My Grandfather in World War 2 | The 1st Canadian Division, West Nova Scotia Regiment

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  • čas přidán 21. 12. 2023
  • Sign up for a 14-day free trial of MyHeritage now:
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    My Wife's Family in the Holocaust:
    • The Holocaust in My Wi...
    SOURCES:
    - War Diaries of the West Nova Scotia Regiment (www.wnsr.ca/war_diary)
    - A History of the West Nova Scotia Regiment by Thomas Randall (1947)
    - Library and Archives Canada (recherche-collection-search.b...)
    - UK International War Museum (www.iwm.org.uk/collections)
    - Documents held by my mother, including notes from talks she had with him during the final years of his life
    CREDITS:
    Charts & Narration by Matt Baker
    Animation by Syawish Rehman
    Audio editing by Ali Shahwaiz
    Theme music: "Lord of the Land" by Kevin MacLeod and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution license 4.0. Available from incompetech.com

Komentáře • 341

  • @UsefulCharts
    @UsefulCharts  Před 4 měsíci +16

    Sign up for a 14-day free trial of MyHeritage now:
    bit.ly/UsefulCharts_December23

    • @OfficialCubey
      @OfficialCubey Před 4 měsíci

      ajr

    • @mhamilton
      @mhamilton Před 4 měsíci

      Matt, wonderful video. If you haven't read them already, I strongly recommend "Ortona" and "Gothic Line" by Mark Zuehlke. They're both very well written and detailed accounts of the Canadians in Italy. I think they'd be right up your alley. I know he has other books on the Italian Campaign as well, but can't speak to them personally.

  • @JWashington754
    @JWashington754 Před 4 měsíci +272

    My Grandfather was a Tuskegee Airmen during the war, the amount of grandpa war lore I got from him was amazing. He’s 95 now giving lore to my 9 year old son.

    • @memeboi6017
      @memeboi6017 Před 4 měsíci +6

      🫡

    • @magnificus8581
      @magnificus8581 Před 4 měsíci +9

      We thank him for his valiant service

    • @eddiehancockii
      @eddiehancockii Před 4 měsíci +8

      You need to write that book. My grandpa had several letters he wrote when he was in europe. His mom saved them. It was like meeting my grandpa all over again.

    • @ChrisLindsley
      @ChrisLindsley Před 4 měsíci +10

      The thing I've heard from every grandson of a WWII veteran is "I wish I'd recorded his stories". Gota save those for your son's son.

    • @JWashington754
      @JWashington754 Před 4 měsíci +2

      @@ChrisLindsley Absolutely

  • @UsefulCharts
    @UsefulCharts  Před 4 měsíci +102

    I'm back!

    • @Idk-ys7rt
      @Idk-ys7rt Před 4 měsíci +6

      Yay! Hope you are feeling better now, have a Happy Holidays Matt. 🎉🎉

    • @Alpha2Omega1982
      @Alpha2Omega1982 Před 4 měsíci +7

      I only found out you weren't well today, so I was pleased to see you were doing better and expected a video to drop today. Thanks for all the amazing content you do

    • @johanbottern5405
      @johanbottern5405 Před 4 měsíci +1

      I sincerely hope you are doing much better.

  • @Half1ife77
    @Half1ife77 Před 4 měsíci +83

    My great-uncle fought with your grandfather! He was a part of the Royal Canadian Regiment and was actually killed at Moro River (just a couple days before the battle of Ortona). He's buried in the cemetery shown at 18:49. My middle name is in honour of him, and I'm very proud to have it.

  • @onewingedangel9189
    @onewingedangel9189 Před 4 měsíci +58

    My grandpa was a Red Cross volunteer in the Pacific and was held as a POW in the Philippines for three years. According to my grandma, he was a survivor of the Bataan Death March, and let me tell you, that trauma lasted long beyond his lifetime. History really has a way of worming its way into people's lives.

    • @TheDanEdwards
      @TheDanEdwards Před 4 měsíci +4

      My mother had a friend who had the same experience as your grandfather. Yes, the scars are for life.

    • @aLadNamedNathan
      @aLadNamedNathan Před 4 měsíci +3

      @@TheDanEdwards None of my relatives who served in the military endured anything as horrific as the Bataan Death March, yet the wars they served in were present with them every day afterwards--WW2 with my father and my five uncles, and WW1 with my grandfather and two of his brothers.

  • @JudazRex
    @JudazRex Před 4 měsíci +72

    Thanks to your grandfather!❤️
    My great-grandfather was a resistance fighter in Denmark🇩🇰 he started In 1943

    • @johannes821
      @johannes821 Před 4 měsíci +1

      Mine was to. Where in Denmark where he an resistance fighter?

    • @kille5454
      @kille5454 Před 4 měsíci

      Resisting what? Resistance = terrorism

    • @nuclear9977
      @nuclear9977 Před 3 měsíci +2

      @@johannes821 my great grandfathers name was Jens and he died as a resistance fighter 😢

    • @johannes821
      @johannes821 Před 3 měsíci

      Må Jens hvile i fred. @@nuclear9977

  • @vonPeterhof
    @vonPeterhof Před 4 měsíci +19

    My great-grandfather served in the Red Army in Stalingrad, where he got wounded and died several months after his discharge. The story passed down via my paternal grandfather, who was still a young child at the time, was that he was sent home after his wound and gradually got worse until he died, but after having checked his name in a Russian online database of WWII era documents it turned out that some time after the initial wound he was judged fit enough for service in the rear and got transferred to the Moscow region.
    On my mother's side of the family I also have Volga German ancestors who got deported to Siberia and Central Asia shortly after the German invasion, but my great-grandmother managed to avoid getting deported for some time by being employed as a military translator for the Red Army General Staff. Apparently sometimes the German troops would use regional dialects like Bavarian or Swabian for code-talking purposes, and my great grandmother was from a Swabian-speaking Volga German community, so she could help with the "decoding".

