Family at War

[Klaus]

No, this is not about the annual family reunion.

Does anybody have pictures of relatives who fought during WW2? Currently I'm trying to get my hands on a picture of my grandfather in DAK uniform. But it turns out to be more difficult than I expected. After all it is a shame to have served in the Wehrmacht. So if any of you have pictures of your relatives that are easier to come by, I would be very interested to see 'em and I'm sure some other people would be as well.

[Jim O]

I will look through my "stuff" for my father's photos. It could take a while.

Too bad about your grandfather not having (m)any photos. I guess that your great-grandfather is out of the question then?

[Klaus]

Take your time Jim.

Most of my grandfathers stuff and pictures were thrown away shortly after the war because of fear. They were relics of "shame and defeat". So a lot was thrown away. Only thing he kept, to my knowledge, was a photo of him the day he got his uniform.

[Aussie Dave]

Here are a couple pictures of my great uncle who flew Lancasters for RAF Bomber Command "Pathfinder" 635 SQN.



Name: DEVESON, EDWARD OLIVER
Initials: E O
Nationality: Australian
Rank: Pilot Officer
Regiment/Service: Royal Australian Air Force
Age: 28
Date of Death: 25/03/1944
Service No: 415625
Aircraft: Avro Lancaster III, RAF 635 SQN #ND704, shot down by german night-fighter at HOLLANDSCHEVELD, Netherlands.

Additional information: Son of Alfred James Deveson and Emily Gertrude Victoria Deveson; husband of Eileen Jean Deveson, of East Fremantle, Western Australia.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot A. Row 6. Grave 5.
Cemetery: HOOGEVEEN (HOLLANDSCHEVELD) GENERAL CEMETERY

One more mission
The doomed flight to Berlin was a sortie beyond the call of duty for Edward Deveson. He had completed his required number of bombing missions and could have returned home to Australia. Instead, he volunteered to go along for one last mission before he would say farewell to his crew mates. Like so many flight crews** during the war, he and the crew never made it back.


Cheers,
Dave

[Jim O]

Thanks for sharing Dave. My uncle (father's brother) flew on 30 bombing raids over Europe as a member of the US Army Air Corp and many more than that number of sorties over the continent, North Sea, etc. The requisite number of bombing missions was 25 but he and his crew "volunteered" for an additional five. Like your great uncle, he completed his missions prior to D-Day from a base in England. He was fortunate enough to come back to the States later in 1944 and serve as an instructor for the duration of the war and lived until 1996. He had volunteered for the service shortly after his 18th birthday which came the month after the attack at Peal Harbor.

In that war pretty much all families had someone involved. In Germany and USSR pretty much all families suffered at least one death. My father and his two brothers all served and all survived. They were fortunate. I'm sorry for your loss.

[Aussie Dave]

Thanks Jim.

I also lost my maternal grandfather at the Seige of Malta during Operation Pedestal.

Able Seaman WILLIAM GEORGE GILPIN

F2141, Royal Australian Naval Reserve
who died age 31 on 13 August 1942, KIA
Son of Arthur and Violet Gilpin; husband of Louisa May Gilpin, of East Fremantle, Western Australia.

He was a Navy AA gunner attatched to the MV Melborne Star, the ship survived the Air Attack and made it to Malta, but his body was never recovered and was lost at sea.

The Melbourne Star carried all the ingredients for creating a minor earthquake. Her cargo included 1350 tons of High Octane Spirit, 700 tons of Kerosene, 1450 tons of High Explosive Shells and Cartridges and several thousand tons of Heavy Oil.

This convoy of August 1942 was the hardest fought of the many convoys through to Malta. Despite the heavy protection provided by their formidable escort and the fact that the merchant ships in the convoy were themselves the largest, fastest and the most modern British and American cargo liners and tankers, the loss of ships was enormous.

Nine of the fourteen merchant ships were lost. Among those was the Waimarama, carrying a cargo of Ammunition and Octane Spirit in cans, the ship was an inferno within seconds of a direct hit from enemy aircraft. Immediately astern was the Melbourne Star.

Melbourne Star's Captain DF MacFarlane already a veteran of Malta Convoy 'Operation Substance' recalls:-

“At 8.10am 13th August 1942 a covey of dive-bombers suddenly came screaming out of the sun and a stick of bombs fell on and around the Waimarama which blew up with a roar and a sheet of flames with clouds of billowing smoke, to disappear in a few seconds.”

“We were showered with debris from this ship,” Captain MacFarlane wrote. “a piece of plating five feet long fell on board. The base of a steel ventilator half an inch thick and 2½ feet high which partly demolished one of our machine gun posts, a piece of angle iron, at the same time, narrowly missing a cadet. The sea was one sheet of fire, and as we were so close we had to steam though it. I put the helm hard to port and had to come down from where I was on the monkey island to the bridge to save myself from being burnt. It seemed as though we had been enveloped in smoke and flames for hours, although it was only minutes, otherwise the ship could not have survived. The flames were leaping mast high, indeed, air pilots reported that at times they reached 2000 feet.”

“The heat was terrific. The air was becoming drier every minute, as though the oxygen was being sucked out of it, as, in fact it was. When we inspected the damage afterwards we found that nearly all the paint on the ship’s side had been burnt away and the bottoms of the life boats reduced to charcoal.”

I never had the honor of knowing my grandfather or great uncle, its just the way things turned out, but I will never forget their sacrifices.

Lest we forget.

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by Klaus

Take your time Jim.

Most of my grandfathers stuff and pictures were thrown away shortly after the war because of fear. They were relics of "shame and defeat". So a lot was thrown away. Only thing he kept, to my knowledge, was a photo of him the day he got his uniform.

I can relate, Klaus. I have being trying for 20 years now to locate a photo of my father in uniform, and any photograph of my brother who died before I was born.
My father served with the 14th Panzer Div. and I closely examine any photo or film of that unit I come across. My brother was with an HJ unit and lost around the end of June in the Normandy area. He was 14 at the time. I have no idea what he looked like.

My parent's home during the war was Dresden, so that explains why no photos survived there. I also lost a sister in a raid there. No images of her survives either.

I have tried writing relatives in Germany, but many have a story much like yours. I hope one day you can locate a photo of your grandfather. I know how valuable it will be to you.

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by Aussie Dave

I never had the honor of knowing my grandfather or great uncle, its just the way things turned out, but I will never forget their sacrifices.

Lest we forget.

For your great uncle and grandfather Dave, Prosit!

[lufttiger]

Wow Kumpel, only 14 years old, thats way to soon & young to go. I wonder
if he knew what he was fighting for, or just went to the front as told?

Very sad for you and your family, i hope you do find some photos, that would be nice.

[Aussie Dave]

Originally Posted by Kumpel

I can relate, Klaus. I have being trying for 20 years now to locate a photo of my father in uniform, and any photograph of my brother who died before I was born.
My father served with the 14th Panzer Div. and I closely examine any photo or film of that unit I come across. My brother was with an HJ unit and lost around the end of June in the Normandy area. He was 14 at the time. I have no idea what he looked like.

My parent's home during the war was Dresden, so that explains why no photos survived there. I also lost a sister in a raid there. No images of her survives either.

I have tried writing relatives in Germany, but many have a story much like yours. I hope one day you can locate a photo of your grandfather. I know how valuable it will be to you.

I'm sorry to hear about your brother and sister Kumpel, they were too young for their fate.

My Grandfather and Great Uncle were both married men with children, so they kinda lived on through their kids, but your brother and sister didn't get that chance.

Its sad for you too mate, losing them and not even having a photo to remember them by.

Lest we forget.