Letters to Sunday Telegraph relating experiences of Victory in the Pacific Day, 1995 - Part 5

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 Stadium in the "Peace Celebration" on 18th August

1945.

I'm 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,

Jean McMahon

(Mrs) J. M. Mc MAHON

14/7/95

Dear Sir,

A couple of 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 
exhume 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,

[[?]] P. Chate

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 9.30a.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 our of

offices and building nearby shouting "The was is over".  My friend

and I in all the 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  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 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 in/our history.

Yours sincerely,

Joyce Vandenburg

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, on 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 " H.M.S. 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 announcement of peace are almost unique. I was among a select group

of people who were told well before the 11am announcement.  Fifty years ago, on August

15th I was on duty as a telephone operator with the Australian Women's Army Services.  I

belonged to the Signals Unit stationed at the Sydney Showgrounds which was used as a huge

Army Base.

That 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 to the world over our switchboard our

true elation was internally explosive.  To only be able to share our joy and tears with only

each other was the hardest and most harrowing experience of our lives.  To this day those feelings

have never been matched and I am 75 years old.

To fully appreciate the experiences of the day you must first understand the huge differences

in communications of that time and now.  Although the announcement was made over the 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

P.O. 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 out 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.  He had a most wonderful day.  Im

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 those same papers 50 years later.

I hope you find them interesting

Yours 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 15th 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 who 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 honour he and his crew.  The Mayor,

village people and school children placed wreaths on a 

memorial plaque in the village cemetery.