How did the war effect your family

[gabriel pagliarani]

Sorry.
I have forgotten that Allieds bombed also Switzerland! You seem not so happy to be heir of a lucky condition, why?Your position is innatural and illogic. There is nothing good to be dead, in my poor opinion. About luck it is possible to discuss about: for Sweden the luck was in having wise pacific governments making active part of a great Kingdom. Be proud of them, you can.

[Marcus]

I have forgotten that Allieds bombed also Switzerland!

The Soviet Air Force bombed Sweden on a few occations as well.

/Marcus

[gabriel pagliarani]

I have never heard something before. Tell me about...

[David Lehmann]

My first grandfather served in the French army in 1939, was wounded and died 2 years later.
My other grandfather wad forced to go in the Wehrmacht in an infantry regiment and he fought on the eastern front ... he has been captured in 1944 I think and was then POW in the Tambow camp ... he returned only in 1948. The soviets treated him very badly.

[Antti V]

I have never heard something before. Tell me about...

During Winter War (between Finland and Soviet Union)
21.02.1940:
"Seven Soviet bombers drops bombs to Sweden in Pajala´s village. 134 bombs destroy one fourth of village but no one has died. That was second time in 5 weeks when Soviet bombs Sweden, earlier Soviet bombers bombed Haaparanta town´s Swedish side.
Sweden protest against bombings and Soviet Union decline first bombing of Pajala but later complain bombing which was accident."

Big hole in ground near Pajala´s Church

[Marcus]

There were several other incidents as well, if I recall correctly some bombs fell over Stockholm too.

/Marcus

[Lord Gort]

Yes, i heard in switzerland during the summer at a place near Lucerne from a guy who lived during the war that the Swiss airforce piled up quite a few kills of germans who "strayed" across the border. These shoot downs were stoped when Switzerland "readjusted" to the new balance of power.


Great Uncle - On the HMS Exeter in battle of river plate, became Jap POW and afetr the war recuperated for 6 monthes in Australia after leaving the POW camp weiging 6 stone.


Great Uncle- On HMS Glorious, unfortunatley died on that ship in 1940, i reserarched it and it turned out that the Glorious and the escort ship HMS Acaster were attacked by the Sharnhorst and Gnessenau and the men were left to freeze in the water by the germans.


Great Great something or other fought in the first battle of Ypres in the great war.

[Caldric]

World war two affected all people in Europe, even those who lived in neutral countries. I think you were very rude when you said that "lucky swiss and swedish families were spared"!

What in gods name is rude about that statement?

Was not without truth for a great extent.

[Lord Gort]

This inetrests me. I heard and read in my travels to europe this summer that certain Swiss firms that traded with the Nazis were shocked to find after the war that they had been blacklisted by the allies and they would receive no allied custom.


I recall the Swedish allowed German troops transport acroos there land up until 1943, were any sanctions or penalties imposed on Sweden at all?

[Daniel L]

Because world war two did have effects on neutral countries populations. For example the swedish submarine Ulven was sunk 15.04.1943. German aircrafts who swept down on fleeing columns of norwegian soldiers and civilian, met by swedish soldiers who opened fire on the planes. British and american bombcrews forced to land in sweden after raids over norway or germany. Things happend in sweden, and other neutral countries, and it did affect the population.

[Geli]

My family was quite lucky. No injuries or deaths - one birth.

My grandmother and grandfather were on their honeymoon when Pearl Harbor was attacked. (No, they didn't go to Hawaii!) When they came home, their parents said that they ought to have a baby right away, because men with children weren't being drafted. My mother was born in September 1942. My grandfather was finally drafted late in the war, but was assigned to a desk job in the Pacific theatre a couple of months before the war ended. If not for World War II, my mother (and I) would never have been born.

My father's uncle was drafted, served in Eurpope, then was drafted again during the Korean War. He decided to stay in and be a career soldier, and he retired in the 70's as a full Colonel.

(Both my grandfather and uncle are now deceased.)

[Gott]

There were several other incidents as well, if I recall correctly some bombs fell over Stockholm too.

/Marcus

I have heard of that as well. Just why exactly did the Soviets bombed Sweden? Maybe those bombings were simply mistakes, but Stockholm? Now don't tell me that was a mistake!

[Marcus]

Gott,

I think some bombings were no doubt misstakes, but I'm pretty sure that some were warnings too.

/Marcus

[gabriel pagliarani]

Yesterday I had a too fast reply from "Charlie don't surf" and Markus (both Swedish guys). As first Charlie reproached me to be "rude" only because I said that the only families to be not affected by WW2 (in large amount, obviously...the war is also a statistic phoenomenon ). Markus , when I was still replying, (in the while of 1 minute or less) hurried up in replying that Sweden was bombed by Soviets as I (half ) stated 1 minute before about bombings on Switzerland. Then I asked promptly to Markus informations about. Strangely, I am still waiting and it is an awkward condition because the previous reply from Markus followed 54 seconds (less than a minute). I don't think I was rude or any way unfair: I am sure to have touched a Swedish collective sense of guilt about the war. The same phoenomenon occurs when a soldier survives to the death of his own comrades: rationally the surviver knows he has no guilt about casualties but in the depth of his own soul he has always the doubt he was able to prevent their death. If this doubt is too strong, only a psychological external help could remove these phantoms. Yesterday I was irritated by both replies to the topic,( a too hot reaction for cool people like they are..I was surprised) but today I have understood that this topic is too much similar to psychoanalysis to be continued without the moderation of a true psychoanalyst. Sometimes the truth about the horrors of the war could burn the skin more than a flame-thrower. Any way I don' feel myself "rude" or unfair in these circumstances and I hope Charlie's treacherous offence will be drawn back. I am not a "rude" guy!

[Marcus]

Then I asked promptly to Markus informations about. Strangely, I am still waiting

There are several posts about the bombings in this very thread.

I am sure to have touched a Swedish collective sense of guilt about the war.
...
Yesterday I was irritated by both replies to the topic,( a too hot reaction for cool people like they are..I was surprised) but today I have understood that this topic is too much similar to psychoanalysis to be continued without the moderation of a true psychoanalyst.

What are you on about? You ask for info about the bombings, info is given and now you are ranting about some "collective sense of guilt" and the need for a "psychoanalyst" ??
And how can you find my post stating the fact that Sweden was bombed during the war to be "irritating"?

btw. How can a speedy reply be a bad thing?

/Marcus