War Relatives -

[Harlan (Deceased)]

I know many people on his board are veterans, decedents of, or have relatives who are famous or fought in past wars and we would all like to hear about them.

My father was a tank commander and later became a drill Sargent during the Korean War.
My grandfather was a master aircraft mechanic in WWII and stayed in the U.S. building and repairing aircraft engines.
He was the head mechanic a facility and the only one who was allowed to run-up P-51 engines and taxi them. When he was alive he'd tell me specifics about Merlin engines and Allison engines as if he worked on them the day before.
I had an uncle I never met who died trying to land a shot-up Panther on an aircraft carrier during the Korean War.
He veered off the deck and he and his plane were never recovered. (Family had no closure and even during my young life family members still hoped he somehow survived)

My most famous (infamous) relative was seldom talked about by my family but I think he actually got a bad deal that ruined his life.
My great uncle was General Walter Short and he blamed for what happened at Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor was a screw-up from every aspect of the government and we were unprepared for what the Japanese were capable of. All reports from the government said the most danger at that time was from sabotage. General Short placed all aircraft close together and under extreme security from sabotage. He was dong his duty from what he knew of. Nobody anyplace in the military believed the Japanese were capable of at that time. Communications were poor all over the place and the government didn't tell the military what they knew.

I grew up knowing my family was ashamed of him. As a child I saw him portrayed in movies like "Tora, Tora, Tora" and I was ashamed because they made him look like an idiot. It still goes on today in every history program and they blame him. He had an unbelievable distinguished military career beforehand, but he was ruined after Pearl Harbor. Times were different back then without internet or nightly news and all my family members knew were from newspapers.
The whole country was outraged because of Pearl Harbor and everyone wanted to blame someone. I know first hand he was outcast from my family by everyone and died from heart failure a few years after WWII --
I think he's a little like General Custer in the way he's been placed in History now.

The military never gave him a chance at a court marshal at that time.
(The military screwed up from Pearl Harbor and didn't want to be blamed)
History now shows the government was to blame for not being prepared with info they knew about, but General Short still gets blamed.

This 'Wikipedia' account is fairly close to the truth from what I know now.

Walter Short - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Who's next with history of family members or yourself from any military service?

Any photographs would be very nice. History of service should be passed on.

Regards,
~ Harlan Short

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[KevinB]

General Short had a distinguished career as an Army Oficer. The poor, ineffectual, and incompetent national security aparatus of FDR was to blame for the disaster at Pearl Harbor. FDR was such a poor cheif executive, it's amazing how he has been lionized by historians. It's a shame that General Short and Admiral Kimmel were turned into scapegoats.

[gunner]

My Grandpa was a member of the german paratroopers in WWII. Here`s a short overview of his career wich i`ve researched:
1934 - 1939 Security Police at Dresden
1939 - 1941 1. Fliegerkompanie Fliegerabteilung LNS Halle/Saale ( 1.Company Flight Division Signal Corps)
1941- ??? Luftgaustab zbV.10 ( Headquarter Aircommand St. Petersburg for special OPS)
??? - 1944 as a Paratrooper on different war places like Smolensk, Latvia, Greece, Krete, Africa, Siciliy, Anzio-Nettuno, Rom, Carentan.
1944 - end of War, 6. Batterie/II./Fallschirm-Artillerie-Regiment 2 subordinated to the 2. Parachute Division in Brest. Escaped the Allied POW transport by train. Back at his platoon they went back trough Netherlands and Belgium to Arnheim and from there to the Rhine river where he was captured by the US Troops. His finally rank was a Sergeant Major. He has seen a lot of shxx in his life, passed away in 1996.

Regards

Gunner

[Amatikulu]

My Grandfather volunteered in 1939 to join the British Army - He served in two regiments - 4th Hussars and 27th Lancers and was part of the Royal Armoured Corps - armoured car/ reconaissance units. He served all over the Middle East, North Africa and Italy and completed his service in 1946 in Austria.

During his time with the 27th Lancers, he fought in Northern Italy as part of Porterforce. Under the command of Colonel Horsburg-Porter, Porterforce included both regular and irregular units like Popski's Private Army. He was wounded by mortar fire during the battle for the capture of Ravenna but recovered and returned to his unit.

I'm busy researching his units activities part time, and would be very interested in hearing from anyone else that had a relative serving in either of his units.

