I researched my great-uncle's death in WWII today

pjfan31

Because it is ANZAC day today, a time where we remember the lives of the soldiers who fought for us (Australia and New Zealand) in all the wars over the years, I decided to look up the death of my grandfather's little brother.

I learnt that he died on the 11th of July 1942 after they rescued 500 Italian P.O.W. On the way back he died from shrapnel wounds after someone launched a grenade or something at them. He was the only man to die in that particular conflict.

Knowing how my grandfather missed his little brother, and how upset he was made me quite emotional.

May He Rest In Peace

patrickredeyes

pjfan31 wrote:

Because it is ANZAC day today, a time where we remember the lives of the soldiers who fought for us (Australia and New Zealand) in all the wars over the years, I decided to look up the death of my grandfather's little brother.

I learnt that he died on the 11th of July 1942 after they rescued 500 Italian P.O.W. On the way back he died from shrapnel wounds after someone launched a grenade or something at them. He was the only man to die in that particular conflict.

Knowing how my grandfather missed his little brother, and how upset he was made me quite emotional.

May He Rest In Peace

Thank you for sharing the story of your great uncle.


Rest In Peace.

pjfan31

patrickredeyes wrote:

Thank you for sharing the story of your great uncle.


Rest In Peace.

It's a pleasure and thankyou.

Fifthelement

My great-uncle died in WW II as well. Was your's buried overseas? If so you can find out where he was buried and other information via the Commonwealth Graves Commission. Lest We Forget . . .

http://www.cwgc.org/debt_of_honour.asp

Pax!

pjfan31

Fifthelement wrote:

My great-uncle died in WW II as well. Was your's buried overseas? If so you can find out where he was buried and other information via the Commonwealth Graves Commission. Lest We Forget . . .

http://www.cwgc.org/debt_of_honour.asp

Pax!

Mate I went here first http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/ Then got information from that, found out what troop he was with, googled that, then got heaps of information here http://www.awm.gov.au/diaries/ww2/diary.asp?diary=150

I don't know if that will do you any good, but just google what you know. I was amazed that hand written records came up and all sorts of things. Good luck.

Fifthelement

pjfan31 wrote:

Mate I went here first http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/ Then got information from that, found out what troop he was with, googled that, then got heaps of information here http://www.awm.gov.au/diaries/ww2/diary.asp?diary=150

I don't know if that will do you any good, but just google what you know. I was amazed that hand written records came up and all sorts of things. Good luck.

Thanks for the info. However, cause he was Canadian he's not in the Aussie files. I tried just to see, but no luck. The Govt of Canada veteran's affairs has some great archive info for those who are interested. Did you watch Gallipoli today? I have a friend who's a Kiwi - she always watches Gallipoli on ANZAC day.

PAX!

pjfan31

Fifthelement wrote:

Thanks for the info. However, cause he was Canadian he's not in the Aussie files. I tried just to see, but no luck. The Govt of Canada veteran's affairs has some great archive info for those who are interested. Did you watch Gallipoli today? I have a friend who's a Kiwi - she always watches Gallipoli on ANZAC day.

PAX!

Yeah, It was pretty moving, that's what made me look for the records. i just remember my grandfather (even with alzheimer's) he couldn't remember my name at times, but without failure, he would know Stuarts battalion and number and everything. Not long after Stuart died, my grandfather got a letter from him congratulating him on the birth of my Aunty saying how he looks forward to meeting her. Sad sad sad

Fifthelement

The day my great-uncle was killed (in Northern France) was the same day that my grandfather took a shrapnel wound via friendly-fire (damn Yanks!) in Southern France. What was really weird was that both of them had written home to my great granny on the same day, a few days before Eli was killed. Both of them asked about the other as they hadn't heard from each other in a while. I have both of the 'last' letters from France as well as the telegrams to my granny saying that Eli was MIA and then the follow-up confirming that he was KIA. I also have the telegram that informed her that my grandfather was injured. I feel quite blessed to have these personal records.

PAX!

GreenTeaDisease

I found out not too long ago that my great uncle stormed the beach at normandy.

luckily, he was able to survive that day and lived to a good old age.