WWII Photos (and Stories) of Our Loved Ones

German Heroes

Hello all. I just felt the urge to add that basically half of the male members from my mother's family were killed in the war, fighting for the German side. I know that this is an American forum and German Soldiers probably are not praised often, if at all, but I remember my Grandfather (Opa) telling me horrible stories of the time when I was little. He survived Russian imprisonment, came back to Germany in 49, half dead. His brother walked back from Siberia and came back in 50, not recognisable by his own family. He moved to Kansas City rigth after he recovered his health, deciding he hated everything Germany stood for and he never ever returned. He had been called by the SS when he was 16, not really much of a choice. The rest was shot at the front or sent to camp for ridiculous stuff like not hanging up the requested flag on a certain day.
It's a sensitive issue, but please remember that the German people were just people too. So I salute to my Opa and Onkel Fred, Kurt, Friedhelm, and all the others who did their best under a regime that failed and utterly disappointed them, as they wanted to believe so much it was a good one.

My dad was a Filipino guerilla on his home island of Samar during WWII. I've bought a couple of books about the resistance on Luzon, and I've read Ghost Soldiers, but I've found very little information about the resistance on other islands. He never wanted to talk about the war, and he died in 1995 so it's too late to ask him, but my mum has told me that members of his immediate family were murdered by the Japanese, and my dad was tortured by them - he had scars on his legs from cigarette burns. The only thing he ever said about his war was that he witnessed part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

I once found a link to a copy of a long, official post-war US Army document that mentioned every major guerilla group on the larger islands, and there was a mention of the commander of a group in my dads part of Samar, so I assume this was his commander. If any photos were taken at the time dad didn't keep them, and the only memento of this period of his life is a typed commendation from his platoon sergeant that he kept in a small metal filing box.

After the war he joined the US Navy, along with many of his countrymen, and gained US citizenship. He was stationed in California at first, and was trained as a Navy cook and ended up as personal chef to one of the Admirals, following him on his various overseas postings. He came to England in the mid-50's where he met and married my mum; in late 1958 the family (by now made up of dad, mum, older sister and me as a baby) moved to Norfolk, VA, returning to England in late 1960 in time for my younger sister to be born. In 1961 we moved to Naples in Italy, and back again to England in 1963. He retired from the Navy in 1965 but continued working for them as a civilian at the European US Naval HQ in London until he retired in 1987.

After he died in '95 my mum moved to a smaller house and I helped clear out the attic, where I found his old uniforms. He was shorter than me, but broad-chested, so the only things that fitted were his WWII-era pea-coat and a couple of white shirts. The pea-coat is still in perfect condition and gets worn regularly, especially with the cold snap we've had in England recently.

That's him on the left in my avatar, in a photo that looks like it was taken in the very late 40's or very early 50's. His clothes, and his friends clothes are hard to date accurately, but the babe in the middle (not my mum...) has a very 40's look about her.

Elena. Thanks for your piece on your family.

Elena, just a 'thankyou' for your piece on your family who fought on the German side of the war. Often, the ordinary person doesn't have a choice when called upon by the state to fight for King and Country; Reich and Fuhrer; Uncle Sam..etc. Have you any photographs of your family in uniform from those days? if so, and you feel comfortable with it, I'm sure we'd all love to see them.
OH, and welcome to our WWII room! I love Switzerland and have fond memories of skiing in Chateau D'oex!

Salv, I just love that Avatar...

As you must love that photo! What a cool snap shot in time, and the gal in the middle is a real honey of the era!
You must be so proud of your father and sorry that you could not get to talk to him about his experiences as a young man on the islands. Having said that, some things are just too awful to face up to through memories and maybe it was something that he couldn't talk about.
Thanks so much for sharing that, I really enjoyed reading your piece there!

Alpine Glamour said:

Hello all. I just felt the urge to add that basically half of the male members from my mother's family were killed in the war, fighting for the German side. I know that this is an American forum and German Soldiers probably are not praised often, if at all, but I remember my Grandfather (Opa) telling me horrible stories of the time when I was little. He survived Russian imprisonment, came back to Germany in 49, half dead. His brother walked back from Siberia and came back in 50, not recognisable by his own family. He moved to Kansas City rigth after he recovered his health, deciding he hated everything Germany stood for and he never ever returned. He had been called by the SS when he was 16, not really much of a choice. The rest was shot at the front or sent to camp for ridiculous stuff like not hanging up the requested flag on a certain day.
It's a sensitive issue, but please remember that the German people were just people too. So I salute to my Opa and Onkel Fred, Kurt, Friedhelm, and all the others who did their best under a regime that failed and utterly disappointed them, as they wanted to believe so much it was a good one.

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When I was a child, I spent many years in Germany and as a result was able to get a glimpse of the other side of the war. Obviously most of the relatives of my friends and older neighbors had served in the war, voluntarilly or at gun point. Many of them had served in the east and frankly the horrors that the average foot soldier, on both the Russian and German side, had to endure on that front was staggering. When you hear some of these stories, it is quite often difficult to believe, that a person could survive such experiences.

