Letters to Sunday Telegraph relating experiences of Victory in the Pacific Day, 1995 Wallet 1 of 2, Page 40 - 59

Nee - ACW Wade-Ferrell G.J.
MRS. GWEN FRIEND
9th July 1995.

V.P. Celebrations.
The Sunday Telegraph.
P.O. Box 920
Strawberry Hills 2013

Dear Sir/Madam,
The enclosed three photographs - "speak a
thousand words" (about the cessation of hostilities with the
enemy - Japan.) We called it V.J. Day on 15th August 1945.
Some names only known to me now, are on back of
photographs. These groups were taken before & after
"The March" starting in Macquarie Street, to Martin Place,
George Street, finishing at the Domain. "We marched
our legs off," great joy in all our hearts - the six
years of heartache in our country was over.
All these W.A.A.A.F, were wireless operators, stationed
in Townsville North Qld. during W.W. II.
The WAAAF (Womens' Auxillary Australian Air Force)
enlisted well over 18,000 women & filled 68 Musterings
& was an essential part of the Australian Defence Forces
& served its purpose admirably
As time goes by, 50 years since the end
of W.W.II I look back on those several years
with pride
yours faithfully
[Signature]
(MRS G.J. FRIEND)
 

Phone 
9/7/95
Victory in the Pacific 50th Celebrations,
The Sunday Telegraph
Dear Sir/ Madame,
Please find
enclosed photo which was taken in Sydney
(George St) V.P. Day 1945 by a Sydney
newspaper. I have seen it also on movie
tone news. It consists mostly of employees
from G.J. Coles warehouse. We all piled onto a
warehouse truck & made our way to the city picking
up any one who could get on. Once we came
up Market St & turned into George it was impossible
to move any further. It was a day I'll
always remember. The joy of wars end &
knowing our loved ones would soon be
returning home.
yours sincerely
Sybil MacRae
 

Mrs H. Watkins 
Phone
11th July 95
Dear Madam, Sir.
Reading your column on Sunday 9th July 1995 requesting
any recording around August 15th 1945, I have enclosed
some paper clippings and photo of my husband Al (Harold)
Watkins, fighting Jimmy Brunt the British Marine at
Sydney Stadum in the "Peace Celebration" on 18th August
1945
I am sending to you as Harold is a very proud man, and
as this is part of our history, I thought you would be very
happy to receive his contribution to the 50th Anniversary
Celebration, next month.
Thanking you
Mrs Anthea Watkins
 

2nd August, 1995.

The Editor, 
Australia Remembers
50th Celebrations,
Sunday Telegraph,
P.O. Box 970,
STRAWBERRY HILLS 2013. 

Dear Sir/Madam,

LIke the 'girls' in the Luscious Sponges photo in Sunday
Telegraph last week, (30th June) we too are having a 50th
Reunion in MARTIN PLACE on 15th August.

Following the publicstion of an appeal from me for staff
from the LAND SALES CONTROL office, published in the 'Molly
Dye' Help Wanted column on 4th June, a group of us are
going to meet and - hopefully recognising each other after 
so long - re-enact the delirium we all felt on that day.

We worked in an office in Pitt Street just around the corner
from Martin Place and none of us will ever forget the mad
celebrations of that day.

I well remember Luscious Sponges - they were always the first 
thing bought for an office birthday or special occasion and 
really 'hit the spot'

I don't have the originals, but am enclosing a photostat of
some of those who will be attending. One of the 'gi-ls'
in the jumping photo is dead, but the other (Kath Lovett)
is coming from TATHRA to join us. Am also enclosing a 'poem'?
I've written for the get-together.

We are meeting in Martin Place, outside Challis House, for
the Annual Remembrance Service, under a 'banner' of some sort
identifying us.

Am appreciating all the nostalgic memories of that time you're
publishing.

Kind Regards,
[signature]
(MRS) J.M. Mc Mahon
 

Dear Sir,
14/7/95
A couple weeks ago I read in the 
Sunday Telegraph that you would be interested 
in memories of the first VP Day.
I hadsome years ago about a voyage I had 
made on an army ship, during which the war 
ended. The task we were engaged on was to ex-
hume the remains around the Arafura Sea and 
the gulf.
We were moored at Gove at the time whilst 
a RAAF craft, en route to Groote Eylandt with 
two of our personnel would bring back a pilot's 
body from Cape Arrowsmith. 
Actually the end came very much as an anti-
climax to us. 
Yours Sincerely,
[signature]
Ex Sgt 15th ASS? RAE
 

18th July, 1995
The Editor,
Victory in the Pacific 50th Celebrations,
The Sunday Telegraph,
P.O. Box 970,
STRAWBERRY HILLS, 2013.

