War memories

By Dion Teasdale
A PHOTOGRAPH taken more than 60 years ago has triggered a flood of wartime memories for one Healesville resident.
As Anzac Day commemorations took place across the Yarra Valley this week, Gwen Miller was remembering the events of Wednesday, 15 August 1945.
Declared Victory in the Pacific Day, or VP Day, the day marked the surrender of the Japanese to the Allied forces and the end of World War II.
Mrs Miller, now 84, a resident of Monda Lodge in Healesville, was one of hundreds of Melburnians who celebrated the day by dancing down Collins Street.
In her mid 20s and a munitions factory worker at the time, Mrs Miller was photographed dancing through the city streets with her best friend Ada and hundreds of fellow factory workers.
The photograph was printed on the front page of the day’s edition of The Herald, capturing the ‘frenzy of joy that had overtaken usually ‘staid Melbourne’.
For Mrs Miller, whose husband, Harry, served six years with the Australian Army in the Middle East and Asia throughout World War II, memories of VP Day are still vivid.
“Living through the war was really tough, but it was tough for everybody. Everybody had to go through hard times,” she said.
“That’s why, when they declared the war had ended, we all went mad.”
Mrs Miller said she can still remember the elation and euphoria of the dancing and singing crowds moving about the city more than 60 years ago.
“A group of us headed into the city and we joined the crowds of people dancing their way down Collins Street,” she said.
“The bells at St Pauls Cathedral were chiming, all the cars were stopped and everybody was dancing down the street holding hands and dancing in large circles.
“We were so happy, we danced from the top of Collins Street all the way to the bottom. It was mad and wonderful.”
Mrs Miller said she was reminded of her high spirited antics when staff at Monda Lodge put together a display last year to commemorate the 60th anniversary of VP Day.
“They put out a copy of the newspaper with the photo of people dancing through the city and I said, ‘Hey, that’s me’,” she recalled.
Mrs Miller, who grew up in Silvan, moved to Lilydale after the war where she lived with her husband and together they raise their four children.
Harry died more than 20 years ago, but Mrs Miller still keeps her husband’s army uniform, hat and wartime photos with her.
“Harry was in the Army from 1938 to 1944 and was posted in the artillery with the Australian Field Regiment,” she said.
“He crossed the Atlantic seven times during the war and fought in places such as Burma, Java, Korea, Syria and Israel.
“He was one of the soldiers who fought along the Kokoda Trail, he got malaria and he missed out on seeing his first son being born.”
While the experience of war took its toll on her husband, Mrs Miller said she has always believed that it is important to remember.
“I used to go to the dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance every Anzac Day. That was always a wonderful experience,” she said.
“I think it is important to recollect the past.
“When I’m gone Harry’s uniform and hat will go to our children to remind them of what has come before.”