[moved] Very interesting exercise

[Matabele]

I'm researching the exploits of my grandfathers in WWI. They never spoke of their experiences (didn't want to) so I'm working off a handwritten timetable one of them did and snippets of brief glimpses they gave my parents (eg on my 21st birthday I had to go over the top for the first time).

Both parents have been quite alarmed at what I'm discovering - the battles they fought and the action they would have seen. they feel as though they're getting to know their fathers beyond the grave. they have just not realised the extent of the horror they endured and the injuries they recieved in combat.

A very interesting exercise and very recommended to any of you that had grandparents that served in either World War. Those with fathers in vietnam shoudl do likewise - I have first hand experience of how that kind of warfare can screw you up.

 

[The Gronk]

My mother is currently writing a book on the experiences of those who served at gallipoli with a focus on those who died on the first day of conflict. Her grandfather also came back from France missing half his skull from WWI. But her uncle has never said one word to anyone about what happened on Kokoda.

Yeah there are some pretty toe curling stories she has been coming across in all of that.

And we still think wars are a good idea.....hmmmmm

 

[ManlyBacker]

Like you my family hardly ever spoke about their experiences and i know very little. My grandfather was serving in France in the trenches and on one of the few R&Rs (or whatever they called them then) was arrested as a possible spy as his French was so good. He was back in London during a blitz and got buried in a house for two days before being dug out and lost 90% of his hearing for life as a result.

My dad got 'volunteered' to serve in India in WW2 and patrolled the northern region with the ghurkas on a bike. Despite saying almost nothing, the bits I did get were incredibly interesting and harrowing. He lost his alsation when a tiger came out of the jungle and took the dog, chain and all when sleeping in a tent. The bees were so large and persistent they would put huge piles of malasses away from the camp so they could eat and it was so hot that anything drunk just oozed out of pores minutes later. He lost the whole period of early to late twenties and I know I have had it damn good.

 

[Canteen Worker]

19 year olds today get fat and drunk whilst studying or working. Very different lives to that of two generations ago. No wonder they are so aghast at what is happening to our country and how soft we are!

 

[Matabele]

Les Carylon's book, the Great War, is a fascinating read for anyone who had relatives in the ANZAC corp.

The version of Gallipoli by the same author is also outstanding.

My grandfathers were with the British Corp but the above books still provide a good account of what was happening on their flanks.

 

[fLIP]

My great grandfather fought WWI. He also faught WWII with my Grandfather.

At the time of WWII my great grandfather was too old and my grandfather was to young. But the both of them lied for each other and were stationed in Papua New Guinea.

Apparently my mothers father came back with quite a bad case of Post Traumatic Stress. Although such a problem wasn't herd of at the time. He grandfather came back with a permanently parelised hand after being shot in the wrist. Not a good injury to have being a farmer.

Their role was to stop the momentum of the Japanese moving down through Indonesia. They would inhabit the lands their and set up farms. It was the boys job to destroy the bases and capture the farms for Australian and US troops. That is about all I know other than he was one of 200 odd to go into one of these camps and in one case was one of 6 to come out alive.