Dear Sir, 

On the 15th August, 1945, at about 9.30 a.m., I was 
at Circular Quay, Sydney with a girl-friend on our way from the 
N.S.W. Auditor-General's Office to commence our audit work that 
day at the N.S.W, Maritime Services Board Head Office at the Quay. 
This building, incidentally, was later demolished to be replaced
by the building now housing the Museum of Contemporary Art. 

Suddenly, all the ferries started blowing their whistles 
and church bells were ringing. People were streaming out of 
offices and buildings nearby shouting "The war is over". My friend 
and I in all excitement ran back to our office in King St. 
amongst the ever increasing throng of people in the streets. 
Our staff were then given permission to join the celebrations 
and, of course, we headed to Martin Place. My girl-friends and 
I danced and sang and kissed nearly every serviceman we saw.

I arrived home late in the afternoon and all our family 
were celebrating particularly as my brother who was then somewhere 
in the Pacific having served in the Royal Australian Navy throughout 
the whole of the war would be safely home again. 

The photo enclosed is of myself taken on the following 
day, the 16th August after the Victory March in Sydney which was 
also my 19th birthday so a further reason for me to celebrate. 
This was just one week before I met my future husband at the 
Anzac Buffet in Hyde Park, where I was one of the helpers. He 
was in Australia serving in the Dutch Air Force. He later emigrated 
to Australia and we have just recently celebrated our 42nd wedding 
Anniversary. 

So the 15th of August, 1945 is a date I shall always 
remember and a week that changed my life and the lives of 
so many others.

Hoping that my letter and memories of this day are of 
interest and thanking you for all your wonderful articles about 
this period inour history. 

Yours sincerely,

[Signature] 

Encl.          (MRS.) JOYCE VANDENBURG.
 

17/7/95

Two of us, the centre & right, of this photo, worked together 
at Kitleys Shoe Store in Auburn. All services 
stopped as the news spread, and we returned home, 
then later we three returned to Sydney. Everyone 
was dancing and the fellows in uniform were 
hugging & kissing everyone. The scene of joy & 
happiness, & pride at being an Aussie in Sydney 
was just wonderful, & a scene I'll never forget.
My friend of 53 years is Mrs. Aileen Morley and is very 
happily married, to an ex-English navy serviceman, who she met 
& he settled here after the war years. 
My sister also was a war-bride, she now lives in Florida, 
has lived in the States since 1945. Her husband has died 
12 years ago. She has two Daughters, the first born here 
has five grandchildren, & six great grandchildren. 

Sincerely 

Mrs. Lola Baty. 
 

BILL HEWSON
WHEN END OF WORLD WAR 2 WAS DECLARED.
I WAS AN LAM/E ON BOARD "HMS IMPLACABLE"
AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, OPERATING WITH THE U.S. 3RD FLEET
IN PACIFIC WATERS.
AND AT THE TIME WE WERE OFF THE COAST OF JAPAN
OUR PLANES DOING BOMBING RAIDS ON JAPAN.
THE PLANES WERE BOMBED UP, READY TO GO OFF AGAIN.
ON ANOTHER RAID, WHEN THE SHIPS LOUDSPEAKERS CAME
ALIVE - ATTENTION - ATTENTION - CAPTAIN SPEAKING 
 
JAPAN HAS SURRENDERED - THE WAR IS OVER.
REMOVE ALL BOMBS FROM PLANES - WE ARE TURNING AROUND 
AND HEADING BACK TO SYDNEY
TO LOUD CHEERS - A WONDERFUL DAY AFTER 7 YEARS 
OF WAR.

MY WIFE & DAUGHTER & MYSELF SETTLED IN SYDNEY
36 YEARS. AND HAVE 2 SONS BORN HERE. IN THIS GOOD
COUNTRY

Yours Faithfully
Bill Hewson J.P. 
 

The Sunday Telegraph
PO Box 970
Sydney 2013
18th July 1995

My memories of the peace are almost unique. I was among a select group
of people who were told before the 11am announcement. Fifty years ago, on August
15th I was on duty as a telephone operator within the Australian Women's Army Services. I 
belonged to the Signals Unit stationed at the Sydney Showground which was used as a huge
Army Base. 

The morning I arrived as normal for my 8am shift together with one other operator, not
suspecting anything different would be happening that day. But instead of sitting at our switch
board as usual we were immediately told that at 11am peace would be announced and the war
had ended. This news we would have to keep secret to ourselves for 3 hours and we were not
to tell anyone.

We had to resume our normal duties and not divulge the information, the hardest order I had
ever been given in all my time in the army.  To deny the world over our switchboard our
true elation was internally explosive. To be able to share our joy and tears with only
each other was the hardest and most harrowing experience of our lives. At the same time we
were feeling the most joyous and happiest experience of our lives. To this day those feelings
have never been matched and I am 75 years old. 

