WWII ended 80 years ago today. Arthur Driver, Les Winslade and Bill Morton were there. The three centenarians share their memories with Cushla Norman, including a hair-raising flight back from war with just a teaspoon of fuel left in their plane’s tank.
The lessons of war – watch this story on TVNZ+.
The day World War II ended, Arthur Driver, now 101, was annoyed to find himself stuck in a hospital with injuries he got from falling off a motorcycle in Fiji, where he was posted as a mechanic with the Air Force.
“I was disappointed I couldn’t jump out of bed and join in. It was a happy, happy time,” he said.
“I had been corresponding with a girl in New Zealand, and we had organised a marriage when I came back out. So I was looking forward to that.”
V-J Day or Victory over Japan Day marked the end of World War II. News of Japan’s surrender reached New Zealand at 11am on August 15, 1945, sparking celebrations.
About 140,000 New Zealanders served abroad during WWII. Nearly 12,000 died. Just 69 veterans are still alive.
A teaspoon of fuel in the tank
Les Winslade is 104 “and three quarters”. He was a radio operator as part of the Catalina Squadron, based at Halavo Bay not far from Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
As part of his job he helped navigate rescues of airmen shot down over the sea. He lived in a grass hut with five other operators.
He remembers how, as they were leaving, the huts caught on fire from live ammunition stored inside.
“With the heat, they were firing off. Sounded as though World War II had started all over again. We were pleased to be leaving it all behind.”
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He also remembers a hair-raising journey back to New Zealand on a DC-3 with not a lot of fuel.
“We finally reached the long white cloud, which was New Zealand. We no sooner entered and an excited voice said, ‘we’ve got you, you’re right over us now’.”
“Our pilot said a nasty swear word and pushed his stick forward and we dived down into the clouds, right over the top of Mt Albert… and flew back, up the harbour at zero feet, skimming the water, and slid onto the tarmac at Whenuapai.
“When we measured the fuel left in the tank there was about a teaspoon, we just made it. We were lucky to get back actually.”
‘I was bloody stupid’
Another veteran, Bill Morton, 103, shared his memories of working as a medic with the Air Force across the Pacific.
Looking back, he calls the war a “waste of time”. He said he joined when he was 18 because he was “bloody stupid”.
But he said he didn’t regret it and would go to war again if “the circumstances needed it”.
Arthur Driver would not be so keen. “I might get killed.”
And Les Winslade said: “It doesn’t get you anywhere.”
Lessons of war
Japan surrendered soon after America dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing approximately 170,000 people.
“It was dreadful,” said Les of the bombings.
The three veterans were asked what the most important lessons were from the war.
Bill said that it was “useless”. Arthur said it was to “duck” so as not to get picked by an officer, and Les said it was “to get on with people”.
The lessons of war – watch this story on TVNZ+
