‘We thought Australia would have forgotten us’: SA gathering of WWII veterans
Twenty of SA’s surviving World War II veterans were sipping tea at Government House this morning with an average age topping 100 years.
Twenty of the state’s surviving World War II veterans have been commemorated almost 81 years after the end of the of the war at a special morning tea at Government House.
Among them was Australia’s oldest living WWII veteran Colin Wagener at 108 years old who said he was “very pleased” to attend the morning tea and reminisced of his return from Borneo at the end of the war.
“We thought Australia would have forgotten about us because we were the last ones home, but they hadn’t,” Wagener said.
“The ships we went past were throwing their fire hoses into the air, welcoming us home.
“People in Brisbane gave us a ticker tape, and we were cold, wet, and hungry, but we were pleased with that.
“When I got on land, l could’ve laid down on the ground on my hands and knees and kissed it. I was glad to be home”
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A total of 54,660 South Australians enlisted in the armed forces during the war, representing about 43 per cent of all eligible residents. Of those that enlisted, 3363 died while on active military service.
The veterans were today hosted by the state’s governor Her Excellency The Honourable Frances Adamson AC, husband Rod Bunten and Vietnam War veteran Bill Denny on the eve of the 81st anniversary and the end of the Pacific War in WWII.
On August 15, 1945 Japan’s Emperor Hirohito accepted the Allies terms of surrender, ending the war in the Pacific regions and effectively ending the six-year global conflict.
Their gathering was held on the same day as a state funeral to honour South Australian Angas Hughes who is believed to be the last known Bomber Commander veteran from WWII.
More than 200,000 Australians serving overseas at the time, along with thousands of liberated prisoners of war, slowly returned to Australian shores in the months and years following.
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The surviving veterans were treated to cakes, sandwiches, biscuits and tea and were joined by family members and both retired and serving military personnel.
Mario Giovine, a 101-year-old veteran who served in the Fourth Brigade, said the day was “extra special” to sit alongside fellow veterans.
“Unfortunately, I was in the New South Wales unit, and when we got disbanded, I had to come to South Australia and lost all contact with my friends in the army, so I’m sort of a loner in this state,” Giovine said.
The state’s governor said the visit had “reminded us of the extraordinary demands placed on your generation, what was asked of you, and the character with which you responded to that call and served”.
“You were young, you had your lives in front of you. Yet when your nation called, you stepped forward with conviction and a sense of duty,” Adamson said.
“And when the war was over, your service did not end. You helped build the Australia we know today.
“As we witness a world where conflict has once again come to the forefront of our thoughts, shaped by the tragic events unfolding in the Middle East and Ukraine. We are reminded that peace can never be taken for granted.”
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