I have a fair amount of family history, and indeed an awful lot were involved with the RAF and in the Great War, the RFC. Starting off on my mother's side of the family:
G.Grandfather - P/O Robert "Bobby" Oxspring. WWII Fighter Ace, shot down 14 aircraft, 2 probable and 3 V-1s. Served in BoB, N.Africa, Europe and Far East. In BoB flew Spitfire Mk Ia LZ-R X4170, then flew the Spitfire Mk VB DL-Z AB910. Led the first jets across the Atlantic. Died in 1988, buried in Cranwell Parish Church.
G.Grandmother - WAAF personal. She was one of the people to rearm aircraft, help crew out of the plane after a sortie etc. She was at the following airfields from 40-45:Hawkeninge, Coninsby, Duxford, Lypme, Ramsgate, Shoreham, Hendon and Gatwick. You can tell she was always active! Died in 2015 at the age of 97.
G.Grandfather's 3 Brothers - One was a Commando "Frogman", one was a merchant gunner on british convoys heading to and from the UK to Russia, the other was a tank commander in the 17/21st Lancers.
G.G.Grandfather - Robert Oxspring (Name is repeated through the family) , Ace in WWI with the RFC. Little information is known.
Father's side of the family:
G.Grandfather - Officer in the BEF, went through Dunkirk and Normandy. Was MP later on in the British sector of Berlin.
G.Grandfather's Brother - Officer in 81st 'Gold Coast' Regiment. Served in Burma and India. Wounded, brought back to Britain and remined until VE Day. Refused to go to the celebrations as his regiment was still fighting in Burma agaisnt the Japanese
G.Grandmother - Nurse for the army.
G.G.Grandfather - Tank Commander in an unknown regiment, but he was in one of the firsts tanks to be deployed to the Somme sector in 1916.
Also my mother's father was one of the commanders for the task force sent to the Falklands (didnt include that bit as its not related to WWI or WWII)
Just thought I'd share some family history...
SPITFIREPILOT
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