WW2 Soldier Tales

[SeanPaul_031]

I was talking to my grandfather and he told me some funny stories when he was a soldier just after WW2...

1)Him and his buddies had been digging fox holes all day, and when their sergeant saw how much of a good job they were doing, he bought them like 4 cases of beer. Anyways they drank all the beer and a couple of them got drunk, its also around night time now and pitch black and they have just finished digging their holes. So one of the drunk guys stumbles and falls inside his fox hole, and he starts crawling around inside it. Except this was an "L" shaped fox hole and he climbs into the hole in the bottom of the "L", and falls asleep as he is very drunk. So morning time comes and this guy wakes up and he is SCREAMING his head off, there is dirt and earth all around him, on his sides, on top and on bottom. Hes scratching at the earth and screaming like a lunatic. He thought he had been buried alive, until his fellow soldiers hear him screaming and they pull him out by the legs.

2)Him and his buddies again are swimming in a lake, and some of them are diving in it as well. One of the guys diving off the rock finds a white phosphorous mortar at the bottom of the lake, and as he comes up for air he starts beeming gleefully from ear to ear, telling his buddies what he found at the bottom of the lake. So he goes and dives for more of these, and he ends up finding like 5 of these white phosphorous mortars at the bottom of the lake, and he brings them back with him into his tent and hides them, thinking hes found a gold treasure. Anyways in the middle of the night he wakes up and theres smoke everywhere in his tent, and then he notices that its on fire!! Apparently white phosphorous burns when it is exposed to oxygen, and in the middle of the night it had lit his tent up. The guy was okay but needless to say his tent was ruined

 

[civvy3840]

My grandfather signed up in WW2 to be a fighter pilot. When he was doing the testing (taking off etc..) everything was going great. Until he had to land. When he went to land he was to afraid he was going to hit the ground. He ended up having to have someone talk him down after awhile. Needless to say he didn't become a fighter pilot. He ended up being the guy who drops all the bombs.

 

[Infanteer101]

You guys should read up on some folks and how they got their well deserved VCs as well. I thought I'd add the story of how Sgt Aubrey Cosens of QOR back in WW2 got his VC. We who belong/belonged to the Regiment hold this man's vigilance and resourcefulness in our Regimental Catechism and his actions/conduct in the truest tradition of riflemanship. The story brings a tear to my eye. The page is found at http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=history/secondwar/citations/cosens. For convenience I have cut and pasted in this forum.


'In Holland on the night of 25th-26th February 1945, the 1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada launched an attack on the hamlet of Mooshof, to capture ground which was considered essential for the development of future operations.

Sergeant Cosens' platoon, with two tanks in support, attacked enemy strong points in three farm buildings, but were twice beaten back by fanatical enemy resistance and then fiercely counter-attacked, during which time the platoon suffered heavy casualties and the platoon commander was killed.

Sergeant Cosens at once assumed command of the only other four survivors of his platoon, whom he placed in a position to give him covering fire, while he himself ran across open ground under heavy mortar and shell fire to the one remaining tank, where, regardless of the danger, he took up an exposed place in front of the turret and directed his fire.

After a further enemy counter-attack had been repulsed, Sergeant Cosens ordered the tank to attack the farm buildings, while the four survivors of his platoon followed in close support. After the tank had rammed the first building he entered it alone, killing several of the defenders and taking the rest prisoner.

Single-handed he then entered the second and third buildings, and personally killed or captured all the occupants, although under intense machine-gun and small arms fire.

Just after the successful reduction of these important enemy strong points, Sergeant Cosens was shot through the head by an enemy sniper and died almost instantly.

The outstanding gallantry, initiative and determined leadership of this brave N.C.O., who himself killed at least twenty of the enemy and took an equal number of prisoners, resulted in the capture of a position which was vital to the success of the future operations of the Brigade.'

 

[DannyBoy]

I like the mortar story, its funny, yet its so dangerous! I don't think I would pick anything up that was unexploded and underwater exposed to an element, but that was a great story. Hey are there anymore stories out there i really enjoy reading them. 