  • @QemeH
    @QemeH Před 4 měsíci +50

    I don't know if I should talk about where my grandfather fought in the war in the comments... because I am german and let's just say there is a good chance my grandfather directed attilery fire onto your grandfather... O_O
    He didn't talk about the war much and when he did he loved to tell us the story of how the war _ended_ for him and how he (after technically deserting during the collaps) was lucky to be captured by the canadians because they treated their prisoners well. He talked on and on about exchanging chocolate from the red cross packages for cigaretts or similar stories, but in the end I never had the courage to ask him what he REALLY did during the war. All I know is that he was a forward observer for an artillery unit because of his training as a (civil) land surveyour before the war and that his job was, in his words, to "triangulate the flash in the dark faster than the time it took until the second flash" (i.e. walking fire onto enemy artillery positions before they could fire again).
    I'm absolutely sure he wasn't a fanatical Nazi and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have taken up arms if they didn't threaten his parents - but I don't know what he knew, what he did and who he did it to. Sometimes I regret not asking him when he was still alive, but other times I'm glad I can live in this ignorance and just keep this whimsical story of the end as his part of the war... It's a difficult thing to grapple with as a german who did not see the war for himself.
    [For those who are interested in the "whimsical" story of the end - here it is:
    They were holed up in the bell tower of a tiny town's church to have a better vantage point over the land in front of them. The last days had been constant fighting, but today it was relatively quiet. The front lines, according to their command in artillery distance in front of them, had suspiciously not fired a single shot. Then, when night fell and it got so dark that you could count every star, they sudenly observed a vehicle with full headlights on just *booking* it across the plane. Disregarding roads, hills and divets as well as hedges and fences some kind of jeep just plowed through the countryside heading right for them. My grandfather immediately awoke his company and they debated a lot about who this "idiot" might be: Can't be a german, he would not be driving with lights towards a german position making air targetting way too easy. Can't be an american, he wouldn't suicide in a single jeep behind enemy lines. So, they thought, it must be one of those damn italians who apparently didn't north from south. But, after a few minutes, the jeep came crashing into the tiny town and to all of their surprise it was the well known aid-de-camp of their division commander. Alone. He stopped the jeep, yelled up the tower: "The war is over! Save yourselves! The yanks broke through?" So, naturally, the political officer (an SS man) shouted back down to him: "Where have they broken through? And kill your lights, man!" The man in the jeep just laughed and replied: "Everywhere, you idiot!" This did NOT sit well with the SS man, who was used to being feared even among higher ranks because of his outside-the-ranks power, so he immediately sprinted down the tower to talk to this impertinent solider. To the day he died, my grandfather did not know what these men talked about, but they argued for a short while, before the SS man entered the jeep on the passenger side and they both just f*cked off in the same mad dash across the hills.
    Now, my grandfather and his buddies all looked at the sergeant of their troop and expected an answer, a direction, anything. But the sergeant just shrugged and said in a very solemn voice: "Well, boys, it has been an honour fighting with you. I let every one of you make their own judgment, but I just heared the messenger of my immediate superior tell me that the war was over and I'm going home." The troop didn't take a second to agree with him, so they all burried their weapons and german emblems, stole clothes from houses in the village that had been abandoned during the fighting and tried to escape by pretending to be italian civilians. This ruse worked quite well and they evaded multiple allied formations this way, but at some point a clever canadian commander noticed that their "italian" sounded a lot like the german language and so they were taken into custody and identified, which led to them being in a POW camp for a comparatively short time.]

    • @PNL-DJ-1
      @PNL-DJ-1 Před 4 měsíci +3

      Do you know what Regiment and Division he was in? Typically, German units came from geographically similar areas like the Canadians did. It may not be too hard to retrace your grandfather’s history through his unit. While the Heer was not apolitical, it was much less so than the other branches.

    • @QemeH
      @QemeH Před 4 měsíci +5

      @@PNL-DJ-1 I do not. Contrary to allied veterans, german soldiers did not tend to be proud of their service after the war. As I said, he only ever talked about this one story, his time as a POW with the canadians and vaguely referenced the SS threatening his family to make him join the troop. I'm not even 100% that he was Army, he might've been _Luftwaffe_ for all I know. Although I don't think they would've had their own FO for artillery, would they?

    • @PNL-DJ-1
      @PNL-DJ-1 Před 4 měsíci +8

      @@QemeH - the LW indeed had artillery as well as a Panzer Division. I am sure you could find out. The Germans kept a lot of records. Typically, he would have been called up in his Wehrkreis where he was from and likely sent to the Heer. After 43, the WSS did conscript men too. The Bundesarchive probably has a website where you can start. You may have to write them though. I have met many German veterans who had immigrated to the USA and they were reserved about it all as you can imagine. Many US Vets were reserved too. They all opened up and talked about things over time, even if it was just about food they were given. Food was always a very neutral way to talk to vets. I know back in Germany, there were many veterans associations that all had halls where they could all lift a glass of beer for fallen comrades. There was pride, just reserved, and may be just an inner happiness in having survived.

    • @hesky10
      @hesky10 Před 4 měsíci

      I think not knowing fully what your grandfather did during wwii is probably for the best, especially if they aren't around to defend their actions.
      As the saying goes ignorance is bliss, and I think when your country is defeated then positives have to be drawn from wherever possible, take a look at American films depicting the Vietnam War, they retreated but their films make it seem they won.

    • @JamesPhieffer
      @JamesPhieffer Před 4 měsíci +2

      Well, I'm sure you knew your grandfather well enough to know what kind of man he was. And unless there is actual evidence to the contrary, there's no reason for your grandfather's service to be looked down on. Many Axis soldiers served with the best of intentions, and were later able to bond with their former foes over memories that those of us who weren't there will never understand.

