"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" wrote in message
...
Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.

What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.

Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
Fort William, Ontario.

They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.

How about your folks.....

My father was a Kiwi soldier/driver in the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary
Force and saw action against Rommel in North Africa - Battle of El Alamein
and Tobruk then through the Middle East and finally Italy. Witnessed the
bombing at Monte Casino. He told me he saw Charles Upham being presented
with his VC - one of 2 he received - and said he was the most humble of
soldiers and embarrassed by all the pomp and ceremony.

My uncle was captured by the Germans in Crete and sent to work on farms in
Poland. A talented musician, he received a piano accordion that was sent to
their prison camp by the Pope to boost morale. It was lost during their
release at the end of WW2, but returned to him about ten years ago. He
recently returned to the village where he had been a farm labourer during
the war. An elderly woman ran up to him and cried out "Cliff ! ... Cliff !"
Incredible that she still recognised him after 50 years absence.

My mother, aged in her late teens, lived in Melbourne, Australia. In her
spare time she was a Concert Party dancer entertaining troops who were on
leave. She met my father on his way back to NZ after the war.
Her father was a radio operator who assisted Charles Kingsford Smith with
communications when he flew around Australia. I very much regret not
tracking down my grandfather before he died.

Cheers,
John