Could we survive such savagery ourselves?
Paul1405,
I'm sure I couldn't !

Dear individual,

What some of our ancestors had to live through
is hard for us to imagine today. I guess we
should count our blessings. I hope that my
grand children will never have to face wars
or invasions of any kind. I hope that they will
be able to live in peace and be able to leave a
worthwhile legacy for others that will follow.

Hi Foxy,

I had an uncle Frank who served in New Guinea during WWII, not on the front line but as a company barber, I don't think uncle ever got out of Port Moresby, cutting hair and all. Uncle Frank was a jolly fella, often heard to say; "They also served, those who stood and cut." as he made a painful mess of us kids hair. Well, uncles great claim to fame was: "I cut General MacArthur's hair!". The fact General MacArthur was never in New Guinea didn't seem to faze uncle on that claim. When he would say that, another uncle would quip; "Maybe Frank cut Private MacArthur's hair, cause if he cut the General hair, he would have had him taken out the next morning and SHOT!" After the war uncle Frank worked as a milkman, us kids knew why he wasn't a barber.

My Grandmother, Dads side, was General MacArthers personal Cook in Brisbane. She was inducted into the American Army. I have her Discharge Certificate & final Pay slip. When she was demobed she was sent back to Townsville on MacArthers personal C47/(DC3). It was also the Mail Plane.

On arival in Townsville the wheels wouldnt come down. A big Negro Sargent put Grandma up against the forward Bulkhead & piled all the Mail Bags on top of her. They did a wheels-up landing.

Yes Jayb we have our interesting family characters. My sort of Grand Uncle Jim, the husband of my Grandmothers sister, as Mum would say "Old Uncle Jim, he's only a prick relation" a bit of an obnoxious nasty old cuss to us kids. Uncle Jim served at Gallipoli only for a week in July 1915 as a reinforcement, before being wounded in the private parts and evacuated. My experience talking to a Gallipoli veteran. Sunday after dinner, left sitting at the table, me about 8 or 9 on one side, and crusty old Uncle Jim on the other, no one else in sight. The only question I ever asked Uncle Jim; "Uncle what did you do at Gallipoli?"....Uncle looked to the left, then to the right, to see no one was in ear shot. Then he came across the table like a angry lion to within an inch my face....."SON... I kept my F'n head DOWN!"..."By uncle, I've got to go out and play now"...."Piss off son!" it was so nice talking that one and only time to uncle. I always though pity uncle never kept something else down at Gallipoli, maybe he would have had kids of his own, heaven help them.

BTW he worked for about 40 years in the box factory, making wooden fruit boxes, it was his career.

Thanks Paul and Jayb.
My dad didn't talk about WWII much.
I found out from mum that dad's younger
brother was one of the victims of the infamous
Rainiai Massacre which took place in a forest
near Telsiai in Lithuania in 1941. The retreating
Red Army along with the NKVD (KGB) took part in this
brutal mass murder. Out of 73 bodies only 27 could
be identified. The victims were farmers, school kids.
Dad's brother was a high school student - his "crime"
consisted of belonging to the Boy Scouts.

Dad's sister had to try to identify the body. She had
a mental breakdown and was sent to Siberia.

On a happier note - I remember how pleased dad was when
after years of working hard in Australia - he finally
managed to buy get his driver's licence and bought a
car. He and mum were able to go for dives to the
Blue Mountains. He enjoyed his last couple of years on
earth. He died at the age of 52 of a massive moronary.

Which as the doctor told mum - had he survived he would
have been a vegetable. Mum later moved to Melbourne from
Sydney to be near us.