To fully appreciate the experience of the day you must first understand the huge differences
in communications of that time and now. Although the announcement was made over radio at
11am only a few people heard it, as radios and telephones were not at everyone's elbow. The
joy that most people first experienced was not only the hearing of the announcement but the
telling of the announcement and the re-telling and re-telling. In this way everyone felt that it
was their personal gift to the next person they told and it was a true sharing of the peace. 

At 11am I was finally able to ring everyone on the base to share with them the news, the joy,
the relief, the feeling. I rang everyone I could find until the switch board became so jammed
that I could ring no-one. Most people found out about peace by word of mouth gradually
over the next hour and you could hear and see and feel the emotions grow like nothing else I
have seen or heard since. To be able to share in everyone's happiness as I told them was
tremendous, uplifting and spiritual. This probably wouldn't happen now days as
communications are so instant and we only need to watch the TV.   

The telephone system in Sydney became so jammed that the PMG closed our boards and tried
to sort out the overload. I was sworn to secrecy for the longest three hours of my life and
then I was transformed into an angel with the greatest miracle of all times to tell. The end of a
War. I do hope my experiences of that day are of help to you and look forward to hearing
from you. 

Yours Sincerely
Mrs. B. Howard
Beryl Howard

Victory In the Pacific
Sunday Telegraph
PO Box 970
Strawberry Hills 2013
Dear Sir,
The day the war ended my sister Elsie & I were
working in the city. When word came through that the
war was over our firm closed down & we had arranged
to meet our other sister Betty & our flat mate Muriel Murphy.
After buying the first papers on the street we were
photographed by a street photographer with our little flag
hats. Our hats were ruined in about two minutes as
everyone was hugging & kissing everyone else. I think
we used about a dozen hats & ended up just giving
up on the hats. We had a most wonderful day. I'm
sure none of us could ever forget it.
A few weeks ago my sisters called to see me
before leaving for Queensland & we had our photos
taken again with these same papers 50 years later
I hope you find them interesting
your faithfully
(Mrs) Enid Hughes
 

21/7/95
Victory in the Pacific 50th Celebrations
The Sunday Telegraph,
P.O. Box 970,
Strawberry Hills 2013.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I write with reference to your OVER AT LAST on
page 58 9/7/95 and also WE REMEMBER page 47
16/7/95
Do I REMEMBER?? Oh yes, as though it was
only yesterday. Our generation had lived through 6 years
of WAR, and dawned 15 August 1945 and yes
OVER AT LAST. What a wonderful day, a truly wonderful
day to celebrate. This I personally did, but also with a
heavy heart because I had lost my only beloved brother
an R.A.F. pilot, an Empire Air Hero, who was
reported missing presumed killed on 30th June 1940.
His is an incredible story, and in this year AUSTRALIA
REMEMBERS, his country of birth doesn't want to even
know about him, yet the Dutch people of the village
of Schipluiden on 4th May held a beautiful commemoration
service to honour he and his crew. The mayor,
village people and school children placed wreaths on a
memorial plaques in the village cemetery. 
 

2
It was my brother's death and the need to
free men from the Air Force in Australia for active
service overseas, which prompted me to leave my good
job as a statistical clerk with the Castrol Oil Co.
Back in 1941 to enter the W.A.A.A.F. as a wireless
telegraphist, we were required to undergo training at Fort
Street High School every night of the week after work
until we were proficient sending and receiving morse at
25 W.P.M.
The enclosed photo is taken at R.A.AF. command,
Brisbane on that wonderful day 15 AUGUST 1945,
I am the sergeant on the left at back. We had all
come off "dog-watch" night shift from 11.20PM - 7.20A.M.
It was an extremely busy signal office, because we
had watches with Air Ministry, I was working Singapore
when they fell to the Japs, but the night before VP day
all our communication with bases throughout the Pacific
were flat out as usual. After ceasing duty in the morning
normally it would have been off to bed, BUT who wanted
to sleep the WAR was over– Unbelievable and a time to
celebrate.
We broke a strict rule berets must not be worn
with uniform, but as you can see we adorned our head
wear with plants I had grown alongside our hut. We
were off to the city to celebrate, and oh what a day in
Brisbane it was. We could sleep for the rest of our
lives, but today we must live it up, and we had
youth on our side then. The friends made in those
 

3
wartime days, are extra special. When 30 young
women sleep in a hut with little privacy, and then also
work together, and having little luxuries and little
money, the comradeship is unreal, but something lasting
a lifetime.
I have a full front page of the COURIER MAIL
dated 16th AUGUST 1945, showing how Brisbane celebrated
with the main street packed to capacity. On that day
9,000 ex service personnel marched through the city. If
that front page is of any help for your special edition
of VP day I'm only too happy to co-operate.
I have many many war time snaps, but I chose
just one on to send of 6 happy little W.A.A.AF's who had
served 4 years in the Air Force and ready to
celebrate after a hard night's work.
Humbly yours,
Betty King (NEE PASCOE)
 

