grand dads in the war

[Guest]

So, I Don't Know if my personal connection to the Great War would interest anyone but I tell my story nonetheless. My fathers father was a member of the 2nd army pioneers and was captured at passchendaele by Canadians. They either offered or he was sent to north America. I'm not sure if the US was newly committed but my Opa was sent to a "liberty Farm" in Coloma MI. He met my 16 year old Oma from across barbed wire. She spoke hoch deutsch like many farm girls in rural Michigan. He was East Frisian and spoke a Saterland freesk and bad plattedeutsch. It was a standing family joke that she said he sounded like an intoxicated Dutchman with an English accent. Long story short-ish, he requested to stay, married my Oma and became a Michigan Farmer.

Not really that unusual until you find out that my grandpa on my moms side enlisted in the 4th Ivy, infantry division from the state national guard and was in the 13th machine gun battalion. He was in a few battles but got gassed and was sent home. Indirectly go tuberculosis (not sure if it was a consequence of the gas) and died in 1946. So, I have to grand dads who served in adversarial armies  and never met one another. It truely is a small world I guess

Pat Aalfs

 

[Fattyowls]

Welcome Pat, and happy Christmas. I find that very interesting. I had a Dutch friend who came from the Frisian area of the Netherlands and his friends in Amsterdam used to laugh at his accent too. They all spoke impeccable English but were fond of a 90's TV drama set in Newcastle-on-Tyne; they kept asking me to translate the Newcastle accent for them.

 

Pete.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Pat,

So much for the barbed wire!

Kindest regards,

Kim.