Family History

LeEnfield

Active member
Just a thought which be an interest to some members, have you ever sat down with some of the older members of your family and checked what they know about their parents and grandparents. Now the reason I am saying this is because I was talking to some one the other day and I was relating some stuff that I had got of my grandparents, what shook them was that my grandparents were around before the American Civil War, my parents were around before the Wright Brothers made their first flight or before the San Fransisco earthquake of 1906. Just think of all those stories out there that will soon become extinct. When I was a little lad a very old woman who was trying to keep an eye on us [she was in her late 90's] was telling us stories that her great grandfather had told her about the battles he fought in during the American War of Independence, I must say to my regret I was more interest in the watching aerial dogfights over head than listening to what she was saying.
 
Most of my family came from Ireland. My great uncle was in Marine during WW2. He did fought on Guadalcanal through to Okinawa islands. He got Bronze medal for his action on Pacific Campaign. I think his rank was Major of the Marines. I'm not sure. Also, he was a NFL player back in 1930's to 1941. He played for Eagles as a running back. My other great uncle was in US Army to fight against the germans in Europe. I think he was with the 3rd Army with under command of Patton. He drove a halftrack with Anti-Aircraft. There many stories about my family that was in war. Spanish-American War, World War 1, World War 2, Vietnam War, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Hope all of you understand my grammers. My grammer sucks.
 
Well I have only one direct realative alive, old enough to remember WWII, and she for some reason, absolutly hates the military and won't talk about it.
Literally all knowledge I have about my direct realatives in WWI and WWII, come from the Australian War Memorial or the National Archives.
However I have been told stories from realatives who passed away before I was born. I have had many great uncles in WWII. One was captured in Greece as a Commando, another was in the 8th Division in Singapore and spent most of the war in Changi. My Pop was a Machine Gunner with the CMF in the Torres Straight, but got an early discharge in May 1945, due to a shortage of coal truck drivers. My grandfather was an Sapper in New Guinea, who spent more time AWOL than on leave.
They were told to me by my dad. However by searching the AWM and

NAA I discovered I am the Great Grandson of a Military Medal Recipient.
Driver Ruben F. Arnold, 5th Australian Machinegun Battalion.
He was wounded in March 1918, on the second day of Operation St Michael and was RTA. We cannot find a copy of his citation, but on the A.I.F. Nominal Roll, and his Discharge papers his name carries the post nominals "MM". We are still looking for the Citation. That was on my fathers side.
On my mothers side, I found my Great Grandfathers Brother, was awarded the Military Medal after the fighting in Peronne in 1918.
LCPL Charles G. Burslem, 53rd Battalion A.I.F. He captured several German machineguns with his Lewis Gun, and he and his section throughout the operation captured several german Prisoners.

So, basically if we did not search the AWM and the Archives, I would not have known I am related to two Australian War Hero's
 
My dad has this family book which shows my family history back to when they first came to America in the 1600's. My family on my dads side is German. They have fought in every battle this country has been in, such as the Revolution, both sides in the Civil War, and all the way up to I belive Vietnam.

I my Grandfather on my moms side was with the Army during Korea, I also had a great uncle that died in Belleau Wood with the Marines.

I guess I have a lot to live up to when I'm in the Corps?
 
The Dutch don't have a very big military tradition and I haven't got any story from them. My German familie does have has a long tradition and they have been in the military for I don't know how long. Unfortunatly they are all dead, some did in WWI and some in WWII. My grandfather would talk about what he has seen and passed away in 1970. So that part is pretty much obsured by time.
 
my grandparents were something like 12 at that time.. Not much could be extracted from them.. But I believe that some relatives fought in the philippines during ww2.. thats about it ^_^
 
My family has had a long military history stretching back to Bonnie Prince Charlie (a direct relative on my mother's side) in 1720. Since then, family members have fought in every major war, including WWI (for the british), WWII(1 for british, 1 for americans), Vietnam War, Korean War (i had a relative in the 101st who saw more than 20 combat jumps and recieved the Senior Parachutist Award), Gulf War, and Iraqi Freedom.
 
I don't know, my father went to the USAFA, and my grandfather was a bomber crewman in WWII. Almost all of my uncles and great uncles were in WWII.

further down on the old man's side... well, we suspect him to be descended from aristocratic French, so I dunno about way back when...:)
 
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My Great Uncle on my mom's side fought in world war 2.

My Uncle on my mom's side fought in Vietnam.

Two uncle's on my dad's side fought in the Lebanese civil war. (That wasn't too long ago, about 20 years)
 
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
 
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.

LeEnfield said:
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.
 
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For a bit of fun I have been working on our family tree for the last few months and had have traced some 2,500 descendants dating back to 1400's. Now I have traced people to every continent and doing a whole wide range of things. From an Australian branch of the family I have been sent copies of some very interesting letters dealing with the Australian Light Horse during the Boer War and the siege of Mafeking. Now I did promise not to put these on the web, so I will keep my promise, but if you want to do some thing interesting then a family tree can really open your eyes to the past. I have found every thing from Chief of Police to Convicts, but the number of ex servicemen and women is some thing to behold and it surprising just what you can turn up.
 
i love sitting around with my grandparents and talking to them about the days gone by. me and my grandfather talk for hours:p
 
I've listed a short bit of info on my serving relatives, their role/rank if I know it, service, period and theatre/famous actions.

My uncle (Fathers side) - Australian army 1970-1992, Orndnance.
My grandfather (Mothers side) - Royal Merchant Navy, WW2, North Atlantic, Arctic Convoy, Middle East and Italy campaign.
My grandfathers brother - Major, British Paras, WW2, Market Garden - and he made it out
My Great Uncle - M Special Unit "coast watchers" WW2, Papua, Timor, Balikpapan
My grandmother (mothers side) - Nurse, British Army, WW2, Dunkirk and home duties
Grandmothers brother - Royal Australian Navy Able Seaman (gunner), WW2, Battle of the Coral Sea
My great grandfather - Captain Royal Navy, WW1
My other great grandfather - Captain Royal Navy, WW1
My other other great grandfather - Light Horseman, 3rd Light Horse, WW1, Gallipoli, Palestine

I have a lot to live up to.

From an Australian branch of the family I have been sent copies of some very interesting letters dealing with the Australian Light Horse during the Boer War and the siege of Mafeking
Interesting stuff. I've been trying to get as much info as I can on my great grandfather (the light horseman) through the Australian War Memorial. It takes some time but it's well worth looking into.
If you (or anybody else on here) wants to look at the records of their ancestors who served in the Australian military here is a link
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/ResearcherScreen.asp
 
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Now i have been missing for a few months so lets add a bit here. In 1942 during operation Torch in North Africa the American planners came up with a great idea of taking the Port of Oran. In their wisdom the decided to send in two Royal Navy ships loaded with American soldiers a couple of hours after the main beach assaults had taken place. When the two royal Navy ships steamed into Oran harbour to try and take it every French gun was loaded and ready to fire the two ships were both lost and nearly every American soldier on board, along with my two uncles on HMS Hartland. The skipper of the second Royal Navy ship lived to tell the tale and was awarded the VC, but fate had not finished as on the way home to collect the award his plane that he was on was shot down and every one on board was killed.
The picture below is of HMS Hartland just before she blew up and sank.


HMSHartland10.jpg
 
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