My Family

The purpose of this board is to post information and pictures of the family members who served have served in any kind of service to their country. In this way we can honour their memory and service.
Post Reply
Dubar
Recruit
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2017 2:35 pm

My Family

Post by Dubar »

Dad was from Skippers Virginia and was in the 9th USAAF in WWII.

Mom was Welsh, her and her sister were both nurses aides in WWII. My mom had a scar on her leg she said was from shrapnel she got while in Coventry when it was bombed.

Mom said my British uncle Leslie was a British tanker commander, he was captured in Italy and spent 2 years as a POW before escaping.

3 of my dad's brothers were in the US Army, one was a Gunnery Sargent, said all he ever did was yell FIRE!!! One of the others received the Silver Star for actions either in the Bulge or Hurtgen Forest. All I can recall him saying was the Germans were shelling from one side into the valley his outfit was in and the Americans were shelling from the other side...and all the shells were landing on his outfit. I think the 3rd uncle was an MP, he ended up being a policeman.

My wife's dad was in the Philippines, received a Bronze Star, think he was a medic.

My Welsh Granddad was in WWI. He was in the Mercantile Marines on the SS ORIANA when the war broke out and ended up in the Cheshire Yeomanry, from there to the Manchester Regiment, and finally in the Royal Machine Gun Corp. After the war he went back to the MM for a while as Assistant Steward on the SS VICTORIA. At one time he and my grandmother ran the Badorgan Arms Hotel.

I have all his medals, papers, and service record.

I also had a medal he had won in a poker game. I never knew much about it (except the name on the edge) until I ran across the website "Lost Medals Australia". It belong to a Major John Wellesley Flood, MD. of the Australian Imperial Force.

With LMA's help I found a relative of the Majors and sent him the medal. Major Flood is mention in the book "THE WOLF" by Richard Guilliat & Peter Hohnen. Quite a read if anyone is interested in WWI. They sent me a copy of the book as thanks for returning the medal.

Here's a photo of the medal:
0806210005.JPG
0806210006.JPG
0806210007.JPG
Here's a photo of my aunt and uncle:
Uncle Leslie and Aunt Gwen Howie022.jpg
(I think that's my mom barely in the photo at the left)

and my Pop:
POP.jpg
POP.jpg (10.35 KiB) Viewed 2607 times
All gone now. I do have a cousin still in England but have no clue how to get in touch with her.
User avatar
wibblywobbly
Major
Posts: 6398
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:30 am
Location: South Wales Valley
Contact:

Re: My Family

Post by wibblywobbly »

That's quite a history you have there, and the story behind the medal is interesting. I hate to think that as the years go by, the knowledge and memories will fade into the archives, and that few people will ever to look back at what went on.
Tiger 1 Late
Panther G
King Tiger
M36 B1
Dubar
Recruit
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2017 2:35 pm

Re: My Family

Post by Dubar »

Thanks!

Every time I see a medal at a show for sale I wonder who it belonged to and what became of them.

I only met my grandfather once, in 1958 when we went over to see them when they lived in Chester. After he died my grandmother came over to live with us around 1967.

Another story...While in England we went to London to see my aunt and uncle. My mom and brother went back by the weekend and I stayed an extra week with them.

When it came time to go back to my grandparents my uncle put me and their Cocker Spaniel "Juno" on the train and left to get the tickets. When he came back the train was GONE!!!

He had put me on the wrong train, I think it was an express going to Scotland. He told them at the London station and they radioed ahead to have the train stopped, I think in Chester. When my mom got there to pick me up I was sitting inside drinking milk and eating cookies.

I was scared to death on the train, I couldn't understand anyone and I'm sure they couldn't understand me (southern part of Virginia). When I tell people I'm 1/2 Welsh they look at me odd. I tell them my mom was from "South" Wales :haha: Seems I picked up my dad's side of the family as far as accent goes.
User avatar
Model Builder 4
2nd Lieutenant
Posts: 2329
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2015 3:46 pm
Location: South Wales valleys
Contact:

Re: My Family

Post by Model Builder 4 »

Hi Dubar , where in South Wales were your family from ? I live in the valleys myself :thumbup:

Cheers, Lee.
Me ? Addicted ? Never !! :crazy:
Dubar
Recruit
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2017 2:35 pm

Re: My Family

Post by Dubar »

Cardiff comes to mind but I'll have to double check, mom's maiden name was Richards.
Post Reply

Return to “Ancestors”