  • @daltongalloway
    @daltongalloway Před 4 měsíci +6

    Glad you’re feeling better! My grandfather was also in Italy during the war (he was American). He was shot in the chest durning one of the battles south of Rome. The bullet missed his heart by a couple inches. They didn’t remove it and he carried that bullet in his chest till the day he died. RIP to all our grandfathers who fought for our freedoms

  • @untruelie2640
    @untruelie2640 Před 4 měsíci +11

    Only one of my Great-Grandfathers was a soldier in WW2, he was a german soldier on the eastern front (the others had "jobs important for the war effort" - train service and building parts of submarines - and were thus exempt from military service). I don't know any details about his experience, but it clearly was a hard time, since he came back with what we today would call a severe case of PTSD. Before the war he had been a friendly person, but afterwards he had completely changed and often flew into rages. He had to deal with this on his own for the rest of his life, since there was no psychological support for ex-soldiers in East Germany (and neither the West for that matter). Also, before the war he had been more or less a communist (there is even a story in my family about smuggling illegal leaflets in a stroller), but after he came back from the war, he didn't want to have anything to do with communism anymore, because he had seen how bad the living conditions for the people in the Soviet Union were (that was what he said). I think he later joined the socialist unity party of the GDR nonetheless, but I guess it was more for fitting into the state and not because of ideological conviction.
    It's quite difficult for me to deal with his story. I would like to know more about him, but at the same time I can't overlook his part in a criminal military/regime. I don't know what bad things he might have done on the eastern front, or what he was involved in, but at the same time he was a human person who got dragged into something that was largely beyond his control. I think his story is a good illustration of german history in the 20th century in general. He was, as I said, a communist, but once (I think in 1932) he voted for the Nazis - because he saw himself "as a worker, but first and foremost as a German", as my grandfather, his son, explained to me. I guess he later deeply regretted his choice. He didn't live to see the reunification of Germany, but he still lived through some cataclysmic changes in (german) history. He was born under the rule of Emperor Wilhelm II., lived through the Weimar Republic and the Nazi period and died in a communist state. And his father, my great-great-grandfather, lost his small store and all his savings during the 1923 hyperinflation.
    Also, a cousin of my great grandmother on the other side of my family died in Stalingrad. As far as I know, his last letter to his parents involved the sentence "We will not get out of here anymore." The same great-grandmother had already lost her father during WW1. In fact, both my paternal grandmother's grandfathers died in WW1, one in 1914 and one in 1918.

  • @cristiancarnevale1656
    @cristiancarnevale1656 Před 4 měsíci +13

    My Great Grandfather was an Italian soilder, he fought in Albania until the end of the war, after the armistice of the 7th of september he was captured by german soilders and he finished in a prinson camp, after the end of the war he managed to return back in Italy.

  • @ATC2710
    @ATC2710 Před 4 měsíci +25

    I’m from the Netherlands, Zwolle to be specific. Zwolle was also liberated by the Canadians. Leo Major was a big part of our a liberation and has a street named after him. In 2005 he was also acknowledged as a honorary member of the city. Every year on the fourth of May we mourn the dead on Remembrance Day and on the fifth we celebrate and thank those people for our liberation. It is crazy to hear your grandfather was in Nijkerk which is a town very close to Zwolle, ofc I don’t know if your grandfather is still alive but pls thank him for his service and know we will always be thankful and remember what those men did for our liberation!
    Ps. great video, loved to hear the story❤

    • @Gnarpgnarpzorpy
      @Gnarpgnarpzorpy Před 4 měsíci +1

      I know Leo major! Wasn't he the one-eyed Scout that liberated the town by himself?

    • @ATC2710
      @ATC2710 Před 4 měsíci +1

      @@Gnarpgnarpzorpy something like that, he and a friend volunteered to scout ahead in the city to see if and how many germans were left before the artillery would be used on the city, his friend got shot (I believe in the head) and he moved on alone. In the end it turned out almost all germans had left and the artillery didn’t happen because of that, saved us alot of houses and lives too!

  • @schs1977
    @schs1977 Před 4 měsíci +11

    Awesome tribute to your grandfather.
    In 1913, as a young man, my paternal grandfather immigrated from Germany to the US with two of his older brothers, leaving two other brothers in Germany. Though my grandfather did not serve in either the Germany or US military, during the WWII's Battle of the Bulge, my uncle fought on the Allies' side while his first cousin fought on the Axis side. WWII was a cruel, terrible war that affected my family in a unique way.

  • @GBOAC
    @GBOAC Před 4 měsíci +7

    Cool video! My grandfather was an officer in the Dutch army when the Germans invaded. He was initially placed under house arrest but later deported to a POW camp in East-Prussia, where he spent several years. Sadly it permanently changed him into a closed, jaded personality. The problems from that trickled down to my father and his siblings and are still felt to this day. My grandmother’s family didn’t fare much better with many family members lost in the extermination camps. War really is the worst thing mankind has ever invented.

    • @PNL-DJ-1
      @PNL-DJ-1 Před 4 měsíci

      That POW camp your grandfather went to was probably more of a forced labor camp.

    • @GBOAC
      @GBOAC Před 4 měsíci +2

      @@PNL-DJ-1 he kept a diary there, chilling to read, it was just a housing camp with barracks. There were also Soviet officers who he befriended. I still have a wooden sign that he woodburned from a sketch made by one of them that shows two Russian dancers and reads “После дождя и солнышко светит.” (after rain comes sunshine).

  • @onefortexas2379
    @onefortexas2379 Před 4 měsíci +17

    My father was a German soldier who was killed in Russia. I am an American now who served in N. Africa at the same base as my uncle who was with the African Korps and I also served in Vietnam. The only thing that changes is the uniform and allegiance.

    • @PNL-DJ-1
      @PNL-DJ-1 Před 4 měsíci +1

      That is a heck of a family story. Was your uncle still alive to talk about his experiences? Do you know which division your father served in and where he was killed in Russia.

