Letters to Sunday Telegraph relating to experiences of Victory in the Pacific Day, 1995 Wallet 1 of 2, Pages 1 - 19

This picture was taken in Hyde Park.
We worked for R.C. Hagon (Tailors) in King
St, and were given the day off after
it was announced the war was over.
Hyde Park was full of people celebrating
Mrs C. Butler

ARMY No was NF4554I4.   MRS.L. SMITH

These are my 3 best friends in the
A.W.A.S we joined together all
aged 19 to 20 years. Now 70 we have since
lost touch over the years & I would
love to see & hear from them again
we served together so please print this ASAP.
The day war ended in Pacific was
our great day of all.
My story is that we girls had
a pet kangaroo in our camp at
Wagga Wagga at the army camp in
K    (still there the camp) we all
took her to the Sarg. Mess for girls & boys.
To celebrate most of the boys plus girls
had a few too many all singing & 
dancing. So our pet Joey got in the 
mood alos & had drinks from anyone
who would give it to him. He got up on the 
large long bar and did the best dance [[knon]]
He got so full he fell asleep so we dressed 
him up in a girl uniform & put him in 
the D.S.M bed.
Well he thought he had won the jackpot
when he went to bed. Just imagine his
shock to find a drunk kangaroo there
instead of a real girl.
Hope you print this it was very funny
& it really happened. This is my VP Day memory.
[[**signature L.Smith**]]

Mrs G. Trenholme
Phone
Re attached photo
Mrs Gloria Trenholme (nee Favell) far right
celebrating the end of the war with friends
They all worked for W.C. Douglas, and left
work on hearing the good news
Please return photo
Thanks.

Where were you
I was in Pitt St I worked
at McGraths Grocery Store we covered
the street with toilet rolls from
the store then we went to Hyde
Park we couldn't get a drink
anywhere so our friend went into
a Pub had a drink & brought
the glass out if you look close
enough youll see the bulge
under his coat the blonde was Val
I cant remeber the guys name
in May we went on board the
aercraft carrier Shangri - La
in the paper the next day they
said there were that many girls
no enough sailors to go round.
My girlfriend and I went home with

12, safety in numbers we said
it came into Sydney about
20 years ago before it was to be
broken up the captain sent me
so many things from the ship
he wished Id been in touch
before they sailed but VP day I
shall never forget get you couldn't
see the trams they got covered
with anything the crowd could
find so I am sending you
a precious photo the poor Aussie
soldiers were always broke so
we took under our wing these 3 boys
at Luna Park Dick the middle
one I wrote to.
At the back of Dick is a grass shirt
he sent me made out of Parachute
silk dyed with those yellow tablets.
I don't know what happened

to him after the war I think he
came from Queensland.

Joan Hankinson
Postcode
X3

PR00625

Australian
War Memorial

19.7.95
Dear Sir,
Please find enclosed my "Memories of
V.P. Day, August 15th, 1945." In this year of
"Australia Remembers" many memories of the war
years come flooding back but naturally the
day World War II ended stands out vividly
in my memory.
I am enjoying reading the articles & stories
in the Sunday Telegraph. Many survivors of the
War have great stories to tell but it is most
significant that no one wants to talk about
the Prison Camps etc. I'm sure they wish
those memories could stay buried.
Thanking you for the opportunity to share my
memories with you. Unfortunately I have no
photos of VP Day.
Yours sincerely
(Mrs) Pam Harvey

July 19th 

1995
To whom it may concern,
I remember V.P. day very well!
I was fourteen, living in my
home town - Tamworth- & my
classmates & I were to have a
Business Principles test that day at
our Alma Mater (the Dominican
Convent.)
Rumours were rife that
peace was declared - but, they were
rumours only. One of the above
mentioned girls' father was Post Master,
& he had told his daughter he
would not hoist the flag until the
long awaited news was OFFICIAL.
Needless to say there were
approx. fifteen girls hanging out
the windows of our classroom, all
eyes "GLUED" to the P. Office tower.
There it was!!!! The most
wonderful sight - our flag raised.
Well! There were screams, squeals
hugs, kisses, sliding down bannisters,
the bell was broken, the dear nuns
joining in the exciting furor. God's
ears must have hurt as we all
screamed "THANK YOU!"

II

Further into the A.M., shops shut,
bands gathered to pipe, play & march
around town. Wood delivery trucks
lined up to accommodate the clamouring
youth aboard to begin the impromptu
festivities, which continued to the
evening with a dance at our
beautiful Town Hall.
What a day!
Yes- I know exactly where
I was on the 15th August 1945.
Enclosed is a copy of one of the photos 
taken that day. I am the girl on the
left standing on the running board,
with the "obligatory" handkerchief.
Thank you for the opportunity
of re-living a most happy memorable 
day.
Yours faithfully,
(Mrs) Eileen Moffat
(nee Kelly)

22nd July, 1995
Victory in the Pacific 50th Celebrations
The Sunday Telegraph
PO Box 970
Strawberry Hills, 2013

Dear Sir or Madam,

In the Sunday Telegraph on 9th July, you requested
descriptions of the way Australians celebrated Victory in the
Pacific in 1945.

