Letters to Sunday Telegraph relating experiences of Victory in the Pacific Day, 1995 - Part 8

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jumped on & off, joined in conga lines,
danced screamed, kissed, sang. The
feeling is unexplainable, I can still
get goose pimples remembering.
The girls in the photo were from the
Union Bank. I am on the left in the
front row waving.
I went home to Hornsby mid afternoon
& returned to Sydney with a crowd of
friends that night, where celebrations
were still raging.
What a birthday!!
yours faithfully
Mrs. Betty Talarico
(nee Creighton)
 

10th July 1995 Mrs June Couch
Victory in the Pacific 50th Celebration
The Sunday Telegraph
P.O Box 970
Strawberry Hills 2013
Dear All,
This enclosed photo was taken in
King Street Sydney on 15th August 1945 - VP. DAY.
We had left the office where we worked in
Castlereagh Street, to join in the celebrations.
As we continued down King Street, along
with thousands of others, I miraculously
met my sister (who worked in the C.M.L.
in Martin Place) She was trying to got
home, having received a message to do this.
We lived at Gladesville and all trams in
the city had stopped running because of the
crowds. We walked from the city, and
over the old Pyrmont Bridge and were
able to get a tram from there. On
arrival home, my sister was informed
that her Airman husband had been
shot down and killed the week before
(8/8/45) on his first and last raid on
the enemy in Borneo in his Australian

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made Mosquito fighter aeroplane.
There were no celebrations on
V.P Day for us.
Sincerely
JS Couch
(MRS. F.E. COUCH)

JUNE COUCH

2nd from right

MRS F.E. COUCH

16-7-95
Dear Sir,
On 15th August 1945 I was at work in Office of
TAXATION DEPARTMENT in ELIZABETH ST. CITY & when we
received News of the WAR ENDING we tore up old
TAXATION FILES & threw them out of Windows to help
make the TICKER TAPE PARADE in MARTIN PLACE. Then
we were told we could have the rest of the day
off, myself & 3 Girlfriends, Lola HOLLAND, Margaret
BRITCHER, & Connie BINDLEY all poured out of TAXATION
BUILDING intO MARTIN PLACE where we joined the hundreds
of other people thronged there. We sang & danced & joined
CONGA LINES & were carried along with the Merry Crowd
all the way to KINGS CROSS where the CELEBRATIONS were
in full swing. Lola & myself have remained close friends
& visit each others Homes regularly. She married an ex Aussie
Soldier (ERIC REDFERN) & they are still married & live up the
CENTRAL COAST. I marrIed an Aussie Sailor but divorced
14 years later. In 1978 I married again this time to an ex
U.S. MARINE who fought in KOREA (John BECKLEY) & he
was in Australia at that time working, & we have been
happily married for 17 years. Lola, Eric, John & myself
are all getting together on the 12^th August to watch
ERIC participate in COMMEMORATION MARCH in SYDNEY.
They will then stay with us & celebrate on the 15^th
with us at HUSKISSON R.S.L before returning Home.
The photo I have enclosed is of myself (PEARL MADDEN)
& American Sailor who was with U.S. TASK FORCES
which visited Australia after the WAR. My Parents
used to Billett SERVICEMEN from Overseas during &
after WAR YEARS & I used to go out with some of
them & show them the sights of Sydney.
Hoping you find my Story interesting enough
to Publish.
REGARDS FROM
Mrs PEARL BECKLEY (Nee MADDEN)
P.A. Beckley
 

25/7/95
Victory in the pacific CelebrationS,
The Sunday Telegraph.
P.O. Box 970 Strawberry Hills 2013
Dear Sir,
This is a Photograph of my
workmates and myself taken on Victory
Day in Martin Place, I am third from
the left, I would dearly love to see
the Girls again after 50 years. We worked
at the N.S.W. State Lottery Office in
Barrack St, as ticket writers. When
news came through that war had
ended it was glorious, everything
in an uproar, people crying, hugging
each other, the excitement I will
never forget certainly a day to remember
Yours Sincerely Miriam Spring.
(nee Josephs.)
 

