Custom of me and my Grandfather

[gung-hoeddie]

i dads dad was a desert rat and my mums dad was a navigator with the RAF, no pics i'm afraid i must try to get some.

[humby248]

The funny thing about L/CPL S Humberstone my grandfather was that he was never officially discharged. They sent him home on a thing called B release to think about their offer of staying on and being promoted. He chose to stay at home. So once we joked the MPs were at the door looking for him.
He was a Vickers gunner which was water cooled but in the desert they could'nt spare the water so him and the other lads used to piss in the can. He also said that he used a captured Italian weapon because he found it was better than the Lee Enfield for close in work. He also recounted capturing 2 nasty bastard German officers who when being handed over to the MPs were not impressed by being taken into custody by 2 NCO MPs. They decided to spit in the MPs faces. Grandad said that they were real nasty nazi's not gentleman officers. They were loaded into the back of a jeep and driven off. Shortly after 2 shots were heard to ring out. Only the 2 MPs returned back to camp.

[Chopper]

War is nasty for sure. Its kind of weird that this thread should start now. My Granddad died 2 weeks ago, which is why I buggered off to NZ in a hurry. Its been a hard thing to take, we were very close. One thing that bugs me is that all that he did is now lost, albeit that which he shared. I liked the stories he would tell, because I always new one day he wouldn't be there to tell them. So from here on, I will have to.

He was in the NZ home guard and had a reserved occupation. The govt. wouldn't let him join up. He got his call up papers after much banter and was about to enlist in the RNZN when Horihito surrendered. Poppa always joked that he knew he was coming and was sh*t scared, so gave up.

He said they used to have pitchforks and the likes in the Home guard, because all there were no rifles to spare. Some of the guys would use their own. His 2 brothers, Harry and Fred, were in the Eight Army (with Tintins Dad, most likely). Poppa also mentioned the Div Cav, but not sure how they fit in with that, maybe Uncle Roy. Uncle Fred was also rumoured to have shot down a Stuka with a Lee Enfield. Both served in North Africa and Italy.

My Dad's father was a Flight Sergeant in the RNZAF stationed in Scotland on Ansons, a navigator. From what I can tell they were patrolling for U boats. He met my Waafy Nana in London during the Battle of Britain and they eloped. He died when I was very young and never new him really. Only remember him from one memory, a good one thankfully. He mentioned to Dad that he saw tail gunners being hosed out of the back of Lanc's (which my Nana used to repair) and I've not been unconvinced that some of that was what caused him to take his own life. Apparently, there was not enough left of them to pick up.

Sorry for the long post, but Humby, well done. I know how important this can be. Everyone has a story in their life, with no exceptions. War screws people up and those that survive need to be remembered too, not just for their sacrifice during wartime, but also after it. These people are never the same again and because of them, we don't have to make those same sacrifices.

So thanks again Humby, great job.

Mark

[The Baron]

Sadly I know little about my grandad's war experience, just that it marked him for life. After my gran died we found some incredibly romantic letters he sent to her from all around the world.

Chop, don't think that all your Grandad did is now lost, he helped to shape the world we live in.

I'm sorry for your loss.

[mark]

I always remember my nan saying she was walking down the road with a friend when a german bomber came overhead. Two blokes were walking past and pushed my nan and her friend against the wall just as the bastard in the plane machine gunned the pavement.

[Chopper]

Thanks Baron. People always live on in our memories. Poppa will never be forgotten. He was the funniest granddad a kid could ever have.

On the subject of Nana's, my Nana was working on a Lanc during the Battle of Britain and had half a Spitfire come thru the roof. She said that they were evacuated pretty quickly. My Great Grandparents were apparently Eastenders and stayed on thru it all too. Must have been unimaginably hard. Tough old thing, my Nana. 87 and not taking anything except gin.

Makes you wonder what happened to downed German bomber crews, Mark. Have you seen "Dark Blue World". Great flick.

[Sundance]

dad's dad was a master builder in the REME.

thank christ he wasn't a baker for the catering corps.

*cue SteveD*

he died 3 years before i was born.

dad was in 2 Para, but fell off a hangar roof (after landing on it at night) and smashed his knees up. never got his wings. he subsequnetly served with the Royal Signals and the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in Borneo and Northern Ireland. he was also stationed in Belize, Hong Kong and (i think) Germany. he also visited Denmark on exercise and Libya where he met a certain Major who's now a colonel and in the news...

he once had Martin McGuiness the IRA/Sinn Fein guy in his sights but couldn't shoot him (Rules of Engagement). he still hates the guy after all these years...