For Irish boardies - did any of your relatives fight in a large scale war?

dr gonzo

This topic has come up indepentdantly a few time amongst different friends of mine and its amazing to hear about.

One friend told me his grandfather had been in the RAF during WWII and had fought in the battle of Britain while a friend of a friend told me their father had lost his job as a young man and instead decided to go to Vietnam with the Marines. Incredible things to hear and somewhat rare to hear from Irish people.

I have no stories of my own but does anyone else have any similar stories to share?

Krusader

I fought , died and re-spawned...nOOb

super_furry

My Grandad fought and died in the Battle of Imphal in India during World War II. My Dad, who wasn't born yet when my Grandad left for India, finally got out to see his grave a couple of years ago.

Revolution9

Albert: During the...


Del: If you say during the war, I'll pour this cup of tea over your head!


Albert: I wasn't going to say during the war!


Del: Alright then.


Albert: Bloody little know all!


Del: Sorry.


Albert: That's alright. During the 1939 to 1945 conflict with Germany...

admiralofthefleet

my dear late granny fought a long war with the gin

Coriolanus

I don't know if it counts, but my grandfather died in Auschwitz.



















He fell out of the guard tower.:pac:

PeterIanStaker

I'll never forgive the Germans for what they did to my Grandfather during the war.




Passed over for promotion three times!

Sunnyisland

My father fought in the korean war, also 3 of my uncles fought with 2 dying in the second world war, also an aunty who was killed in the conflict in the north of Ireland.

IvyTheTerrible

My mother's grandad and his brothers all fought in WW1. Lied about their ages to get in. It was never spoken about during his lifetime.

major bill

Great Grandfather fought in the battle of somme, came home wounded and never recovered fully.

was also told that i can trace relatives back to the battle of vinegar hill, Father Murphy been the relation supposedly.

SharpshooterTom

My catholic grandfather from County Tyrone moved to huddersfield when he was a teenager, joined the Royal Navy during world war II. I think he was captured by the Japanese but I'm not sure.

Saila

my grandpa fought in the lemon of troy war, it was worth it to stop drinking turnip juice he says

Dwellingdweller

My great grandfather was a chef in the german wehrmacht, he got captured by the allies and eventually married a woman in Wales. :P

hdowney

my grandfather fought in ww1 thanks to conscription.

and two of my mothers uncles died in that war. they were in the air force i think it was.

SeaFields

My grandmothers first cousin was in the US navy and based in pearl harbour when it was attacked. He survived tho.

Colmo52

My da is Hitler

ejmaztec

Colmo52 wrote: »

My da is Hitler

He doesn't count because he wasn't fighting.

Micky Dolenz

My Grandfather fought in the Irish Civil war.

keithc83

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

My Grandfather fought in the Irish Civil war.

My great grandfather did as well.

fontanalis

My great great (whatever goes back to late 1700's) grandfather was involved in the 1798 rebellion.

Lia_lia

My Grandmother was in the Auxiliary Territorial Service in WW2. If that counts! She still has all her medals.

(She grew up in London, moved here in her late 20's)

Standman

My grannys cousin fought in WW2. Was part of the force that invaded Sicily, was gunned down by the Germans at the foot of Mount Etna.

orourkeda

I fought the law and the law won

cosmicfart

I have a a very old picture of my great-grand dad in the living room, it turned up years ago when I was going through some old boxes of my grand dad. The picture shows my great grandad in a sailor suit and says he was on active duty during WWI, its very possible he served on a ship that was involved the battle of Jutland.

Steyr

dr gonzo wrote: »

This topic has come up indepentdantly a few time amongst different friends of mine and its amazing to hear about.

It is interesting to hear indeed.

dr gonzo wrote: »

Incredible things to hear and somewhat rare to hear from Irish people.

But how is it incredible? Thousands of Irish men and women have fought under another Nations flag. Hell we even founded some of the Worlds Major Navy's, The United States Navy to name one.

Pherekydes

Both of my grandfathers fought in the trenches in WWI. They both died, of cancer, within a few weeks of each other in 1945. I never knew them.

My father joined the RN towards the end of WWII. He was an artificer.

Pyridine

My grandda on my da's side fought in the war of independence and the civil war. If any of ye have ever done the walking tour of Dublin or gotten the leaflet outside Trinity, the picture of the IRA on grafton st is him and his unit.

One of my da's uncles was an engineer in the brits during WW2 and apparently landed on one of the Normandy beaches the night BEFORE the landing to defuse land mines and the like. His unit was, according to my uncle, the forerunner of the SBS.

Again one of my da's uncles was a pilot in the ARAF during WW2.

And again one of his uncles was a seaman in WW1 and tried to enlist in WW2 but was too old so he went and joined the merchant navy. The story goes that he always wanted to use the anti-aircraft gun but was never allowed to. They were then torpedoed and all abandoned ship except him who finally saw it as his chance to pop off a few rounds.

A few days later he was picked up by another ship. His boat didn't sink as it was carrying timber which swelled and kept it afloat. He was the only survivor! They never found any of the crew that went into the lifeboats.

It seems that my grandda was the black sheep as he didn't serve in the brits!

mike65

A grandfather was in the 8th Army in North Africa, he came back in one piece but was picking sand out of his arse crack for years after.

Celly Smunt

first and second boer war,WWI,WWII,aided vietnam,gulf war,Iraq and currently afghanistan.