My father David Wagner, then aged 20, was a Writer in the
Royal Australian Navy based at Aitape, New Guinea. In a
letter written on August 15, 1945 to his sister Enid (now Mrs
Noel Bradshaw), he gave an entertaining description of the
Australian troops’ celebration of that event. I attach a
typed transcript of his description and a copy of that portion
of the original letter. After the war, my father married, and
raised three children in the Sydney suburb of Seaforth. He
had retired to Springwood NSW, prior to his death on 25th June
1992.

I hope you find this material useful for your special edition
of the Sunday Telegraph.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Anne Dollin

Telephone: 

MRS C.KEY

17-7-95

Dear Sir,

This photo was taken at Central
Station
I think we were all at work, when
we got the news of "Peace"
My Sister Dulcie Purvis woked as a secretary
Myself Cassie Purvis, Bradford cotton Mills
Camperdown
Shirley worked with my Mother
Shirley  "              "       "      "
Mr Mother Grace Purvis 1st classe Oxie welder for
Ford Moitors
Dulcie Williams Bradford Cotton Mills Camperdown
We are going to Martin Place, when the chap
ask us to hold our papers up while he
took the photo. We lost each other later
on so made our own ways home again.
Yours Sincerly C. Key.

18/7/1995
I have read the article in the Sunday
Telegraph "Where Were You" of the special coverage
of the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II
I was a service woman in the WAAAF at
Tocumwal NSW when the news was broadcast
of the end of the war - what great tidings! Sadly I
have lost touch with the other girls.
Yours faithfully
(Mrs) Joan Patterson

 "Victory In the Pacific 50th Celebrations"

I was seven-years of age, and being a child of
war the VP Day fun and excitement will 
live forever in my memory.
My grand-mother took me from her
flat in McMahon's Point to the Quay by ferry
and the harbour was alive with ferries
pleasure craft and war ships all honking
and whistling their cries of joy; on our ferry
strangers shook hands and embraced and a
man played "Waltzing Matilda" on the piano-
accordian
When we arrived at St. Mary's Cathedral to
offer a Prayer of Thanks, I was astounded to
see women entering the church Without Hats!!
Fearing they would go immediately to hell for
such irreverence I was relieved when my
Gran eased my fears, by stating: No that's
O.K dear the, devil is'nt working today"..!!
Later, we relaxed by the harbour pool,
my lovely granny and I, where this picture
was taken by a young soldier who had lost
his leg in battle. He had decorated his wooden
crutch with red and white streamers cut from 
crepe paper - what a spirit --- The spirit
of Anzac.
(Mrs) Mary Sweeney

This photo was taken in
Elizabeth St. Sydney the day
the war was over. Us 4 girls
were machinists in Mansion House
Elizabeth St & the boss gave
us the rest of the day off
J. Petersen

11.9.95
N. Taylor
Dear Sir
I am loaning you this photo which I treasure. The memory of it
was as if it was only yesterday. All of us girls worked
at a clothing factory, George St Central Quare. We made the
Jungle Green uniforms for our soldiers in battle. We attended
work that morning, and it was during mid-morning, we
were told, the war was over and to go out and
celebrate, which we did. One could not move in George St.
Traffic making for the City. Horns blowing people cheering
and embracing. For us girls to get to Martin Place, we
jumped on the back of a Table Top Truck. We celebrated
for hours. Two of us returned home by train early hours of
the morning to Summer Hill. Shoes in hand, foot sore
and weary, but boy it was worth it, and how safe
we were in those days.
As you will see my photo is getting brittle with age.
I keep it with my treasures for my children. If
possible if you make a reprint could you send me a copy
Thanking You.
Nola Taylor.

JEAN NEWBERY (nee AITKEN)
PHONE
How well I remember what I was doing
in Sydney the 15th August 1945! Like
many young girls too young to join the
services and wanting to do our bit for the
war effort I had been kept busy for the
previous two years doing voluntary
hospital work some evenings and most
weekends as a member of a Voluntary Aid
Detachment, a branch of the Red Cross.
Because we had been expecting to attend
a meeting of our V.A. Detachment the evening
of August 15, a girlfriend and I had worn
our uniforms into the office where we
worked. As we were all arriving, the
wonderful news of PEACE AT LAST was
received, and our delighted boss closed
the office for the day. Half a dozen of us
then joined the delirously happy throng
celebrating in the city streets, particularly
in Martin Place which was awash
with torn paper, streamers and
unrolled toilet paper rolls. The
joyous feeling of relief and happiness
was wonderful and although everyone
recognized from our uniform that
my girlfriend and myself were but
voluntary helpers, we were patted on
the back, hugged and thanked as much
as the serving members of the forces - 
it was a memorable and incredible experience
However, for my family our special
peace celebration came some seven
weeks later with the return of my dear
foster brother, whom we had last seen
leaving aboard a troopship for the
Middle East early 1940. After service
Where, his Division was being brought

JEAN NEWBERY (mee AITKEN)
PHONE
back to fight in New Guinea, when
circumstances altered drastically and
he with many others became a P.O.W.
for long terrible years in the infamous
Changi camp. Thankfully he survived,
returning to us and the loving fiancee
who had loyally waited over five
years for him.