Letters to Sunday Telegraph relating experiences of Victory in the Pacific Day, 1995 - Part 9

Keith Miland
Ph 
VP Day memories, where you were, 
The following may be interesting with a unique
way for two groups of soldiers from different countries to
celebrate War's end.
On that historical day our unit was
stationed in Borneo and my section was sent out
on a routine patrol into the jungle for a
see & report operation, about midday we met
a patrol of Americans who were on a similar
operation and they told us (in their language)
You guys take it easy now we've heard the war
is over) they have dropped an Atom Bomb and its all
over, the American Sargeant suggested that to
celebrate the occasion sit down and have KAI
(LUNCH) and that they had heard of our famous
hard rations of Bully Beef & Dog Biscuits & would
we exchange ours for theirs which we reddily agreed
to do, they tucked into our Bully Beef & Biscuits
& we into theirs of Tinned Chicken & Tinned
Sauerkraut the best meal we had for
12 months.
Yours
K Miland 

PHONE NO.
17/7/95
The Editor
Enclosed please find photograph of myself &
three friends taken in George St on V.P Day, August 15th
1945. The four of us all worked at Farmers in the ACy
& the management gave us the day off when the news
came through that the war was over.
We immediately headed for George St to join in
the celebrations with the thousands of other workers who
had been given the day off.
The four of us still remain friends & keep in
contact to this day.
yours faithfully
(Mrs) Hope Bunchall

I REMEMBER IT WELL!
ON BOARD H.M.S. KING GEORGE V. ROYAL NAVY FLAGSHIP OF THE
BRITISH PACIFIC FLEET AUGUST 15, 1945
THE SCENE: Patrolling the Japanese waters as planes from Aircraft Carriers
made strike after strike on Tokyo areas, and the Allied Battleships prepared
again to lay a heavy bombardment in those areas.
At 0900 the whole world stopped as Japan's Emperor Hirohito declared Wars
End. Except for one "Kamikazi" pilot who made one last effort, I believe
unsuccessfully. The Allied Navies continued to patrol Japanese waters as a
show of strength, until the ships had to disperse due to a typhoon at about
noon 25th, which we rode out at sea.
August 27th we were allocated an anchorage point in Sagami Baay in readiness
to enter Tokyo harbour. As the anchor was dripped and the ship settled in her
tidal position, the red ball of the setting sun lowered in line to settle in the
crater mouth of Mt. Fuji. As we stared at such a sight, it was heard said "What
a fitting end to the Japanese Rising Sun!"
My three shipmates vowed, as we toasted the demise of such an era, if we God
willing live another 50 years, we would all indulge in a good and hefty
tot-of-rum to make amends for what we missed on V.P. day 1945!!!
Unfortunately only 2 of us are still living.
E.E. OXLEE ex R.N.
Mr. E.E. Oxlee

I was 9 years old when the war ended in the Pacific.
I attended a private girls' school in Sydney.
Our teachers were very sedate. They walked quietly,
talked quietly and were dignified. Our headmistress
was next to God.
On the day Japan surrendered we were quietly attending
our lessons. Suddenly our headmistress burst into the
classroom shrieking.
"It's over." 
Our teacher lunged at her and they both danced, laughed,
shrieked. They had gone mad.
Other teachers ran into our classroom all dancing.,
laughing and shrieking.
The school bell started ringing, senior student were
running all over the place, our teacher left the room,
we were unattended and stark eyed in disbelief.
Our world had gone mad.
A short time later, we were ushered into the school
chapel for a service - in the middle of the day!
Our mad headmistress conducted the prayers smiling
all the time, and the teachers talked and giggled
...... all offences against God and punishable by
the most severe detentions!
Then we were sent home ..... a half day holiday to celebrate
everyone's madness!
The usually quiet route home confirmed my belief that my
entire world had gone mad. Trams were ringing their bells
all the time, people were hanging out of compartments
and riding on the dashboards .... all offences punishable by
law. Everyone screaming.
"It's over."
My father was home from work in the middle of the day,
and he and mother were drinking sherry. They hugged and
kissed and all of this in front of me. My parents had gone
mad too.
I was told we were going into Hyde Park to celebrate this
madness. The bells of St. Mary's and St Andrew's were so
loud and never stopped ringing. I wondered if my own school
bell was still ringing.
Everywhere people were hugging, crying, laughing, dancing.
Nobody noticed my quietness.
Nobody asked if I understood why everyone and evrything was
upside down.
All I knew was that it was a MAD, MAD, MAD, world.
Kim Ashcroft
9th July, 1995.

11-7-95
The Editor
"The war is over!" was told to me at 1am, 11 August,
1945. This was a few days before VP day celebration. I was in a
Hurstville private hospital and had just given birth to my daughter
Kay Lesly Partlett.
My husband was still with the Army Engineers in Borneo, and the
good news was told to me by my doctor. After recovering from etherism,
I heard Dr. Howell saying to me: "Your three wishes have been
granted. You have a daughter Born on your husband's birthday,
and the war is over. I heard this news on the radio just after
midnight."
I was too thrilled to speak and my eyes filled with tears. This
was my husband's 34th birthday. I couldn't celebrate it with him,
but I had my little girl who was a celebration in herself. And the
war over on her Daddy's birthday was a dream come true.
Later that day I wrote telling my husband the triple good news.
I choose the names "Kay" after Kay Francis and "Lesly" after Joan
Lesley, two Hollywood film stars. I think I had star dust in my
eyes. in those days
The first child born at "Woodleigh" Maternity Hospital that day
was a boy and they named him "Victor." Bundled in a bunny rug with
nurse a small flag hanging out from behind his head, a nurse carried
him from ward to ward for all to see. It was a jubilant day for us
all and I was honoured by having my three wishes granted. But my
husband had to wait six months before he saw his daughter.
LAUNA PARTLETT.
Launa Partlett
 

10-7-95

Victory in the Pacific 50th Celebrations
The moment we were informed that hostilities had ceased &
the war had ended, my friend Elmer Cohen & I stood up
from our machines & cried tears of relief. We worked for
Silknit in Mary Street Surrey Hills, making underwear for
the Women's Services. The same day in Darwin my husband
to be, sent an urgent telegram saying, "Norma, will you
marry me?" which I still cherish. We had fallen in love
Christmas Eve 1940, were married exactly one month later
15th September 1945, the happiest day of our lives
(St Brendan's Annanale)
Sincerely, ^(MRS) Norma Haughey. 

Dear Sir
I was wondering if you could send me another
entery form, for another C.D. which is called
Victory in the Pacific.
I all ready have one, but I need another one to
send to a friend, who was in the Air Force
during the 1939-45 war.
Mrs M. Raisbeck