Furthest the family have traced back is boer war so probably alot more

Seloth

My Great grandad was in the British navy during world war one.He was on the HMS Ocean that was sunk off the Ottoman Empire I think,being one of the only survivors.

My gradnfather was an engineer incharge of what Bridges to blow up then during the emergency incase the British invaded.

Going back even further my ancestors who lost their,well kingdom to the British turned into Pirates and attacked British trade ships.

Hookah

My ancestors fought at the Battle of Hastings, the Norman invasion of Ireland, and on the side of King James at the Battle of the Boyne, to name but a few.

ScumLord

My great grandpappy fought the tans.

Cakes.

My dad's great uncle fought in WWI but was gassed in Flanders and returned to Ireland to heal and was recruited to fight in the 1916 rising.

Cakes.

ejmaztec wrote: »

He doesn't count because he wasn't fighting.

Hitler fought and was injured in WWI.

SeaFields

Cakesofrice wrote: »

Hitler fought and was injured in WWI.

Saved by an Irish man wasnt it? There was a book or something about that recently.

Cakes.

SeaFields wrote: »

Saved by an Irish man wasnt it? There was a book or something about that recently.

Not sure but he definitely fought and was injured by shrapnel from a bomb or something.

mgmt

My cousin got assassinated in Cuba.

Wibbs

Yep, Various risings around the time of the plantations, the Napoleonic wars, Boer war, not WW1, but 1916 and following inc civil war of 22. Spanish Civil war with the anti Franco folks. WW2, with the Yanks and the Brits in the European theatre, avoided Korea, but one rellie flew over Vietnam. Bit hush hush that one.

Samba

I'm not proud of it and neither was he but my Grandfather oversaw a number of nuclear tests, was involved in Indo China and was the Naval Ambassador to the US in the later stages of his career. He had some crazy stories, one in particular comes to mind where he was given orders to launch a nuke, 30 minutes before they were due to launch the order was cancelled.

citizen_p

I lost a great uncle in The War of the Buttons

iMax

My great grandfather was shot during the escape from the GPO in 1916. He was shot through the throat & bled out in the doorway of what is now the meteor store in Henry St. He actually drowned in his own blood.

One of my other great grandfathers served in WWII, was shot in France, lay in the trench for three days & was gassed while there. He made it home but died two years later from lung failure. His grandson (my uncle) left his medal on his grave headstone in Glasnevin 20 years ago during my Grandfather's funeral & it disappeared (stolen we presume) within a couple of weeks.

AckwelFoley

My father is a war hero.

He has fought in the greatest war of all time.

He's been in Battle for 50 years.

With my mother.

citizen_p

actully my gran uncle (who died the day i was born, named after him) was in the american army during ww2, frrom wwhat i've heards he was drafted after emigrating and according to my grandfather he ended up in Berlin. all I know on the guy really.

citizen_p

iMax wrote: »

My great grandfather was shot during the escape from the GPO in 1916. He was shot through the throat & bled out in the doorway of what is now the meteor store in Henry St. He actually drowned in his own blood.

One of my other great grandfathers served in WWII, was shot in France, lay in the trench for three days & was gassed while there. He made it home but died two years later from lung failure. His grandson (my uncle) left his medal on his grave headstone in Glasnevin 20 years ago during my Grandfather's funeral & it disappeared (stolen we presume) within a couple of weeks.

sorry mate, unless you mistyped WW1( persume you did since it was your great grandfather)
thats highly unlikley, no gas was used on WW2 battlefields by the germans.

Kevin Duffy

SeaFields wrote: »

Saved by an Irish man wasnt it? There was a book or something about that recently.

Wasn't during WWI, but after http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/the-irish-man-who-saved-hitler-2579288.html

iMax

Mousey- wrote: »

sorry mate, unless you mistyped WW1( persume you did since it was your great grandfather)
thats highly unlikley, no gas was used on WW2 battlefields by the germans.

You're quite correct. it was a Double tap of the "I"

PeterIanStaker

Steyr wrote: »

It is interesting to hear indeed.



But how is it incredible? Thousands of Irish men and women have fought under another Nations flag. Hell we even founded some of the Worlds Major Navy's, The United States Navy to name one.

and the Argentine navy.

tallaghtmick

my grandfather wasnt a soldier but a rescue swimmer,he swam in the waters of dunkirk as they where getting shelled to rescue soldiers who couldnt swim,apparently he had to be dragged out of the waters as he couldnt stand to see young lads dying and screaming,he got a medal for bravery for it.....not bad for a man of 43.

Aiel

Yes,my grand-uncle was in the US Army Pacific Fleet in WW2.He got a Medal of Honour for helping to take one of many tiny yet important islands in the Western Pacific.
The Japs had loads of booby traps set and apparently my Grand-uncle was good at sniffing out them and ambushes too.For example,he'd spot something like a huge tree that appeared to have fallen naturally and they'd go to go around it but he noticed it was actually felled on purpose and that a trip wire lay where they were about to go around the tree.

ScumLord

iMax wrote: »

His grandson (my uncle) left his medal on his grave headstone in Glasnevin 20 years ago during my Grandfather's funeral & it disappeared (stolen we presume) within a couple of weeks.

Well duh, why on earth would anyone think it wouldn't get stolen?

Dyr

Gnobe wrote: »

My catholic grandfather from County Tyrone moved to huddersfield when he was a teenager, joined the Royal Navy during world war II. I think he was captured by the Japanese but I'm not sure.

He managed to join the navy and be captured by the japs In huddersfield?