The paternal side of my family can be traced back to the 1600s. The "patriarch", or whatever you want to call him, was a notary in Naples or a small town near Naples. My maternal family can be traced until the late 1800s I believe. Most of them were living in Eastern Prussia I think. Apparently, some were ethnic Poles.
Family military history: My maternal grandfather was a paramilitary engineer guy...or something who worked with the military on the eastern front during WW2. Near the end of the war he fled westwards (probably against orders) and was captured by the British. He died when I was about 8, so I don't know much of what he did or felt during the war and in captivity.
Paternal: One guy who's somehow related to me (great great uncle) was awarded the Gold Medal (I think it's the Italian equivalent of the American Medal of Honor) posthumously in WW2. I think he was a sniper fighting the Austrians. One time he had an enemy who was looking very young, green and inexperienced in his sights but spared him.
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Originally Posted by LeEnfield Ted...you say the Dutch don't have much of military history, well who was it that took on the Spanish Occupation of Europe all those years ago, and they have fought a stream of invaders ever since |
And conquered one hell of an insular empire: Indonesia.