    • @onefortexas2379
      @onefortexas2379 Před 4 měsíci +4

      @@PNL-DJ-1 The base in Libya was built by the Italians in 1933 and is known as Mellaha AB. During the war, the Germans used the AB.
      In 1943 the airfield was captured by the British and in 1945 the Mellaha was taken over by the USAF and renamed
      Wheelus Army Air Field. In 1969 King Idris was overthrown by Gaddafi and the base was turned over to Libya in 1970.
      My father was with the Artillerie-Regiment 5, 5.Jager-Division, Staraja Russa. I know little else, no grave marker.

  • @Artur_M.
    @Artur_M. Před 4 měsíci +21

    What an amazing video! I love how you connected your family history with the big picture history or explained some matters of the military organisation (for viewers who might not be well-versed in it) concisely and clearly. If I was in your place, I would probably either forget that not everyone knows what a regiment, brigade, division and corps is, or take too much time explaining it.
    I was also happy to hear at 11:15 that your grandfather was onboard the Polish ship MS Batory. An ocean liner turned troop transport and hospital ship, MS Batory had a distinguished service during WWII, earning the nickname "lucky ship." She was named after the King Stefan Batory (Stephen Báthory). Interestingly Batory also transported treasures from the Wawel Castle, evacuated from Poland, to Canada for safekeeping (through Halifax, Nova Scotia, no less). The treasures included the coronation sword _Szczerbiec_ - the last surviving piece of the Polish regalia. As you explained in your Famous European Crowns video, the rest of them were already destroyed by Prussians during the Partitions.

  • @harcovanhees394
    @harcovanhees394 Před 4 měsíci +9

    I'm a Dutch-man and have a lot of knowledge of the second world war. So I was waiting until the part came that "The Novies" joined the army of Crerar to help to liberate the Netherlands especially just after operation Market Garden (a bridge too far). The Canadians fought very hard to get the Germans out of Zeeland so the Allies could use the large port of Antwerp (Antwerpen). We thank all the Canadians and all the other allies for liberate our country.

    • @highpath4776
      @highpath4776 Před 4 měsíci

      yes. Matt made the Canadian time in Netherlands sound a little too easy

  • @AnimalCrackers5
    @AnimalCrackers5 Před 4 měsíci +16

    Incredible story and a beautiful tribute. My own grandfather was in the US Army as a mechanic under the 238th Engineers in Company B. He outlined his trek from Omaha Beach to Cherbourg, Liege, Aachen, Eischwellen, getting pushed back during Battle of the Bulge, back to Eischwellen, Duren, Brauwellir, Cologne, Konigswinter. He was the first from his company to drive a vehicle across the Rhine River.

  • @Rhartman22
    @Rhartman22 Před 4 měsíci +10

    My great grandfather served in the US Army Air Force as a mechanic in the Pacific Theater, specifically in China and Burma (Myanmar). My grandmother recently found a letter, some photos, and a book with US and Chinese marching songs that her father sent her when he was stationed in Shanghai. It was really special looking through them with her. His younger brother also served in France, but sadly didn't survive the war.

  • @urubu715
    @urubu715 Před 4 měsíci +31

    The Italian campaign is one not well covered, and I enjoyed how you presented those battles and movements. I'm grateful for your grandfather and all those who fought for liberty in WWII. May we learn from the past and never allow such tragedies to happen again.

  • @sharplisa5746
    @sharplisa5746 Před 4 měsíci +7

    My maternal Grandfather was a Lancaster Bomber pilot. He served in the RCAF 419th "Moose Squadron. Stationed at Middleton St. George, UK. He flew his Lancaster back to Canada in May 1945. My dad's uncle Clarence "Sonny" Sharp was killed at Dieppe, August 19, 1942. His rank was Sapper with the Royal Canadian Engineers. They would have been the first onto the beach. I have several more cousins that served in the Navy, Air Force and Army but too much to include here.I'm so very lucky my family shared all the stories over the years, including WW1 family connections. I am proud to have visited many of their graves overseas. Especially Sonny's resting place at Dieppe and My Uncle Thomas' grave near Vimy Ridge, where he was killed during WW1., coming off the ridge a few days after the battle was won. Thank you for making this video Matt. It's so important this is remembered and the stories passed on.

  • @mdeell
    @mdeell Před 4 měsíci +3

    I've been a member of the West Nova Scotia Regiment for going on 23 years! Great job on the video!

  • @vishnufatania3467
    @vishnufatania3467 Před 4 měsíci +36

    It is great to see you back Matt! But more importantly, I hope you're feeling better - We love your videos as fans and appreciate the effort you put in them, but please don't forget to prioritise your health. That comes first, and we'll be here for when you're ready to upload more videos - wishing you a happy Christmas and healthy 2024 :)

    • @PNL-DJ-1
      @PNL-DJ-1 Před 4 měsíci

      Happy Hanukkah and Shabbat Shalom more like, although I am sure he is happy for ANY well wishes. He indeed needs to watch his health. Selfishly for us! LOL.

  • @chundertunt3490
    @chundertunt3490 Před 4 měsíci +34

    As a Brit I'm very grateful to your grandfather and all the allied forces for protecting my home and liberating the occupied countries.

  • @erik9671
    @erik9671 Před 4 měsíci +4

    My Family is from western germany, and as far as I am aware one of my Grand-Uncles (Brother of my Grandma) was lost on the eastern front. Although people here (understandably) don't keep memories of that time very fondly.

  • @dawidwojacki5049
    @dawidwojacki5049 Před 4 měsíci +3

    I'm Polish living in Silesia, one of my great grandfathers was forcibly conscripted to Wehrmacht. He fought on Monte Casino, defending it until he deserted and joined the general Anders' polish army. The other one was captured by the Soviets in September 1939 and managed to escape the train going to Siberia.

  • @jamesbundason6504
    @jamesbundason6504 Před 4 měsíci +8

    Being from Ghana (Formerly British Gold Coast) and also being interested in history, I recall hearing from nannies about how grand uncles enlisted to fight in the war and from my dad that his grand uncle also enlisted. However they were not delivered what they were promised and now many war veterans still alive live very poor lives

    • @PNL-DJ-1
      @PNL-DJ-1 Před 4 měsíci

      What part of colonialism ever worked well? Sorry for you gr-grand father and his mates.