Later when I moved back home, to the USA, I was able to hear about the war from my uncles and relatives who had served on the Allied side. Two of my uncles took part in the D-Day landings. One supposedly on the beach and later in Patton's 3rd Army, the other as a Ranger in the 82nd Airborne. Yet others served at Anzio and in the Pacific.

I consider myself lucky to have been able to hear both sides.

German soldiers

Alpine Glamour,
For what it's worth, the opinion of many UK war veterans I have interviewed was one of considerable respect and even admiration for their enemy, the German soldier, seaman or airman. Their feelings of hatred tend to be reserved for the Nazi officials and high command.

Some men I have spoken to at a more intimate level (including my Grandfather who was at Loos, Somme, Paschendaele in WW1 and my father in WW2) had much less respect or admiration for some of their Allies (who shall be nameless) based on personal experience.

Pics of my grandfather in WWII

Hi!
Recently I got the best gift ever! My uncle sent me photographs of my grandfather while he was in the navy in WWII. I uploaded them and put them on a slideshow, so I thought I'd share with you guys! I hope you like them

http://www52.rockyou.com/show_my_gallery.php?instanceid=41324080&refid=41324080

Splendid!!!

Lauren Henline said:

Hi!
Recently I got the best gift ever! My uncle sent me photographs of my grandfather while he was in the navy in WWII. I uploaded them and put them on a slideshow, so I thought I'd share with you guys! I hope you like them

http://www52.rockyou.com/show_my_gallery.php?instanceid=41324080&refid=41324080

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Always nice to see photographs of the families that served.Now that the numbers are dwindling,it is good to look back even more so and remember.
Here is a shot of my grandfather and his crew on his mine sweeper in the Pacific theatre.The USS Quail II AM377.It is VJ day here in this shot.


JD

Thanks

Great pixs, thanks for sharing family history!

WWII picts

Thanks for sharing Lauren Henline, nice pictures, thats a cool site.
My dad is in the background of this photo with his buds, they were on the U.S.S Waters in WWII.

Thanks Lauren.

Great pictures of your Grandfather. I'm so jealous, treasure them.

You see there are non of both my Grandfathers, who both fought in the First World war and died before I was born. Boohoo! So no pics, stories or usual Grandad things.

Thank you very much everyone! I really enjoy seeing the pictures you guys posted as well. These old pics just have so much feeling to them. I forgot to say, I especially treasure mine because I never knew my grandfather- he died before I was born, so seeing him with his buddies is like a mysery that's being solved.

I dig those pics and the presentation, Lauren! Call me goofy, but my favorite snapshot is of the boot and the dog.


Moustache and Hondo, thanks for yours too!

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These are wonderful guys! How much more emotive and interesting the old photos are. I've got a few still hanging around from when I was a teenager in the 70s, and somehow, I could be wrong but I think not, they just aren't going to have the cache that our parents and grandparents photos have, not even when we get all misty eyed over flares and feather cuts!

My Father

I need to post some of my father when I get a chance. He was in WWII in the 13th "Jungle" Air Force. My grandfather was in the Merchant Marines in WWI and sunk a German U Boat off of Nova Scotia. I feel lucky to be 37 and have a father that was in WWII. I was a late child. My oldest brother is old enough to be my father. I have been thinking about doing a memorial webpage for my father. He passed away this year in July. I miss him alot.

Gray Ghosta very proud son.

Great pics, Lauren! :eusa_clap

I really like how candid a lot of them are. There are so many formal, posed pics, but these really show a slice of life. Lots of smiles!

moustache said:

Always nice to see photographs of the families that served.Now that the numbers are dwindling,it is good to look back even more so and remember.
Here is a shot of my grandfather and his crew on his mine sweeper in the Pacific theatre.The USS Quail II AM377.It is VJ day here in this shot.

JD

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I bet there was a few sore heads that day

Just a heads up on this great piece saluting our relatons in uniform...

This one has just been rejuvenated again, and thankfully so, as it's a winning piece with all your photographs and stories of your loved ones and what they gave (and some continue to give) in the name of freedom.

Great pictures!

My dad served on patrol craft carriers as a gunner. I'm going to have to find the pictures, though I don't think he had that many.

My mom's four brothers also served, but I'm not sure what branches. Need to get those photos scanned, too

My mom went to nursing school in Kansas City. She didn't finish because she and my dad got married, and it sounds like there was tremendous pressure for her to come back and take care of my paternal grandmother who was paralyzed. I think she always regreted that she didn't finish.

jake431 said:

Indeed Paddy. Here's the relevant pages of my Grandfather's journal concerning the wreckage on Majuro. ...I am grateful everyday for my Grandfather's journal. What an amazing experience he had. Thank you Grandpa!

-Jake

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what an absolute treasure and thanks so much for sharing his words.

rsg