OT: Did anyone in your family fight in world war II for canada?

Did anyone in your family fight in world war II for canada?


  • Total voters
    126

pylon17

Registered User
Jan 19, 2017
1,037
199
My grandfather fought overseas for Canada during WW2. My father was born nearly two decades after the war ended.

EDIT: someone merged another one of my threads into this so if you're seeing conversation about "what generation Canadian are you" blame it on a mod.
 
Last edited:

Mickey Marner

Registered User
Jul 9, 2014
19,224
20,752
Dystopia
Voted 3rd. 3/4 of my grandparents were immigrants (England/Poland). My paternal grandmothers side was here since at least the 1800's, not sure how far back though.
 
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Hogan86

Registered User
Jun 21, 2016
1,563
679
No immediate family members of mine fought in WWII.

However, my great grandpa fought in WWI. Enlisted at 40 years old. Was wounded by gas, and had to be institutionalized later in life due to the shell shock he suffered from. My grandfather was born after he came back. By that point my great grandfather was in his mid 40's, and a very lost man from the horrors he endured during his time in France. Reading the letters he sent home, its beyond conceivable what those men went through.

I remember a belt buckle he brought home that he took off a dead German soldier. The inscription was 'Got mit Uns' (God with Us). Some of the men he fought alongside wondered aloud that God was not with either side in that conflict, as they were living and fighting in hell on Earth. Messed up stuff they all had to endure.

Lest we forget.
 
Last edited:

Jojalu

Registered User
Feb 22, 2019
5,141
6,057
Paternal grandfather was in France and Germany as a tank driver.

Maternal grandfather was with the navy all over.
 

Fogelhund

Registered User
Sep 15, 2007
21,047
23,149
I mean how does one answer this? Is it by when the first of your ancestors came over? That would be 7th generation. If it’s when the last of the ancestors came over, I’m second generation, as my Grandmother was born in Wales, of Irish parents... so???
 

cupcrazyman

Stupid Sexy Flanders
Aug 14, 2006
16,404
1,469
Leafland
1st generation but it turns out my great grandfather was here first in Canada from England during The Fenian Raids 1866-1871.A family friend helped my dad with our family ancestry.He went all the way back to the early 1800's which is pretty cool.
 

hfman

Registered User
Oct 30, 2013
3,073
1,379
Next thread title:

what’s you national insurance number?

ok and off topic here but what was your mother’s maiden name again?

well we've already had the "where do you live" topic a few days ago and also the "did your family fight in WW2" topic so why not this one as well...


seems like people are doing a little digging around here as of late



all great topics for a hockey team's home forum though!
 

67Cup

Registered User
Sep 16, 2005
3,894
702
Not quite sure, a lot, but more importantly for this situation, I am a third generation Leafs fan and my grandson is on the way to being a fifth generation fan. He loves wearing his Leafs sweater.
 

hamzarocks

Registered User
Jul 22, 2012
20,119
13,064
Pickering, Ontario
Was born in karachi pakistan and immigrated with family here in 02. Guess I'm second generation

First generation leaf fan though. Was the only person in family to love hockey and support leafs from when I first started watching passionately (2010) till around last years playoffs vs Bruins which got my younger brother hoocked as a leaf fan.
 
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Eternal Leaf

Registered User
Jul 4, 2011
7,594
8,823
Toronto
Was born in karachi pakistan and immigrated with family here in 02. Guess I'm second generation

First generation leaf fan though. Was the only person in family to love hockey and support leafs from when I first started watching passionately (2010) till around last years playoffs vs Bruins which got my younger brother hoocked as a leaf fan.

That's awesome.

I'm a second-generation Canadian (born in Mississauga) and my parents immigrated from Lahore, Pakistan in the 80s.

Dad and uncles were already die-hard Leafs fans by the time I was born, so I'm a second-generation Leafs fan too.

Kinda cool to see how diverse the fanbase is. Pretty much rings true for all Toronto sports teams.
 

ponder

Registered User
Jul 11, 2007
16,928
6,217
Vancouver
2nd/3rd:
  • I was born in Canada
  • My mom was born in England
  • My dad was born in Canada, both both of his parents were born in Europe (Poland and England)
How does that work? Would that count as 2nd generation (mom’s side), or 3rd generation (dad’s side)?
 

Macman

Registered User
May 15, 2004
3,447
408
Three of my uncles from the Maritimes fought in World War II.

One was a bomb aimer who was transferred from the RCAF to the RAF's fabled Dambusters squadron and flew 48 sorties, including one dam raid and three raids that culminated in the sinking of the battleship Turpitz. He won the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Another uncle landed at Juno on D-Day plus two and fought through France, Holland and into Germany with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

Another was on an anti-aircraft battery in London during the blitz, then went with the Canadian artillery through France and Holland.

My grandfather fought in WWI and was shot through the wrist during the Battle of Amiens. His brother was in the artillery and spent the rest of his life in a psychiatric hospital with shell shock. I also had two great uncles in the British army and one was killed at the Somme.

Proud of them all.
 

Macman

Registered User
May 15, 2004
3,447
408
No immediate family members of mine fought in WWII.

However, my great grandpa fought in WWI. Enlisted at 40 years old. Was wounded by gas, and had to be institutionalized later in life due to the shell shock he suffered from. My grandfather was born after he came back. By that point my great grandfather was in his mid 40's, and a very lost man from the horrors he endured during his time in France. Reading the letters he sent home, its beyond conceivable what those men went through.

I remember a belt buckle he brought home that he took off a dead German soldier. The inscription was 'Got mit Uns' (God with Us). Some of the men he fought alongside wondered aloud that God was not with either side in that conflict, as they were living and fighting in hell on Earth. Messed up stuff they all had to endure.

Lest we forget.

I don't know if you're aware of this, but the Canadian Archives website has a search engine of the war records of all 600,000 Canadians from the first war. Medical records, where they served, the whole deal. It's a tremendous resource for filling in some of the blanks you might have on your great-grandfather.
 

Metroid

Слава Україні!!
Sep 6, 2006
5,116
5,367
Hellmouth
Was born in karachi pakistan and immigrated with family here in 02. Guess I'm second generation
.
One of good buddies is from Karachi, his dad had a stint on drums (live only not records ) for Junoon! Made the choice of quiting rock n roll for bringing his family to Canada.

Now for OPs question. Born in Canada, parents were immigrants, but my grandmothers unlce was living in St.Cathrines. in order for my grandma/dad to.be allowed to come here they had to change their last name to my grandma's unlces last name, so technically my last name is "fake" haha. The real one was cooler sounding.
 
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