    • @jamesbundason6504
      @jamesbundason6504 Před 4 měsíci +1

      @@PNL-DJ-1 it’s sad the only language I speak is English at least my dad was able to break the chain of poverty and bring us to the us

  • @luc279
    @luc279 Před 4 měsíci +2

    My great-grandfather was a part of the German minority in Denmark during the start of the war, but he did not live in Denmark. He worked as an estate-maneger in west pomerania (current Poland) for the whole war. Even though he was never a soldier, he was still found guilty in a Polish court for war crimes in 1946 and was imprisoned in a labour-camp for 5 years before the danish red cross could get him back to Denmark. He died 6 years later because of injuries that he had gotten while imprisoned.

  • @maddyt288
    @maddyt288 Před 4 měsíci +8

    I always get excited when I see Nova Scotia mentioned anywhere. I wonder if your grandfather ever crossed paths with my own family members who served. sending love from Halifax!! 🫶

  • @davidshaddick3822
    @davidshaddick3822 Před 4 měsíci +2

    My father was in the 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion attached to the 4th Armoured Division in Patton's 3rd Army.

  • @chanasundown4966
    @chanasundown4966 Před 4 měsíci +4

    Beloved Canadian author Farley Mowat was one of the Canadians, along with your grandfather, sent up to Scotland to embark on the secret voyage to Sicily, as a young Platoon Commander in the 1st Canadian Division. In 1979 he published a highly regarded memoir about it called "And No Birds Sang". I was stunned by the book's immediacy and my sense of seeing through his eyes. Watching your video I notice how personal the Italian campaign feels to me.

  • @mrpurple2306
    @mrpurple2306 Před 4 měsíci +5

    Wow, i think your grandfather helped liberating my hometown!

  • @becboobear
    @becboobear Před 4 měsíci +3

    My grandfather graduated high school right after the war ended, but he still joined the navy after and he was stationed in the South Pacific. His brother was also Navy and was training to be a pilot, but ended up being medically discharged when it was discovered (by himself and the military) that he was a type 1 diabetic.

  • @DnDarrenJ
    @DnDarrenJ Před 4 měsíci +3

    Merry Christmas from Virginia (born in Nova Scotia). My paternal grandfather ran a factory in Nova Scotia during the war, making training fighter planes. My maternal grandfather was 1 of 3 brothers who served in the US Army in Europe - one brother was killed, another lost a leg, and he himself came home "changed" (probably PTSD). Thank you for your fascinating videos.

  • @FearlessVid1
    @FearlessVid1 Před 4 měsíci +6

    Welcome back! Also, this is amazing! Thank you for sharing this little bit of personal history. It really goes to show that our own family members can have very rich yet unknown lives.
    I'm sorry he had to witness the war, but I am glad his story lives on through your work.

  • @AldWitch
    @AldWitch Před 4 měsíci +6

    A wonderful piece of work, Matt. A great tribute to your grandfather.

  • @EmanuelsWorkbench
    @EmanuelsWorkbench Před 4 měsíci +4

    Thanks for this. Very proud of Canadian grit during the war.

  • @myouatt5987
    @myouatt5987 Před 4 měsíci +5

    Fascinating video - and massive credit to your grandfather, much respect.
    My Dad was a British soldier (Royal Warwickshire) and followed the British invasion on D-Day, fought in Caen a couple of weeks later, where most of his regiment was wiped out against a Panzer battalion, at which point he was posted to the King's Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB). He never spoke much about the latter part of the war, other than meeting my mum, a Dutch citizen under probation in Germany, where they then met, she as an interpreter and the rest is history. Thanks for posting - fascinating!

  • @hedrickwetshaves1997
    @hedrickwetshaves1997 Před 4 měsíci +1

    It's awesome to have you back Sir!

  • @michaelfuller34
    @michaelfuller34 Před 4 měsíci +1

    Glad you are back! Great content!

  • @fcgarbage4815
    @fcgarbage4815 Před 4 měsíci +1

    My grand-uncle Johnny Mauger was in the West Novas. He joined up at 16. In Italy, he was in a trench with another soldier from somewhere around Halifax. His name was Jim Muise. They were digging the trench, and the enemy started shooting at them. Johnny yelled for Jim to get down, and he replied, "I don't care anymore." The words weren't out of his mouth before he was shot through the head. He landed on Johnny. They were best friends.

  • @michaelreilly569
    @michaelreilly569 Před 3 měsíci

    Thank-you so much for sharing the history of your grandfather in WWII.

  • @vadec5909
    @vadec5909 Před 4 měsíci +3

    Excellent job! Thanks Matt. I am sharing this video my niece and her hubby are retired from the Canadian military and my nephew has been in the Canadian Military about 4 yrs now. They will all be very interested in this. We were to Germany and went to Dachau.

  • @barghast
    @barghast Před 4 měsíci

    Thanks for sharing his story. Happy holidays, Matt. Hope your health is doing better.

  • @loribain9933
    @loribain9933 Před 4 měsíci +1

    Merry Christmas and God Bless you Matt. Thank you for sharing your brilliance with us. ❤

  • @fabiosplendido9536
    @fabiosplendido9536 Před 4 měsíci +9

    My Grandfather was responsible for the destruction of 5 German U boats.
    Worst safety officer the Kriegsmarine ever had.

  • @MrJamlee88
    @MrJamlee88 Před 4 měsíci +2

    Great video ! I think the cataclysm of WWII became the odyssey of a lifetime for those who served. My Dad was aboard a US Aircraft Carrier in the South Pacific. He never spoke about combat; even when pressed for a story, he would only tell us about the severity of the storms at sea.

  • @SoleaGalilei
    @SoleaGalilei Před 4 měsíci

    I often have trouble following military history, but this was wonderfully clear and informative! All respect to your grandfather for his service.

