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riosleftsock 8:05 Tue Feb 2
What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

My mum's dad was a cunt, had 11 kids (2 died) and despite earning decent dosh, spent it all on gambling.

My nan had to take in laundry to pay the rent.

My nan was a battered housewife who after the war, when the kids had grown up, left him and got a flat and adopted a war orphan (after bringing up 9 of her own).

My Dad'd mum died when she was only 32.

My Dad's dad did everything - served in the RAMC in the war, helped liberating the concentration camps and interviewing the survivors. Bought an ex german MTB after the war, ripped the engines out and built a house on it. Worked at the Royal College of Pathology among many other things.

You cunts?

Ricky Bobby 2:39 Fri Feb 5
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

*held the

Ricky Bobby 2:37 Fri Feb 5
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

My Granddad played for West Ham Youth, he held to European Youth 100 metre sprint record and was seen as a potential first team player... With that he landed himself a motor cycle messenger role in the Army delivering telegrams around the country.

After the war he went to work on the docks, money and living was the priority and with my mum's arrival.

He held the 100m record for 36 years, it was beaten in 1971.

Oh dear 11:04 Fri Feb 5
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

Coffee

My Aunt and Great Aunt seemed to know the most but not as much as any of us feel we should know so we’ve decided to an application to the M.o.D for his full Service Record

He was in the RHA and reached the Rank of Warrant Officer or Staff Sargent and went to India in 1930 and spent some time in Shimla, the NW Frontier and Afghanistan.

Then went to Nth Africa and Sicily as part of XXX-Corp and stayed with them through D-Day to the end of the war.

Other than that the idle fucker didn’t do a thing…………………….. ;>)

Hopefully the information the M.o.D can provide will help me fill in any gaps

HairyHammer 6:36 Fri Feb 5
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

My fathers dad made frogs urine schnapps during the first world war and his mother was a stand up comedian, though back in the 20's there was not much need for them.
My mothers dad was one of the first people to make Alcohol funny and made some good money telling salty jokes in Cafe's around the village, her mum was a fortune teller who told everyone about Hitler and Bernard Manning before either of them were even known to the world.

Schoffie 6:21 Fri Feb 5
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

My dad's dad was a desert rat. Got wounded twice in action, once by a bayonet in the groin, silly sod jumped into shell hole, straight onto the end of a dead krauts gun. Second time his mate got shot just as he threw a grenade, left my grandad with no armpit as a result. He worked at fords the rest of life, leukimia got him in 1980. Nan worked in munitions down fords during the war and after full time housewife. She's just recently gone into a residential home, trashed her room 1st day, didn't want to leave her house.. She's 97.
Mums dad was an fireman. he hardly ever mentioned the war, always changed the subject. Nan said its because what he saw. He became a painter and decorator after the war. Took me everywhere when I was a kid in his robin reliant or his red bus rover. Died of stroke 1986. Really miss him tbh. Nan was a housewife, the sort that never owned a washing machine, insisted it done by hand. Tea ready and on the table for my grandad as soon as he got in from work. She lived til 98, my great grandmother lived til 104!
Both sides originally from Stepney and Leytonstone but moved to Dagenham, coincidently just a few streets apart.

eusebiovic 12:47 Fri Feb 5
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

Obey Generals Franco and Salazar right wing dictatorship's against their will...

Brutal, claustrophobic times...which is why both my parents got out A.S.A.P...maybe they had a common enemy...however, it didn't stop them being hamstrung because of it...

Nobody ever learns anything is what I have learnt

Crassus 12:16 Fri Feb 5
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

This has been a wonderful Fred

Thanks to all and what a walk down memory lane with so much commonality within the individual lives

Imagine what our grandkids will be saying about us?

Big Dave 3:33 Thu Feb 4
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

Maternal Grandfather was in the police down in the West Country during the war although still managed to get shot doing the day job. Grandmother stayed at home looking after the kids - my Mum and her sister.

When he retired they moved to some small village in Spain and played cards with the locals, coming back to see us for a couple of months during the summer each year. She was sharp as a tack until the very end, eventually dying of cancer almost 20 years ago and he was strong as an ox - but doolally - eventually dying about 15 years ago.

Still miss them. Lasting memory of him is going round their house and being told "Sshh sonner.. snookers on" and watching it with him giving commentary. He was a demon on the baize as well.


Dad's Dad was in the army and was apparently a bit of a nutcase. My dad's Mum was basically Mrs Brady Old Lady from Viz.

