Our grandfathers and fathers and relatives in military service!

[jwp]

Great pic. As some of the men appear to be wearing the GS Cap which was introduced in September 1943 this cannot have been taken in Africa unless he continued to serve there after the campaign had finished in May 1943, so Sicily or Italy if he served there is more likely. Good to see so many of them have the battleaxe flash as a slip on on their shirts, a great pic.

thanks jerry, it must be sicily or Italy then as he went there after the African campaign was over,
all the best,
john.

[jimpy]

My late grandfather.
The photo is a studio photo taken when he was ranking as a Gold Serjeant in 4th Btn Grenadier Guards, 6th Guards Tank Brigade.
The cap badge and dog-tags, he gave me years ago.

Regards etc
Ian D

AKA: Jimpy

[rogge16]

Really great thread, Wim!
Here's a few pictures of my grandfather who fought in WW2.

Luke

Luke003.jpg001 (14).jpg

[Wilhelm Saris]

HPL2008 started a likewise thread a few years back. So he also gets credit!!

Let's continue with showing photographs of our fathers and grandfathers and why
not from yourself, when you have been in the army, navy, airforce or whatever and
having kids of your own (as we are their father and possibly later be a grandfather,
like me). My thanks to all that cooperated with this thread.......

[TheGoon]

Here's a picture of my great grandfather Lester MacAulay who fought in WWII, he landed on D-day and survived the whole campaign and the war, along with his brothers Charlie and bob who I have no pictures of but they to survived. One of them had all his fingers blown off and the other had some kind gas in his eyes which resulted in watery eyes for the rest of his life.image.jpg

[Vegard T]

I love this kind of thing
These last couple of years, I've been doing a lot of family research, but since this thread only says grandfathers and fathers, I will only post them:

My grandfather on my mother's side:
Served in the home fleet during the war, was in Hamburg when it was bombed, the ship he was on was almost hit by 2 torpedoes once, he apparently sat in a German prison camp for a short period. I do not know much about his service apart from that.
sahas.jpg

My grandfather on my father's side:
Went to recruit school in 1935, was called into service as a neutrality guard, near Bergen, stationed at an AA battery. When the invasion came, 9th April 1940, he fought at that battery(Most likely manning an MG judging from the gear I found after him), it fought as long as possible, they blew up the guns and pulled out, travelling to Voss to fight on. I do not know the details about his service, but he was at some time captured and held as a prisoner of war until the Norwegian forces in South-Norway surrendered.
Recruit school, 1935:
skann0108.jpg

POW:
AA257621.jpg

Here we see a picture of the crew of the AA Battery when it was abandoned late morning 9th April 1940. I know this is rather unlikely, but I have a feeling the man on the left standing with his face away from the camera is my grandfather, it resembles him, and he is wearing the exact type of gear that I have found, who knows?:
AA.jpg


My father(far left):
Served in the Norwegian army in the mid 1960's. Here he is pictured with my grandfather(mentioned above), and both of my uncles, I thought it was a pretty neat picture:
asga.jpg

[4md]

Here is my Maternal Grandfather, In the second photo he is standing in the middle. The last photo is of his battalion in Queensland, he is third along in the front row.
He served in North Africa,The middle east, and New Guinea

regards Paul

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

g 001.jpgHere is my grandfather Pte V. PORTWAY of the 3inf div 2nd LINCOLNS who was on the first wave D-DAY landings at SWORD BEACH(ouistrem). Leon.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

My grandfather on my mother's side served with the Manchester Regiment in WW1, but I have no pictures of him and I have no idea what became of his medals. My wife's grandfather on her mothers side also seved in the Manchester Regiment during WW1.

My Uncle Frank served in the western desert in the RASC. But my aunt threw his medals out and burned all his photo's when he died. My father was excused service because of his work which was deemed as important for the war effort. My wife's father worked on the railways and was also exempt from call-up. My wife's grandfather answered the call for volunteers at the outbreak of WW1, but he was not allowed to join because he was employed on the Manchester Ship canal.

My Uncle Arthur served with the Royal Artillery during WW2. He was in France in may 1940, but was repatriated to England because of ill health. On his recovery he manned the big guns on the south coast before returning to Manchester and manning the AA guns during the blitz.

IMG_0005.jpg

[HARRY THE MOLE]

On my wife's side of the family there were many relatives who served in the forces. Private Fred Perrin was a relative on her father's mother's side of the family (Arstall). The photo below is of Fred shortly before he was sent to France.

IMG.jpg

Fred served in the South lancashire Regiment throughout WW1. The folowing is an article that appeared in the local paper in July 1917...

HOLLINFARE.
PRIVATE FRED PERRIN

Private Fred Perrin, of the South Lancashire Regiment , who has received a flesh wound in the muscles of the right leg, is now in Notley Hospital. His mother, Mrs Perrin of Hollins Green , has recently received word from him that he is doing nicely. Previous to enlisting he was employed at Mr Joseph Taylor's hamper shop.

His brother-in-law, Private Walter Arstall, also of the South Lancashires, has had some near shaves in the recent fighting. One day a shell took off the left sleeve of his tunic and scratched his arm; the day after a shell tore the right pocket off his tunic, smashed his razor and looking glass, and a piece embedded itself in his Testament which had been given him by Mrs J Barlow, of Hollins Green, before going to the front.