Letters to Sunday Telegraph relating experiences of Victory in the Pacific Day, 1995 - Part 2

11

Further into the A.M., shops shut, 

bands gathered to pipe, play & march

around town. Wood delivery trucks

lined up to accommodate the clambouring

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" handerkerchief.

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,

[*signature*]

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 Dulci Purvis worked as a secretary

Myself Cassie Purvis, .Bradford Cotton Mills Camperdown

Shirley worked with my Mother

Shirley         "         "       "        "

My Mother Grace Purvis 1st classe Oxie Welder for

Ford Motors

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 Sincerely C.Key.

18/7/1995

I have read the article in the Sunday

Telegraph "Where were you" of the special coverage

of the 50^th anniversary of the end if 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.

Your faithfully

(Mrs) Joan Patterson

" Victory In The Pacific 50^th 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 M^cMahon'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 isn't 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

Ph.

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

11.7.95

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 Square. 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 couldn't 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.

So 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 case V.A. Detachment [[?]]

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 deliriously 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

recognised from our uniforms 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 celebrations came some seven

weeks later with the return of my dead

foster brother, whom we had last seen

leaving aboard a  troopship for the

Middle East early 1940. After service

there, 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 fiance

who had loyally waited over five

years for him.

Mrs J Robba

Phone. 

Please find photo of myself, Sister,

and friend taken on V.P. day

we were given the day off to 

celebrate. We were working in 

Elizabeth Street at the time, and

joined in with everyone in 

George Street Sydney. We all lived

in Seven Hills then. Our Brother

Len was over seas in the Army 2/8

Commandos.

Jean and Winifred. Heather.

Judy Hinks.

 

Photo - see original document

Penny Farthing and Horse

              1892