  • @mohbw3
    @mohbw3 Před 4 měsíci

    Thanks a lot for this story and you're grandfather service! I'm from the town Nijkerk in the Netherlands, I remember there was a WWII memorial here in Nijkerk with around 50 liberator Canadian veterans with some vehicles that was used back then, it was around 2005-2010.

  • @LFalby
    @LFalby Před 3 měsíci

    Thank you so much for this video! Excellent presentation. My father and three uncles volunteered during WWII. And both of my grandfathers fought in WWI. I have access to their military records but it's very difficult to decipher the military paperwork since they use so many acronyms and codes.
    I am fascinated that you were able to track his exact whereabouts during his whole service. Well done!!

  • @DavidFraserYHZ
    @DavidFraserYHZ Před 4 měsíci +1

    My grandfather was a Seaforth from Vancouver, who fought alongside your grandfather up Italy, in Ortona and then in Holland. Thanks for the great video!

  • @ISawABear
    @ISawABear Před 4 měsíci +1

    My Grandfather was from Quebec and served in what started as the 2 Canadian Huzzars as a tank commander but later transfered to a headquarters unit. Unfortunately with the amount of rearrangement throught the war its really hard to keep track of his unit though he did leave behind an account of this service (though in bad 90s printer quality)
    But he almost certainly trained in Aldershot as well and did serve in France (landing soon after D-day) and the Netherlands. He has a cheeky photo with others in a mess hall with "[location name] 1944, 10 miles from the Hun" written on the back

  • @RobertCCox
    @RobertCCox Před 4 měsíci +2

    My grandfather, Lewis G. Cox was also a member of the West Novies. Went overseas with the North Novas but transferred in time for the invasion of Sicily.
    He fought for the entirety of the Italian campaign and left when the unit was transferred to Northern Europe as part of the 1st Canadian Army.

  • @SkeletonBill
    @SkeletonBill Před 4 měsíci +3

    Quit a trip opening this video and seeing my hometown featured in the opening frame.
    My family is from Newfoundland and I also didn't know much about my ancestors military history until recently. A couple of my great-great-uncles died on the western front in WWI, they were only teenagers and served in the Newfoundland Army which was then part of the UK, not Canada.
    I don't know if any other distant relatives remember them, but I will do my part to keep their memories alive.

  • @dogvetusa
    @dogvetusa Před 4 měsíci

    It was awesome seeing this timeline with the pics of your family member.

  • @soniaspf9705
    @soniaspf9705 Před 4 měsíci +5

    I found this really interesting because its not just about WW2 but a real soldier your grandfather. My father fought in Italy too he was a free Pole in the Anders Army 5th Kresowa Infantry Division (they had a Bison badge on their uniform) he was at Monte Cassino. I never really knew him because ironically he died in a work accident when I was a baby.

  • @twiztedsynz
    @twiztedsynz Před 4 měsíci

    My grandfather was an ambulance driver for the 14th Canadian Field Ambulance along with his brother. Both of them were out of Saint John, NB, and were with the 3rd on D-Day. One of the things grandfather was part of, was being the first group of ambulances to cross the Rhine (or so my father has told us). Stuff I've looked up about their trek from Normandy and onward, it was a brutal slog.
    Thank you for posting this up; it's absolutely fascinating to watch and tweaks my want to learn more about Canada in WWII.

  • @stevepittman3770
    @stevepittman3770 Před 4 měsíci +2

    I have a pretty similar story about my paternal grandfather's experiences in WW2. From a young age I knew that he had fought in the war and that it was just something that he didn't talk about, so when he died in the late 90s I thought for sure that his story was lost. Fortunately I found out several years later that someone had sat him down before he died and had him tell his story and typed it up, and that PDF is one of my most prized possessions. He drove a half-track ambulance and also spent most of the war in Italy (although he was American) for the 69th Armored Field Artillery, he was part of that landing in Salerno you mentioned.

  • @picardythirds
    @picardythirds Před 4 měsíci

    another excellent video. You made history come alive, even though I had studied most of it in school. thank you to your grandfather for his service for our country.

  • @olyahmed3894
    @olyahmed3894 Před 4 měsíci +1

    Welcome back! Hope you are doing great, Matt.

  • @Echowhiskeyone
    @Echowhiskeyone Před 4 měsíci +4

    My maternal grandfather joined the US Army and was in the Middle East, Transportation unit. Mostly stayed in Iran, Persian Gulf Command. Supplying the USSR via the Persian Corridor. Got quite a few small bits of silver and photos. I will have to go look up his unit.

  • @maplemavin
    @maplemavin Před 4 měsíci

    What a great result of you're slowing down. ❤

  • @iandorfman8567
    @iandorfman8567 Před 4 měsíci

    Fascinating! Thanks for sharing

  • @susanandtimrice5265
    @susanandtimrice5265 Před 4 měsíci +1

    I had five uncles serve in WW2. Three in the Pacific, two in Europe. One in Europe "gave the last full measure of devotion" at age 19.
    Tim

  • @DefenderOfChrist_
    @DefenderOfChrist_ Před 4 měsíci

    Welcome back man

  • @chadst.pierre5257
    @chadst.pierre5257 Před 4 měsíci +1

    Many of my uncles served in World War II in the United States Army. One of those men was born and raised in Canada mainly in New Brunswick is where he's originally from. That is my uncle Rene St. Pierre who is my grandfather's older brother. My grandfather was just a child when World War II broke out since he was the youngest of his family. His family lived in Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska, Madawaska, New Brunswick, Canada during this time since this was my grandfather's hometown. Which is a mostly French speaking town in New Brunswick. The majority of the town of Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska, Madawaska, New Brunswick, Canada is a 95% French only speaking town in New Brunswick. My uncle Rene at this time decides to move into the United States of America through Maine and then Rhode Island where he died in 1995 at the age of 75 years old. He joins the United States Army when the United States entered into World War II. I really don't know where he went during the war or what regiment he was in during the war. Since I only found out he served after I read his obituary. I met him when I was 8 years old.

