Born in 1944?

Ron Williams

This is the fourth of the 1940s and the fifth book overall to be released in a series of 32 about life in Australia – one for each year from 1939 to 1970. They describe happenings that affected people, real people. The whole series, to coin a modern phrase, is designed to push your buttons, to make you remember and wonder at things forgotten. The books might just let nostalgia see the light of day, so that oldies and youngies will talk about the past and re-discover a heritage otherwise forgotten.

Hopefully, they will spark discussions between generations, and foster the asking and answering of questions that should not remain unanswered. In 1944, the Japs in the Pacific and the Nazis in Europe was just about beaten. In Oz the Labour Government delighted in having great war-time powers, and wanted to extend them. It took a referendum to cool them down.

Sydney was invaded by rats, and there were lots of Yankee soldiers in all our cities, and a few of them were not hated. Young girls were being corrupted by the Yanks and by war-time freedom, and clergy were generous with their advice to them. Germany was invaded, but that did not stop the Doodlebugs dropping on London.