CanningTownWA 9:07 Thu Feb 4
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

My maternal grandad served as a lorry driver in North Africa and Italy and finished the war in Austria. His best mate died on the last day of the war, hit by an American truck, not a good end to things. He worked in Tates, Silvertown after the war until he retired.

My paternal grandad worked for GEC in the midlands making machinery for the war. He carried on working there and did 50 years service!

My great grandad was in the 2nd Boer War and had a metal plate in his head, he used to take snuff, I was curious about it, he said try it - I did and it just about blew my head off and my eyes would not stop watering. I never touched his snuff tin again!

Crassus 8:32 Thu Feb 4
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

Maternal grand father was a railway man and worked through the war driving trains around the docks, he came from a very well to do family from the Welsh borders and as a kid was taken by his dad 'somewhere special'. Through a thicket there was a huge country house, a Brideshead style thing, Transpires it was his family house but his father fell in love with a chamber maid and had a choice of being disowned or binning her off, he stayed with her and an away to London for the rest of his life, living in Blanche Street wher GD was born.

Maternal Nan grew up in rural Cambridgeshire but came to London to work in service at 17. Met GD along the way.

Paternal GD was a chef, served in the RAF and then worked in the big hotels up west. Always had steak in their house through post war rationing as nan sewed in secret pockets inside his over coat.Loved a beer and game of cards, a character I never met, died sadly 2 years before I was born.

Paternal Nan was a waitress at Tates and then a housewife, they lived in Star Lane, on the corner with Liverpool Rd, Gd drank in the Anchor

Bless them all RIP

Vegimighty Hammer 7:26 Thu Feb 4
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

My Grandad was as far as I know a Navy man all his professional life.

Served on the HMS Spitfire in WWI and saw action in at Jutland. Disappeared for a few years between wars and turned up in NZ where he apparently assisted in getting their Navy up and running.

WWII served on the HMS Warspite saw action in the Med and was on her when she bombarded the beaches before DDay.

Coffee 7:04 Thu Feb 4
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

This is a really good thread.

normannomates 2:02 Thu Feb 4
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

My maternal grandfather was with the Middlesex regiment at Normandy...said Caen was hell...
His father was horse Artilleryman at first battle of Ypres..and later got gassed at Amiens.
I have his service medals..which are my most treasured possession..and humbled to have.

SDKFZ 222 2:01 Thu Feb 4
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

1964, me too, my Dad served in the 8th Army. I feel quite old compared with some on this site ;-)

Far Cough 1:09 Thu Feb 4
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

Motor Torpedo Boat

The Germans called them E Boats, the Yanks called them PT boats

Fifth Column 1:00 Thu Feb 4
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

Rios

What is an MTB?

chad sexington 12:37 Thu Feb 4
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

Maternal grandfather was captured in North Africa in WW2 and was a prisoner of war in Crete.
Paternal was a skilled labourer and worked in munitions and was part of the home guard. He didn't even get given a gun so had to make a fake one out of wood.

easthammer 12:29 Thu Feb 4
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

My Granddad ( on my fathers side) fought in the 2nd Boer War and was a builder's labourer and Chalton Road West Ham.

My Nan had seven kids so was at home a lot of the time.

On my mother's side my Granddad lived in Plaistow was a Engine Driver shunting freight at Stratford sidings , he died before I was born, but apparently he never fully recovered after suffering crush injuries at work.

My other nan also had seven kids so was also at home a lot. Never met her either.

m11 5:58 Wed Feb 3
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

Dads dad was a boilermaker, mum was "in service".
Mums mum was an office cleaner, dad was what used to be called a "navvy" working on the railway lines.

ohgodno 5:24 Wed Feb 3
Re: What did your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

Grandfather was a baker in the Irish Army. He who mysteriously died in Doncaster. His nick-name suggested he was a clandestine bookmaker. He claimed to be a Navaho Indian.

Grandmother was in service. She assaulted the woman who owned the house after she was caught taking the back of a wardrobe to get at the suits because they had money in them. She hit the woman with a money box, knocked her clean out, and went on the run for two years because she thought she'd killed her.

wurzel 4:33 Wed Feb 3
Re: What di your grandparents do (not necessarily in the war)?

My grandad was 10 when the war broke out. He lived in Custom house and was eventually evacuated. He stayed with a Mr and Mrs Ames, Mr Ames was Les Ames, wicket keeper for England in the 30's. Apparently where they lived, the Germans started to release the bombs they didn't use over London and my grandads Mum didn't take long going to collect him and drag him back to the East end. Funny old world.

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