  • @soburlvt
    @soburlvt Před 4 měsíci +2

    My father served aboard the Abner Nash as a gunnery officer during WWII. He went up to Murmansk in Russia three times. You rarely hear about this area during the war. His fleet was under almost constant bombardment as they went up through the fjords. The German ships would hide in the fjords. I remember him saying that they travelled in complete darkness. You couldn't even light a match on deck because it would give your location away.

  • @billhudson7286
    @billhudson7286 Před 4 měsíci +1

    Excellent. I look forward to your upcoming video on your prior generation of Canadian relatives that participated in WWI.

  • @ElLudens
    @ElLudens Před 4 měsíci +1

    I'm so glad to see you back! :)

  • @paulahillier1390
    @paulahillier1390 Před 4 měsíci +3

    Beautiful tribute to your Papa. 😊🇨🇦
    I am going to look up my grandpa. He was also a Canadian stationed in England during WW2.

  • @KyleKatarnBanthaHerder
    @KyleKatarnBanthaHerder Před 4 měsíci +1

    My grandfather was in the US army. He initially wanted to be a pilot, but his eyesight was too poor for that. Served in the 104th Infantry Division, the Timberwolves, and saw service in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands in the last couple years of the war.
    I unfortunately don't know too much about his own experiences, at least not directly from him, as he passed away when I was younger. Other family members though had heard stories from him, including my uncle who made some audio recordings about his experiences a couple of years before his death. He, thankfully, mostly saw service behind the front lines, pretty much acting as a mail courier/mailman, though he did see some combat here and there, including once being hit by what I presume was a ricocheting bullet that ended up being stopped by the bundle of keys he carried in his shirt pocket. He kept the top half of one of the keys that probably saved his life, which now my aunt has.

  • @kevinsullivan8737
    @kevinsullivan8737 Před 4 měsíci

    New subject matter. But with the same compassion for accuracy. Love your work.

  • @lanquin
    @lanquin Před 4 měsíci +2

    Excellent story, Matt. My grandfathers on both sides were volunteer U.S. Army soldiers during the war. My maternal grandmother's uncle was an Imperial Navy officer in Japan. He was absolutely NOT a volunteer and was taken from his parents as a child for military education. While he was a prisoner in occupied Japan he studied law, and then later became a successful lawyer after being released.

  • @NiejakiDD
    @NiejakiDD Před 4 měsíci +1

    Salute to your grandfather efforts.

  • @zerpyzonut
    @zerpyzonut Před 4 měsíci +3

    THE MAN THE MYTH THE LEGEND IS BACK

  • @Avalikia
    @Avalikia Před 4 měsíci +3

    My family is in the United States, but while my grandfather on one side of my family was just barely too young to be involved in World War 2, my grandfather on the other side was a mechanic in his 30s when the United States joined the war. So he was recruited into the army, but never did anything on the front lines because he was assigned to repair and maintain tanks - not the most exciting story, but still pretty cool.

  • @mattfasth
    @mattfasth Před 4 měsíci +2

    A great great uncle of mine was awarded a bronze star medal for his heroic actions in France and he also took part in the battle of Bastogne, Belgium in some way. Sadly don't know anything more about it..
    He also had a brother who was in the navy, but I don't know anything about his service.
    Lastly my grandfather had a 1st cousin who took part in 5 campaigns during the war. But I don't know which ones.
    All of them survived the war.

  • @stevewilson5292
    @stevewilson5292 Před 4 měsíci

    The "algorithm" kicked this up to me on Boxing Day morning. I clicked on it expecting to criticise but I came away impressed. I thought I already knew a lot about the Canadian Army (Overseas) in the 2nd World War but it was still a learning experience for me with the logical presentation and the graphics done so well. Well done !

  • @BallparkBrit84
    @BallparkBrit84 Před 4 měsíci

    Really interesting video. Thank You. I'm in the UK and have traced my great grandfather to Montreal and he served in the Candian Expeditionary Force during WW1. He wasn't Canadian, but had emigrated there after serving in the Royal Navy during the 1880/90s.

  • @hasonraja69
    @hasonraja69 Před 4 měsíci

    Hope you are doing well, Very merry Christmas. Wishing you a fast recovery.❤

  • @user-ms3gj9dq6h
    @user-ms3gj9dq6h Před 4 měsíci

    Great video as always

  • @MistbornPrincess
    @MistbornPrincess Před 4 měsíci +1

    American here!
    My paternal grandfather was in the army but stayed in the hospital for nearly a year due to asthma.
    My maternal grandfather was in the calvary, just a regular army fellow.
    My dad’s four uncles: 2 were Navy but stayed stateside, one in the marines (Pacific), and one was radio and gun repair for fighter planes.

  • @jeffreyvanhouten1239
    @jeffreyvanhouten1239 Před 4 měsíci

    That’s a wonderful tribute to your grandfather.
    My grandfather lied about his age and joined the USMC at 17 to catch the end of the war in the Pacific.
    He’s never said a word about it to his kids or grandkids, just that he hoped we would never have to do what he did.

  • @-RONNIE
    @-RONNIE Před 4 měsíci

    Thanks for the video

  • @MarkPurcell
    @MarkPurcell Před 4 měsíci

    Great story. Thanks for sharing.

  • @pfasas6247
    @pfasas6247 Před 4 měsíci

    Very informative video, especially for someone that often drives along the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery nearby Ortona!

  • @MegaAndroyd
    @MegaAndroyd Před 4 měsíci +1

    Thank you for the video. My grandfather I now know was also a member of the 1st Canadian division (48th highlanders) Though he survived. I have never met him.

