By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A Narre Warren veteran has recalled how he surveyed the desolated streets of Hiroshima in the days after the atomic bomb was dropped.
Jack James, who served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II, said it was clear how much the population despised the Allies for what they had done.
“As far as I could see, all buildings were reduced to rubble,” Jack said.
“There was hate in the eyes of every person still standing which, of course, was understandable.
“Just imagine how many would have been killed if the Allies had kept maliciously bombing Japan – thank god they didn’t continue.
“We were very grateful to leave.”
Having grown up in Kooweerup and attending the local high school he joined the Navy and was stationed at Darwin Harbour.
“Our war was on the wharf,” Jack said.
One raid on the harbour led to one of Jack’s near misses as he was lying in bed during a raid.
“I jumped from my bunk and ran to the landing at the back of the house and the sound of the bomb coming down was so loud that I jumped to the ground and nothing happened,” Jack said.
“Next morning when we went out to the front of the house, there was the bomb sticking out of the ground. It failed to explode.”
Another close call occurred when Jack was sailing to Japan on HMAS Hobart.
“I was standing on the deck and suddenly the side of the ship had a big flash and we copped a torpedo,” he said.
“It flooded the part of the ship where it hit but it did not ignite the magazine otherwise it would’ve blown us to bits.”
Since the war, Jack has been active in a range of community activities including being a justice of the peace for 46 years and a Freemason for 59 years.
He also has a strong connection and involvement with church groups and is currently with the Uniting Church of Berwick and before that at Kooweerup.
This week, as he does every year, Jack will attend the Dawn Service at Kooweerup.
“It’s (about) remembering the extremely difficult situation we were in and the bravery of those that gave their lives, who were never concerned about how much they risked their lives, they just wanted to serve their country,” he said.
“We didn’t know the meaning of the word fear.”