(Mrs) Iris Hogan
I am sending you a copy of a page out of my autograph book from
50 years ago because it has such great memories for me and might
be useful for your Victory in the Pacific article.
I wss in the Aust, Wowen's Army Service and was stationed in
Melbourne at Albert Park Headquarters when the war finished. I
had gone to the canteen for morning tea on that day and heard
someone say "The War is over" so I went back to my office and
told everyone what I had heard. They went crazy, the phones were
overloaded and the switchboard became jammed. They said it was
& false alarm and it was a few more hours before it was confirmed
and it was on again. A rule in the A.W.A.S. was that your hair
had to be an inch above your collar and securely pinned up, but
the boys in our section said to the girls "The War's over so out
come the pins and down comes the hair" and when I asked our Unit
artist to put something in my autograph book, he recreated this
day for me. When the official announcement came we took the train
back to Flinders Street and the streets were packed with thousands
of people singing, dancing and crocodiling with strangers, there
were balloons and the occasional skinned rabbit flying through the
air. The best feeling was that now I could return to Sydney after
2 years away, to my family of 5 sisters and 2 brothers and my
fiance of 3 years who was still in Borneo would soon be home.
At 20 years of age this was indeed a very exciting time in my life
and one I will remember always.
Yours Sincerely,
Iris Hogan
Ettalong Beach
 

Pix.
FROM: MRS. A. N. BELL
The most memorable day of my life: As a machine telegraphist
on the fourth floor of the Sydney G.P.O. I was sending and
receiving telegrams (as they were sent then) to the Brisbane
exchange, when my receiver in Brisbane said the most
remarkable thing - "I think the war is over!! there's so
much excitement on our floor". I feel sure I was the first
person in Sydney to hear these exciting news, as it was quite
some time before the men who operated the teletypes to the
Country towns had similar news infiltrating through to them.
Looking out of the window down on to Martin Place people
could be seen looking like ants as they ran from one to another
with this exciting news.
By the time I ended my shift Martin Place was jammed with
people and so elated. As you can see by my photo I was
caught by two strangers who were, like me, just so affected.
At that time my husband was flylng bombers from Balikpapan,
S. East Asla and in just 2 weeks later as he was one of the first
to joln the RAAF he was one of the first to be de-mobbed
so ending the lost 6 years of our early married life. I cannot
ever describe my feelings at this memorable time.
PLEASE RETURN MY
PHOTO.
 

24/7/95
THe Editor
Sunday Telegraph
Dear Sir
At the end of WWII I
was on the top of Mt. Shibarangu
overlooking Ulewah N.G with the
2/2ND Field Regt 6th Aust Division
on a 25 pounder gun
Although we were very happy
there were no celebrations as No 1 we
didn't have anything to celebrate with
& No 2 the japs did not know the war
was over & were still quite hostile
In fact it was quite some time before
they began to filter in from the
jungle.
As you can see the Mountain is
quite bare in places having been
bombed by USAF Bostons & RAAF
 

Beauforts besides continuous shelling
from 3 artillery units 2/1 2/2 2/3
To the left at the bottom of the
photo was where Private Ted Kenna
earnt his VC with the 2/4 Battalion.
I have enjoyed your memories
to date in the Sunday Telegraph & 

hope this maybe of some use
Yours sincerely
Sgt Ian Fraser
 

Please return as
these are precious
to a 73 year old!
VP Day Celebrations
To when it concerns,
I was a young school teacher in
Lake Cargelligo when the war
ended and I'll never forget how
those country people celebrated -
a wonderful procession a few days
later with more people dressed
up and taking part than were spectators.
What joy, what relief, 

but when sadness to always remember,
I am enclosing two photos 

of that time. 
My friend David (we didn't marry!)
had been a Fighter Pilot based in
England and the letter enclosed
written 26th Aug '45 tells of his
experiences on VJ Day in London
The part between the crosses you
may like to use - note the unfamiliar
(non) word "niggers"!
I hope he is still alive and well,

as he wrote wonderful letters.
Yours sincerely
(Mrs.) Jean Whittaker