[Forbrowsing]

I dont have much to add sadly.....but my Papa also served with this unit...Arthur William Jeffery born April 1 1913....left Canada to return home to England to join the War effort.....he served with the 27th Lancers and also travelled the same countries....maybe as I put more effort in to following him around we can share/trade info....its lovely to find someone who is also searching the 27th

My Grandfather volunteered in 1939 to join the British Army - He served in two regiments - 4th Hussars and 27th Lancers and was part of the Royal Armoured Corps - armoured car/ reconaissance units. He served all over the Middle East, North Africa and Italy and completed his service in 1946 in Austria.

During his time with the 27th Lancers, he fought in Northern Italy as part of Porterforce. Under the command of Colonel Horsburg-Porter, Porterforce included both regular and irregular units like Popski's Private Army. He was wounded by mortar fire during the battle for the capture of Ravenna but recovered and returned to his unit.

I'm busy researching his units activities part time, and would be very interested in hearing from anyone else that had a relative serving in either of his units.

[Forbrowsing]

My Grandfather volunteered in 1939 to join the British Army - He served in two regiments - 4th Hussars and 27th Lancers and was part of the Royal Armoured Corps - armoured car/ reconaissance units. He served all over the Middle East, North Africa and Italy and completed his service in 1946 in Austria.

During his time with the 27th Lancers, he fought in Northern Italy as part of Porterforce. Under the command of Colonel Horsburg-Porter, Porterforce included both regular and irregular units like Popski's Private Army. He was wounded by mortar fire during the battle for the capture of Ravenna but recovered and returned to his unit.

I'm busy researching his units activities part time, and would be very interested in hearing from anyone else that had a relative serving in either of his units.

I also found this post on Ancestry.com....and have messaged the poster so hopefully will receive a response soon ....


My father, the late Ronald Evans, served with the 27 Lancers, from soon after they were formed until they were disbanded in Austria. I have some photographs and memories of stories he told about people and events. His squadron commander was Major Inchcape. My sister has some photographs of that time and is in touch with the daughter of his friend from carmarthen who served with him, his name was Frank Davies. I would be happy to share what information I have about their service

[Gibbs505]

My farther was in bomber command. He injured his arm and was invalided our in 43-44.
I also had two uncles who forght the japanese in the pacific, as members of th 1NZEF. One was later transferred to europe as part of the 2NZEF.
There was another great uncle who was in the NZ division in WW1.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Outstanding family history gentleman and everyone should be proud.

Thanks for your post KevinB. Naturally, I've done a lot of research over my life and you are correct about FDR and the administration at that time. He was like an ostrich with his head in the sand and thought the U.S. could maintain an Isonationalist stance, but still continue to force other nations to follow our mandates.

Gunner, Amatikulu, and Gibbs505 -
You have so much to be proud of and thank you for contributing.
So many people today have no idea of what their own family did and live fat and sassy with their next major worry being what new cell phone they want.

[Pattern14]

My dad was a Navy Seabee attached to the 2nd Marine Division, 18 Marine Combat Engineers as a Staff Sergeant at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in 1942. He survived the Japanese and made it home.

My uncle Leroy was a bombardier on a Mitchell B-25 medium bomber. His plane was shot down over Burma. He parachuted and was later wounded but was able to make it back to allied territory. He recieved the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Bronze Star with "V" device.

My uncle James was a combat medic with the Medical Detachment of the 134th Infantry. He was wounded in France and later died of his wound.

My uncle John was a Sergeant with 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division (of the famed Stonewall Brigade lineage in the Civil War) who survived landing on Omaha Beach in Normady only to be killed a month later in France.

My uncle Charles was a crew chief and top turrent gunner on a B-17G that was shot down by flak over Athens, Greece after a raid. All of the crew was able to parachute except one who went down with the plane. The crew was captured by the Germans and sent to the infamous Luft Stalag 17G in Austria for the rest of the war. He made it home 30 pounds lighter than when he started.

My uncle Virgil was a Sergeant First Class with the 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division who was killed in action in June of 1951 on a hilltop assault in central Korea when he stopped to give aid to a member of his company who was hit by machinegun fire. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star with "V" device.

[Amatikulu]

I have originals of the Regiment's newsletters - they are somewhat fragile but will re-read them to see if there is mention of Arthur Jeffrey and will see if there's a way to copy them without destroying them.