Sunday Telegraph July 4th
Australia Remembers
Dear Sir,
I remember well where I was and what l did on
15th August 1945. On the 14th I was on night duty nursing in
a ramp ward of the 113th A.GH. at Concord.
I was listening to a wireless, in between doing the
rounds of the ward and kept my patients informed as to the
latest news I don,t think any of them slept that night.
I finished duty, had my breakfast and went to my
room,shortly the bells started to ring and we were told
over the loud speakers the War was over.
We were told to proceed to the Notice Board to see
if we were rostered for leave.
I was one of the lucky ones, so with my girlfriend
from Wollongong we caught a taxi to Strathfield, then a
train to the city, yes and danced in the street! Then my
friend caught a train to Wollongong and I caught a train to
Windsor.
On the train to Windsor was an intoxicated soldier,
laying on the platform between the carriages(there were
no doors on the train then) Fearing he may roll out, with the
aid of a sailor, we got him inside the carriage. He told us he
was going home to take his wife out. We put him safely off
the train at Riverstone. I then went on to Windsor and went
to a Victory Dance at Richmond, that night.
Fifty years on this coming 15th Aug, health
permitting, I would like to stay the night of the 14th at the
R.S.L. Hyde Park Inn and join in the celebrations on the 15th
August
My husband was on Tarakan, Borneo on the 15th
August1945,when news came through that the War was
over.
 

Yes, we Remember!
(Mrs) M.I. Moulds (nee Hunt)
Ex A.A.M.W.S. NFX 172754.
 

August 15th, 1945 The war was
over.
Alan Fairweather is deaf, he used
to work as a dress cutter & designer
with his deaf sister Betty (Dressmaking)
at Snowball Bros, Elizabeth St, Sydney
opposite to Mark Foys shop, one of
their uncle Arthur Snowball's own
businesses & He was well known in
Australia. There were about 5 deaf
girls, who worked with about 150
girls & 6 men. They had been
cutting soldier uniforms, which the
girls made for the war twice a
week. When the war was over, his
uncle kindly gave them all some
Fruit cakes, Bottles of Beer & Wine as
well as many flags & streamers.
Good fun & laughs!! They all had
a great time. Afterwards they went
for a walk at Hyde Park, where there
were crowds of people walking around.
They really enjoyed themselves very
much.
Alan & Betty shall not forget
about the story that one Friday
night, After Deaf Club, when they
went  to "Repins" Cafe with deaf
friends for a late supper near
Wynyard station, George St, Sydney.
After supper, Alan & Betty had to catch
the last Tram at 12 pm for Drummoyne.
They suddenly stopped at Rozelle with
a black out for 1/2 hour so they
had to walk from there. They were
frightened they ran fast across
the Iron Cove bridge & arrived home
at Drummoyne safely. next day
 

they got a shock to read in the
paper about a Japanese midget
submarine that had been bombed
at Sydney Harbour that night.
Alan & Betty used to go & see
newsreels at Wynyard Theatre
every week after work, to watch
the War news. It was very sad (1 hour)

I am sending you 5 photos,
which I sincerely hope you will
be interested to see & my story.
Yours faithfully
from
Alan Fairweather.
 

My photo was taken outside our work place
in Pitt St a shirt factory called Critex on
August 15 1945 V.P. Day. Was given the rest off day off
Later we made our way to Martin Place
for a great celebrations.
Three of us are still very good friends
I am in front row right side of picture
My name then was Winsome or Pat Duddle
now its Moss. I have lived in Greenacre
45 years.
Thanking you
Mrs W Moss.
(GREENACRE)
 

Aug 15th 1945.
It was my girl friend's 17th Birthday.
Betty, the girl on right hand side.
We all went to work at S.R. Buttle's head
Office the whole place was buzzing with
excitement & I can tell you there wasn't very
much work being done, so when the news
officially came through we firstly rang
Lilly, (the one in (the dark coat) made
arrangements to meet her. She worked in
Farmer's office. & then went for our lives
I still get goose pimples thinking of it.
Martin Place just seemed to fill up with
people Everyone was laughing, singing
dancing, whenever you went
People were pulling up kissing each
other. The trams were still running
 

& people were hanging on the footboards
hooting as they went along.
Hyde Park was crowded. We had
street photographers in those days & boy
they were doing a roaring trade.
Betty, Lilly & I always kept in touch, but
I wonder whatever happened to Joyce
[[Castle?]] & Cecily [[De Loundro?]]
Yours faithfully
Jeanne Hewitt.
2nd from left.