Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

My father was in away at the war for 4 years and then 3 more years bringing Japanese Prisoners of War from Indonesia and the Philippines back to Japan. My sister was born in 1944 and when dad came home on leave she was shocked to see him. The story goes that she was a toddler and outside in the garden when a strange man she did not know walked onto the pathway. She ran inside to seek safety from her mother.

My brother was born in 1950 and I was born in 1951. I remember dad wearing his army clothes in the garden, on camping trips, and fishing in the boat. In fact our tents were from the war as were our musty olive wool camping blankets. The war might have been over but there was a constant reminder in our daily lives.

Dad did not want to talk about the war experience with us. It was not until just before he passed away that my sister was able to organize an oral interview with the Imperial War Museum in London. His military career is best described in his own words. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80023924

I will gather together a few photos and add them to my story.

Heather Hendrickson