  • @adamredwine774
    @adamredwine774 Před 4 měsíci

    Excellent. My paternal grandfather joined the US Army. At basic training they asked if anyone had ridden a motorcycle. My pa had been on the back of one with a buddy once so he stepped forward; they put him in the motorcycle unit. He did that for some time including in Europe where he was riding in front of a tank column and came over a little hill. On the other side was a burned out tank and some crashed motorcycles with the bodies of the troops still there. He decided he'd rather not be on motorcycles any more so he went AWOL, walked over to the Air Force base and asked to sign up. They shipped him to England where he learned to be a mechanic for B-17s. The mechanic was top turret gunner as well and he flew several missions over Germany. On one of them, the plane was shot and he could see the tail damaged from his turret. He looked down and saw his buddy bailing out. He said he knew that that meant he should go to so he dropped out the bomb bay doors. One of the crewmen's chute didn't open but he saw a few others get out. When he landed, he saw machine gun tracks in the dirt and turned around to see a jeep full of NAZIs behind him. He surrendered and spent 18 months in a POW camp (even becoming the Red Cross representative for the camp). Toward the end, he was on the "Black March" south to Berlin where about 30% of the prisoners died. He made it out, moved to Western Kansas and opened a car dealership in a town with a single blinking red light. Raised three kids and died of emphazima from all the cigarettes he smoked that he got hooked on during the war. Hell of a life.

  • @palmergriffiths1952
    @palmergriffiths1952 Před měsícem

    Thanks for your Grandfather's Service. My own Grandfather was in The First Special Service Force (The Black Devil's/Devil's Brigade) He saw action in Italy landing on The Anzio beachhead/ The Battle for Monte La Difensa/ The Liberation of Rome and The Invasion of Southern France. He was in The Pacific in the Aleutians and The Rhineland.

  • @DanielBrice7f58a6
    @DanielBrice7f58a6 Před 4 měsíci

    best video in a LOOOOOONG time

  • @laurademse8819
    @laurademse8819 Před 4 měsíci

    I'm glad to hear you are feeling a bit better.Thanks for sharing your grandfather's WWII history.
    My father was a pilot trainer in the US Army Air Corp in Smyrna, TN. My father-in-law was in the US Navy off the Pacific. My mother-in-law served as a Lt. US army nurse and was on Tinian Island when the Enola Gay flew to Japan.

  • @paisan8766
    @paisan8766 Před 4 měsíci +1

    My Grandfather and most of his brothers fought in WWII & some in Korea.
    He was in the Pacific theater with the army… a private and a cook on New Guinea.
    His twin, my great Uncle Johnny, was in Europe, and landed at Normandy.
    Both survived!

  • @lukasrentz3238
    @lukasrentz3238 Před 4 měsíci +1

    I know that two of my Great-Grandfathers were fighting in the War. My maternal Grandfather lost a Leg and lived until 1989. The other one died in 1944 in Battle. His Wife and their 3 children (aged ca. 8, 6 and 4 years old) had to flee from Kaliningrad (back then Königsberg) when the Russian Forces were moving in. A befriended Family tried to Flee by Ship but arrived too late in the Harbour to enter the Ship. It was the Wilhelm Gustloff.
    My Great Grandma never wanted to talk about the War. She always changed the topic when it came up. Gave up Speaking in the local East Prussian Dialect. Only a few Stories of their fleeing are known to us, nothing about their pre-war life. That Part of Family History is likely lost.

  • @agentg11
    @agentg11 Před 3 měsíci

    We need more of this military videos
    Very interesting

  • @faithbooks7906
    @faithbooks7906 Před 4 měsíci +1

    My father was a flight instructor during the first couple years and then US Navy bomber in the Pacific. He fought in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa

  • @_jeff65_
    @_jeff65_ Před 4 měsíci +3

    "most soldiers were volunteers". Yup, conscription was only called at the end of the war and most of the conscript never made it to the battlefield. Conscription had been a sore point between English and French Canadians since WWI, the effect of this is still felt today.

  • @StAngerNo1
    @StAngerNo1 Před 4 měsíci +1

    My grandfathers fought on the other side. Luckily neither was killed or injured, because they did not experience direct combat.
    One was in an artillery unit and participated in many battles, including the famous battle at Kursk, but he was always 10km behind the frontline. Eventually he was captured and suffered as russian prisoner of war. He had two indirect close calls though: First his unit was scheduled to go to Stalingrad, where most of the german soldiers died, but in the last minute plans were reschedulded and then later as POW, because he was a blacksmith, his skillset was used elswhere so he was taken out of his POW group, who later was sent to railway construction in siberia where also a lot of them died.
    The other was a machienegunner who was first sent to the eastern front, but his job as machiengunner was not offence, but to establish defenses against counterattacks, but at that time the germans where constantly advancing. Later (luckily) a sickness broke out in his company and so they where sent to denmark in quarantine, which coincided with the time of russian counteroffenses, where he - as machienegunner - would have probably been a priority target for russian snipers and mortars. Just as they were about to return to the russian front, the Western Allies landed in Normandy so he was sent there, but (according to his own testimony), they where captured without a fight, because they where sent to defend a village, which was already taken by americans before they arrived, so they were surprised by the americans and surrendered on sight. Unlike my other grandfather as russian POW, this grandfather only spoke fondly of the americans at which he was a POW.

  • @michaelkeough975
    @michaelkeough975 Před 4 měsíci

    Fellow Nova Scotian here. I didn't know one of my favourite channels has roots in my home province!

  • @SarcasticAnimations
    @SarcasticAnimations Před 4 měsíci

    Omg he’s back!

  • @fredordi
    @fredordi Před 4 měsíci +1

    My city Apeldoorn, between Arnhem ("A bridge too far") and Nijkerk, was liberated by the Canadians in April 1945. I never knew that Canadian troops crossed all of Europe for this purpose, from Sicily to the Netherlands. Kudos to your grandfather! A beautiful way to honor your grandfather's life.
    The National Canadian Liberation Monument has been in Apeldoorn since May 2, 2000. This was founded as a tribute to the great Canadian contribution to the liberation of the Netherlands. Canada and Apeldoorn have a special relationship with each other, because towards the end of the war the last Canadian headquarters was located in Paleis Het Loo.