 

[Spr.Earl]

My father was a merchant seaman back in the 50's and alas stayed at home to long and ended up doing his National Service.He ended up in the 4th Hussars and the C.O was Col. Kennard or Lord Kennard.
Well this old tanker came into the Regiment and was assigned as the Col.'s driver.It turned out that the good old Lord ended up as a POW in the desert of N.Africa, when he was captured he was caught with his kek's down cat holeing having a crap and his driver escaped and 15 yrs later this poor bugger ends up back in the 4th Hussars and paid dearly but was taken care off by the lads.

 

[Bill Smy]

This was reported in the Niagara Fallas, NY, newspapers in September 1914:--

​

"Soldier Tanked Up

​

American Magistrate Had Mercy

​

On Canadian for Once

Niagara Falls, NY, Sept. 23. - The first Canadian soldier to be arraigned here since the calling out of the Dominion militia is James McCormack of the St Catharines Nineteenth Regiment of foot. McCormack was charged with intoxication, on the police docket. In his eyes there was no disputing his being filled with a weariness that follows a good time off duty. He looked as sorry as he dare when able to lift his head long enough to answer to his name. There was no mistake. McCormack was suffering and he acknowledged it.

"You were drunk, weren't you?" quizzed the court superfluously.
"I was, sir. I sure was."
"You were guarding the Welland Canal, eh?"
"I was."
"Suppose a couple of Germans came along with men like you on guard, they'd take the canal away with them. What then?"
"O, judge, the way I feel this morning, I don't care if the canal stays or not."
"Are you going over to fight?"
"I dunno, mabbe we might have to go yet. I don't feel well, judge."
"You look and probably feel as if you had been in a big battle already, and got the worst of it."
"Right again judge. You're always right."
"Suppose the King was to see you now, eh?"
"I'd keep out of his way. It's the Commanding Officer that'll get me."

Judge Piper suspended sentence and warned the soldier that the next defender that came here convicted of intoxication will be fined."

 

[Spr.Earl]

Good one Bill  ;D

 

[JBP]

This was reported in the Niagara Fallas, NY, newspapers in September 1914:--

​

"Soldier Tanked Up

​

American Magistrate Had Mercy

​

On Canadian for Once

Niagara Falls, NY, Sept. 23. - The first Canadian soldier to be arraigned here since the calling out of the Dominion militia is James McCormack of the St Catharines Nineteenth Regiment of foot. McCormack was charged with intoxication, on the police docket. In his eyes there was no disputing his being filled with a weariness that follows a good time off duty. He looked as sorry as he dare when able to lift his head long enough to answer to his name. There was no mistake. McCormack was suffering and he acknowledged it.

"You were drunk, weren't you?" quizzed the court superfluously.
"I was, sir. I sure was."
"You were guarding the Welland Canal, eh?"
"I was."
"Suppose a couple of Germans came along with men like you on guard, they'd take the canal away with them. What then?"
"O, judge, the way I feel this morning, I don't care if the canal stays or not."
"Are you going over to fight?"
"I dunno, mabbe we might have to go yet. I don't feel well, judge."
"You look and probably feel as if you had been in a big battle already, and got the worst of it."
"Right again judge. You're always right."
"Suppose the King was to see you now, eh?"
"I'd keep out of his way. It's the Commanding Officer that'll get me."

Judge Piper suspended sentence and warned the soldier that the next defender that came here convicted of intoxication will be fined."

Well, I suppose my unit (the Lincoln and Welland Regiment) didn't earn it's nickname easy! And I bet that certainly wasn't the first or last instance of such due dilligence while on duty........ Shamefully... Cheers to Bill for the story and cheers to the Drinkin' and Swellin' regiment!  ;D

 

[Bill Smy]

The Lincoln and Welland Regiment perpetuates both the 81st and 98th Battalions, CEF.

