Know a family member who was in WWII?

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2006-05-09 01:11pm

You can honor him by having his name put into the pilot list for

"From Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich" a simulation game under development by Matrix games.

Currently, the Pilot Data Base as of right now holds

1934 US Pilots
651 British
250 Poles
124 Canadians
68 Czechs
45 New Zealanders
43 French
32 Australian
20 Dutch
14 Norwegians
17 S.Africans

807 Germans
175 Romanians
64 Italians
108 Hungarians

-------

I've already nominated

Robert W. Hanrahan (USAF) (my maternal grandfather, graduated HS In 1945; would have been in Japan if the bombs hadn't been dropped).

Thomas Crierie (RCAF) (paternal Grandfather, not sure what he did during the war; I know my paternal grandmother worked in a Canadian aircraft factory office during the war)

and I'm in the list currently as

2nd Lt Ryan R. Crierie, 17th BG (B-26s)

The nomination thread is Here

BlkbrryTheGreat · Post by **BlkbrryTheGreat** » 2006-05-09 01:19pm

My grandfather was a Polish infantryman during WWII- so he dosen't qualify for the list.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2006-05-09 01:20pm

BlkbrryTheGreat wrote:My grandfather was a Polish infantryman during WWII- so he dosen't qualify for the list.

He qualifies as a Pole, for the list.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-05-09 01:55pm

So it can be from any service? I had one grandfather in the RAF in the UK at that time, a grandfather serving in Burma and a great grandfather with the Home Guard. Not military, but I always find a special mention worthy for my grandmother who worked as a engineer creating the Merlin.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2006-05-09 02:06pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:So it can be from any service?

Yep; the idea is to fill up pilot names in the game files; it's a nice honor for those who fought in the Big One.

Ubiquitous · Post by **Ubiquitous** » 2006-05-09 02:21pm

Many of my family members were involved - chief amongst them a brother of my nanna who worked at GC & CS, a great-grandfather who was captured by the Japanese and held in an interment camp for several years in applaing conditions, and an other great-grandfather who was a Desert Rat. Thanks for the link Shep, I will be signing up for this.

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2006-05-09 02:32pm

Eino Kantojärvi - Former finnish infantery man and my mothers fater.

Vehrec · Post by **Vehrec** » 2006-05-09 02:47pm

The man I am named for- Great Uncle Bill Abbuhl (THERE IS NO D! WHY DO PEOPLE PROUNOUNCE IT WITH A D????!?!)- Was a cook on a troopship in the Pacific. He was in pearl harbor. . . in 1944. He also ruled the lives of marines, because he just asked for them, and they had to come peel potatos. My Grandfather also wanted to serve, but appparently Veternarians were needed more on the homefront than overseas.
So throw Bill Abbuhl on the Americans list.

Netko · Post by **Netko** » 2006-05-09 02:49pm

Both my grandfathers were members of the partisan resistance in Yugoslavia. Dunno how appropriate it might be to nominate them for this tho, especialy the one that later made the military his carrer choice, but as an arty officer (at first).

Considering that during the war and for a decent chunk after the partisans (and later the YPA) didn't even have an airforce, it really doesn't feel appropriate.

Nah, it doesn't feel right.

EDIT: small correction

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-05-09 03:05pm

My great-uncle, Dick Carlson, fought at Guadalcanal, Turawa, Midway, and another one that was supposed to be Hell-on-Earth*. He was one of the lineman-grunt-guys. (American.)

John Horne was my father's cousin, and he was a gunner in the Pacific (American.)

* Edit - the fourth one, I finally remembered, was Iwo Jima (probably spelled wrong.)

Molyneux · Post by **Molyneux** » 2006-05-09 03:29pm

Pick wrote:My great-uncle, Dick Carlson, fought at Guadalcanal, Turawa, Midway, and another one that was supposed to be Hell-on-Earth*. He was one of the lineman-grunt-guys. (American.)

John Horne was my father's cousin, and he was a gunner in the Pacific (American.)

* Edit - the fourth one, I finally remembered, was Iwo Jima (probably spelled wrong.)

Nope, y'got it right.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2006-05-09 04:32pm

William Furniss, my grandfather. B-17s rock.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-05-09 04:52pm

Cpl Joseph T. Cashion Army Rear Echelon, D-Day

OculusMortis · Post by **OculusMortis** » 2006-05-09 05:02pm

Sgt Norman Dewen, British Army, Sherwood Foresters, 2nd Battalion

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-05-09 05:04pm

My grandfather was a NZ engineer in the Pacific. I guess I should find out what unit.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2006-05-09 05:20pm

My grandfather was a lieutenant working at the administrative offices of the SF shipyards.

Macunaima · Post by **Macunaima** » 2006-05-09 06:09pm

Hum, very interesting. I've just included the names of 57 Brazilian pilots who were in the 1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron, on the 350th Fighter Group of USAAF forces, in the Italian campaing. I'm really not related to any of them, but I think it would be nice to have them in the game.

Lonestar · Post by **Lonestar** » 2006-05-09 06:43pm

My Great-Uncle served in the Navy during WW2.

Spent it running the O Club in Pearl Harbor.

I don't think it would really count.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-05-09 06:52pm

I've got a close one. My grandfather, Arthur Sanders, was a B-17 navigator. Not quite a pilot, but close. Actually, he was briefly a pilot, but they grounded him after a mid-air collision that was completely the other guy's fault. The other guy, of course, was free to continue flying.

Solauren · Post by **Solauren** » 2006-05-09 07:23pm

I'd nomiate my grandfather, but I can't get hide nor hair on his military history from him for some reason.

Hell, he HIDES his medals from his own kids

LORDDOOMMASTER · Post by **LORDDOOMMASTER** » 2006-05-10 12:28am

I nominated my grandfather's name, he fought in WW2 in the European theater. Emil Holtz, I am not sure of his army rank, but I believe I remember him telling me that he was a sergeant. He passed away in 2000 and I submitted his name in hope that he is remembered for the great man that he was.

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2006-05-10 12:45am

Grandfather:
Duane Kaiser, B-17 Tailgunner 487th Heavy Bomb Group "Gentlemen From Hell"

Spyder · Post by **Spyder** » 2006-05-10 04:12am

Stark wrote:My grandfather was a NZ engineer in the Pacific. I guess I should find out what unit.

Heh, small world.

...His name wasn't James Wetherilt was it?

Post by **weemadando** » 2006-05-10 04:23am

Well, I've got a Grandfather who served in North Africa. One great uncle who was at Tobruk, Milne Bay and half the other bloody Australian major battles (seriously, he had the worlds worst bloody timing), and another great uncle who died on the Burma Railway. I'll put them all in.

Kojiro · Post by **Kojiro** » 2006-05-10 09:06am

My grandfather was in the RAF during the war. I have this statue that was given to him by his crew when the war ended. I regret to say that when I was younger I played with it like a toy before I had any concept of it's significance.

His name was Lt. Thomas Tobin. He was the pilot of a Lancaster bomber, though I don't know which squadron. He flew 44 missions and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with one additional bar, currently locked away in the bank.

The names on the plane are, I'm told, the members of the crew. The names on the bottom plaque are the places they bombed. There are 22 different places, including Berlin and Dresden.

The names on the wings are: PJ Rollason, PJ Maloney, WY Dolling, RS Smart, AB Tilson and RC Muggleton.