Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Info on my Grandad

Options
  • 06-05-2014 9:05pm
    #1
    discobeaker
    Registered Users Posts: 1,243 ✭✭✭


    Hi everyone

    I hope this is in the right place but i was wondering if anyone could shed some info or even point us in the right direction to look for some info on my beloved Grandfather who sadly passed away 3 weeks ago.

    Grandad was a Canadian man who fought in WWII for the Canadian Army as a medic/stretcher bearer i believe. He didnt like to talk too much about the war, as you can understand, and only told us bits and pieces but nothing much about what he did and what happened so we are looking to find out as much info about him or where he served during his time in the army.

    I do know he was in the Dieppe Raid (i have attached a picture of his medals and one has the Dieppe badge attached to it) but could anyone shed any light on the other medals or what they were for. From Left to right the medals have the following writing on them

    From left to right-

    The 1939 - 45 Star (looks like it has GRJ VI written on it)
    The France and Germany Star (GRJ VI on it again)
    Georgius VI (On the back it says defense medal)
    1939 Canada 1945 Voluntary Service (The one with the Dieppe medal attached)
    Georgius VI (With what looks like DG Bromn Rextindiae Imp written around the side of it)

    Can anyone shed some info on what these medals were given for or even how i could find out some more info on what grandad did during the war. I have his service number and thats pretty much all except for the info i have mentioned above.

    Any help would be muchly appreciated :)
    Tagged:


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    IRLConor
    Subscribers Posts: 4,075 ✭✭✭IRLConor


    The "GRJ" is actually "GRI". Georgius Rex Imperator or George King Emperor. That's the royal cypher of George VI.

    The middle one is the Defence Medal as it says on the back.

    The one on the far right is the War Medal 1939-1945. The Latin around the outside is GEORGIVS VI D G BR OMN REX ET INDIAE IMP which is short for Georgius VI Dei Gratia Britanniarum Omnium Rex et Indiae Imperator which is George VI, by the grace of God King of Britain and Emperor of India.


  • Options
    #3
    discobeaker
    Registered Users Posts: 1,243 ✭✭✭discobeaker


    Cheers for that IRLConor. Some really good info there,especially on the link to the Defence medal. Really appreciate the help


  • Options
    #4
    Samdog
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭Samdog


    Hi

    France and Germany Star means that he served in France or Germany. Canadians were also in Italy.
    That Dieppe bar would mean that he was at Dieppe, and lucky to escape Death or capture. I imagine he would have said if he was a pow. I imagine that the 1939-45 star is for service during the war. The voluntary service medal may refer to the fact that most Canadian troops overseas were volunteers but towards the end of the war some conscripts were sent overseas. Or it may have nothing to do with overseas service but distinguishes between volunteers and conscripts.

    I have my Father's medals which are identical to your Grandad's but cannot post a picture. I also have an explanation of the medals which I cannot post either. sorry

    There is a man in Carlow whose father was captured at Dieppe


  • Options
    #5
    discobeaker
    Registered Users Posts: 1,243 ✭✭✭discobeaker


    Hey samdog

    Thanks for the reply. Some great info you provided. I don't believe that grandad was every captured or was a pow. It was never mentioned anyway but I don't believe he was. From looking online I have read about how bloody a battle the dieppe raid was and there was a lot of casualties,it must have been hell,no wonder grandad never spoke about it.

    I do know that my grandad worked in a hospital (after being a medic during the war) in Toronto as soon as the war ended looking after the wounded.

    I also believe that grandad lied about his age to get into the army. As he told me before,both his parents had passed away and he wanted to see the world so he lied and got into the army. I think he was 16 when he joined.

    Thanks for the info,I really appreciate it. Would love to hear the story about the guy in Carlows dad that you mentioned


  • Options
    #6
    Beano
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭Beano


    If you are looking for further info on his service you could do worse than start here http://www.mapleleafup.net/locator/research.html


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    tac foley
    Registered Users Posts: 5,504 ✭✭✭tac foley


    Beano wrote: »
    If you are looking for further info on his service you could do worse than start here http://www.mapleleafup.net/locator/research.html


    Just beat me to it!

    My Uncles Geoff and Tom Jnr were both together in the PPCLI and waded ashore on D-Day. Both went all the way through to the surrender without so much as a scratch. Geoff died in '74 when his tractor turned over on him, but Tom aged 91, is still with us.

    tac


  • Options
    #8
    Tabnabs
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,692 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    Try https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/military-peace/index-e.html the Canadian's keep excellent records and are very keen to get the info online.


  • Options
    #9
    Beano
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭Beano


    Samdog wrote: »
    Hi

    France and Germany Star means that he served in France or Germany. Canadians were also in Italy.
    That Dieppe bar would mean that he was at Dieppe, and lucky to escape Death or capture. I imagine he would have said if he was a pow. I imagine that the 1939-45 star is for service during the war. The voluntary service medal may refer to the fact that most Canadian troops overseas were volunteers but towards the end of the war some conscripts were sent overseas. Or it may have nothing to do with overseas service but distinguishes between volunteers and conscripts.

    I have my Father's medals which are identical to your Grandad's but cannot post a picture. I also have an explanation of the medals which I cannot post either. sorry

    There is a man in Carlow whose father was captured at Dieppe

    the maple leaf clasp is what distinguishes overseas service.


  • Options
    #10
    discobeaker
    Registered Users Posts: 1,243 ✭✭✭discobeaker


    Thank you everyone for your contributions to the thread. I will do some research via that mapleleafup site and hopefully get some more info about grandad.

    Would anyone know of any books or even sites that tell you more details about the dieppe raid or what happened? I'm not big up on war history so the simpler the better. I've read the Wikipedia on it and it has gotten me interested to learn more


  • Options
    #11
    Beano
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭Beano


    discobeaker wrote: »
    Thank you everyone for your contributions to the thread. I will do some research via that mapleleafup site and hopefully get some more info about grandad.

    Would anyone know of any books or even sites that tell you more details about the dieppe raid or what happened? I'm not big up on war history so the simpler the better. I've read the Wikipedia on it and it has gotten me interested to learn more

    This one seems to be well regarded http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dieppe-Operation-Jubilee-Channel-Ports-ebook/dp/B00E8HPNAI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399562200&sr=1-1&keywords=dieppe

    If you have a kindle its less than a euro. Bargain.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    tac foley
    Registered Users Posts: 5,504 ✭✭✭tac foley


    Where to begin with the list of books on the Dieppe raid?

    There are hundreds.

    Just don't mention the name of Mountbatten to an older Canuck, 'kay?

    tac


  • Options
    #13
    johnny_doyle
    Registered Users Posts: 1,021 ✭✭✭johnny_doyle


    Canadian Veteran Affairs has a nice page re Dieppe

    http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/1942-dieppe-raid


Advertisement