Sir Sam Hughes was not a prohibitionist but rather a strong advocate of drinking alcohol in moderation. He made a speech in the camp at the Exhibition Grounds in November in which he identified excessive drinking as the enemy of the soldier, and that one reason the British Army had fought so well in Belgium was that it "was the most temperate organization in the world." Whether this speech had any influence on the 81st Battalion is not known, but on 21 December 1915, the St Catharines Standard reported:

"There is joy among the boys of the 81st Battalion, commanded by Lt.-Col. Belson of St Catharines. The battalion has won the fatted 860-pound heifer presented by H. F. Kennedy, live stock commissioner at West Toronto, for the least number of drunks among the battalions from Nov. 10 to Dec. 20. Mr Kennedy originally donated the heifer for the best trained battalion, but this was considered an unfair comparison. Outside the headquarters, the troops did not know that the heifer had been presented for sobriety. Gen. Logie instructed Capt. W. A. Morris, the provost marshall, to keep a count of drunkenness between November 10 and Dec 20 and compile the averages. The 81st had the best record and for their sobriety the boys will have a big feast of beef."

In contrast, "the 98th won the reputation of having drunk more beer than any other unit which stayed at Otterpool," England. This is surprising, as it arrived there in late July 1915, and by 6 October had provided so many reinforcements that it was absorbed by the 12th Reserve Battalion. Their feat, then, was accomplished in two months.

Could the difference be explained in that the 81st was predominately a Toronto unit, while the 98th were farm-boys from Niagara?

 

[x-grunt]

Could the difference be explained in that the 81st was predominately a Toronto unit, while the 98th were farm-boys from Niagara?

Heh. Maybe. Of course, it may also be that the 81at was still at home, but the boys in the 98th were overseas and were being sent into the line. I know I'd lift a few if I knew I was going to be leaving my buds to go into the trenches soon!
Good story, thanks.

 

[Panzer_grenadier_1944]

My grandfather died 5 years before I was born, the only things I heard about him during his war years was from my mom.

My mom told me that my grandfather said "that the Salvation did more for us then anyone else during the war" , he was a tanker and he said he was always afraid of being caught in a tank if it caught on fire.

Thats about it , well that's all I've heard so far.

 

[JBP]

My old great Italian grandfather fought for Germany, unfortunately, and was a "section commander" after some time... He was alive for most of my childhood right up until I was about 13-14 if I remember right...

He was shot 9 times in various places in the body, also had a grenade go off beside him and apparently got damn "lucky" cause he only suffered minor wounds and superficial cuts... Towards the end he was captured (although my dad told me this, not my great grandpa) and taken to Britian and put in jail for "war crimes" etc.... Not for too long apparently...

Anyone know how/where I could get ahold of his military record of service etc???? If it's even possible?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

My old great Italian grandfather fought for Germany, unfortunately, and was a "section commander" after some time... He was alive for most of my childhood right up until I was about 13-14 if I remember right...

He was shot 9 times in various places in the body, also had a grenade go off beside him and apparently got darn "lucky" cause he only suffered minor wounds and superficial cuts... Towards the end he was captured (although my dad told me this, not my great grandpa) and taken to Britian and put in jail for "war crimes" etc.... Not for too long apparently...

Anyone know how/where I could get ahold of his military record of service etc???? If it's even possible?

Was he in the Italian Army or the German Army?  The bundesarchiv in Germany has service records; many were lost during the war, however, so they are naturally not complete.

 

[JBP]

He was in the Italian army. I have no idea how to attain any info no him. He died about 12 years ago and now that I'm in the military it's perked my interest to see what he's done/been through. I didn't get to talk to him too much!

Joe

 

[darmil]

My grandfather was in the winnipeg rifles A company he was 17 yrs old landed on Juno beach they fought fast and hard they got to far ahead of the main body and where caught off by  SS paratroopers.After fighting the SS to a bloody standstill at an orchard near putot-en-Bessin he was eventually taken prisoner.Imprisoned in stalag 3,he bided his time for a month and once aboard a train bound for germany ,he and two friends  made their escape aided by  sharpened table knife,a gift from an American paratrooper.He later learn that 19 other A compnay soldiers who failed to escape were lined up along a wall and executed by the SS.Following his escape he fought with the french resistance,eventually joining General DE Gaulle's Free French Army.He remained with DE Gaulle until the end of the war and earned one of france's highest military honors, the Croix DE Guerre.(He told me that soon as he hit the beach he ditched his webbing cause of the bren pouches being full of ammo he couldn't get low enough to the ground)
I am proud of my grandfather and  proud to be a Canadian soldier

 

[darmil]

By the way he's still alive he turned 90 this past Aug

 

[Panzer_grenadier_1944]

Wow  , thats quite a story !