literally walked back to his village… half-way down through Greece.
-edit-
Bah, forgot to write: I know that both were in the infantry, I assume they were privates. I handled my mother’s father’s rifle which he had kept from the war (AFAIK it was a Steyr-Mannlicher).
As my family comes from a Mining area, none of my Grandfathers were allowed to join up and had to work in the mines for up to 18 hours a day. funilly enough, they both died from Mining related illness. Neither of them wanted to go down either, they had no choice.
Ooo nasty.
My grandfather was an enlisted man with the Chinese Army air corps. My grandparents were in Shanghai on military business and experienced one of the first Japanese bombings in 1937; during that bombing my grandmother picked up a little girl who was parted from her biological parents, she would eventually become my aunt. In a similar fashion, my grandparents also lost contact with their other sons (the uncles that I never met) during the massive confusion during Japanese raids (watch the film Empire of the Sun if you want to get a visual). I don’t know much about that story as my grandmother would never tell us because she would break down in tears. My grandfather followed Chiang Kaishek in southern China when Chiang relocated the capital to Chungking. He participated in operations to safeguard Burma Road from Japanese control.
After the Sino-Japanese War (the theater of WW2 China fought in), my grandfather left the Chinese Army and worked for an airline (forgot which one at the moment) but I believe he continued to service Nationalist military aircrafts during the civil war against Mao’s Communists. My grandfather would follow Chiang to Manchuria on the Nationalist offensive against the Communists, which resulted in a major defeat that ultimately led to Mao’s final victory. Before Chiang lost China, my grandfather and his family, along with the entire airline company, was relocated to Taiwan, where my father would meet my mother many years later and had me 
Quite interesting post Temujin77 
, keep on posting guys!
My grandfather was a soldier of the wehrmacht,who died in argentina when i was very young (younger than 4!),and i don´t know much about him,because,my father was distanced of him,and angry with him,since he get married,i dk why my mother don´t like the german army of ww2 (she´s german blood and son of germans and born in the colony),but with a family of camp.
.And my mother don´t likes the nazism,she has a camp family in an argentinian colony of germans,the same place were she married with my dad.my father don´t likes the topic of ww2 (since he´s married,he don´t likes that,and my granpa from father line was the man who fought in ww2.
My grandfather is been German soldier ,1944 he must go in fight and he have 18 years .
He fight in east front after 3 months he is captured and spend 2 years in POW capm in Siberia.
He never be a nacist only soldier who must go in fight they kill him if he refuse to go .
My Grandpa was in the Canadian Black Watch and participated in the
invasion of Normandy on Juno beach and in the Liberation of Holland. I am pretty sure he was originally just infantry but became a mechanic after he fixed a broken down truck or some other equipment.
I think I am infamous for this already. My grandfather was a career wermarcht officer that fought in russia and made it to the outskirts of moscow with the subsequent retreat. Was wounded twice. He stayed on the eastern front until late 1943, where he was transferred to the Waffen-SS after their severe blooding. Got trained and trained other soldiers, and saw action in the west during the landings. Got wounded again. Recovered before “Watch at the Rhine”, and took part there. Got wounded again, this time longer. Went back to the east, and retreated back to Berlin. Made it out of berlin well before the city collasped, and traveled cautiously on foot with a very small group and was captured by an american patrol.
he spent the war at home, at the front, or in a military hospital, and an allied POW camp.
My grandfather trained paratroopers until 1944. He then joined the 101st airborne division, and later transferred to the 82nd. He fought in a Bridge Too Far, The Battle of the Bulge, and The Battle for Berlin. At the end of the war, he helped secure Hitler’s eagle’s nest. He was wounded once by shrapnel, and was awarded the purple heart. My grandfather made it up to the rank of Captain.
wow, thats pretty cool 
do you have his uniform? if so, post it in my American Army Uniform thread in the American Army forum
im going out to my grandfather’s house next summer to visit him. he still has an old trunk with alot of photos, his helmut, various papers, and im pretty sure he still has his uniform. ill be sure to take alot of pictures when i get out there (he lives on the west coast of the US, i live on the east.)
Cool Can’t wait to see the pics
wow i didn’t know operation market garden was actually called “a bridge too far” which is a name of a book and movie… 8)
And wow, I didn’t know that the americans fought in the battle of Berlin!!! I thought the soviets conquered the city alone!!! :?: :?: :?: :?: :?: :?: