I got interested in researching my family tree after a childhood listening to my paternal grandad talking about his experiences in the war, and reading the poems he wrote to my Gran from hospital after being torpedoed twice. He was a wireless operator in the Royal Navy, although I don't know the name of his ship. Elizabeth something, I think.
Unfortunately I never asked him for any further info before he died when I was 13.
My surviving grandad, my mum's father, was a Marine and the coxswain of a landing craft at D-Day.
My great-uncles on my Maternal Gran's side were in the merchant navy and the air force, and on my paternal gran's side we had one in the Desert Rats and one that I think was a soldier and disappeared on the Burmese Railroad.
I also have a maternal Great-grandfather who was in the Lovat Scouts in WW1, among others, and a great-great-uncle who was in the Navy for most of his life, from the age of 14.
The names on my Dad's side are Davies, Cox, Robinson & Whitelaw, and on my Mum's side Towers, Dutton and Simpson. If anyone has any info that you think might be related to my ancestors I'd be deeply grateful, as all the names on my side are rather common and it's getting difficult to find relatives now!
I know for a fact my paternal grandad had two brothers who apparently skived out of the draft. Grandad's name was Herbert Davies & he was the oldest of 8.