Ninety-nine-year-old veteran recalls Japanese soldiers throwing themselves at barbed wire fence to reach Aussie artillery

Ninety-nine-year-old World War II veteran Don Downie signed up because “it was the right thing to do” and will be marching on Anzac Day as Gweneth, his wife of 74 years, and family proudly watch on.

For the people who fight them, wars do not always end when the guns stop firing.

Ninety-nine-year-old Don Downie earned his nightmares fighting the Japanese in the steaming fetid jungles of Bougainville in World War II.

He is one of just a few remaining of the more than 900,000 Australians who fought in the global conflict and will be honoured at Anzac Day services and marches today.

Mr Downie tried to sign up in Newcastle when he was 17 and was told to “come back when you have grown up.” His father had fought in the First World War and he “wanted to do my bit”.

The next year he got in, was trained as an artilleryman at North Head and then transferred to The Solomon Islands to relieve the Americans who were moving on to Luzon in the Philippines.

Ninety-nine-year-old WWII Veteran Donald Downie, who will be marching on Anzac Day. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“We had to stand in chest deep water to unload the supplies,” recalled Mr Downie of his introduction to more than a year of living, fighting and surviving in the steaming, humid jungle.

The Japanese guns were bigger than the Australian 25 pounders and had greater range. “On one occasion they were trying to find our position which was between a river bed and an old road and they fired 32 shells at us – 29 failed to explode. How lucky can you get?” Mr Downie said.

After that gunners, who earned six shillings and sixpence per day, were quite happy to pay five pounds “for a shovel to dig a hole that could save your life”.

The Japanese broke through the infantry lines, hurling themselves on the barbed wire protecting the guns.

“Hard fighting followed and things looked grim,” Mr Downie said before Australian tanks arrived to save the day.

WWII Veteran Donald Downie in uniform.

Before the war ended the Japanese were broken. Mr Downie recalled watching movies in a makeshift cinema where the emaciated Japanese soldiers would slip into the back to watch.

“We knew they were there but they were not doing any harm so we let them be,” he said. “When the movie finished there would be a rustle and they would slip off into the jungle.”

As the shelling stopped the night sounds of the jungle took over and its oppressive presence played on the soldiers’ nerves.

Mr Downie’s wife of 74 years, Gweneth, 95, said those thoughts came back to him 40 years later. “He had a lot of tension,” she said.

“Don didn’t become depressed. He was just very morose and a little argumentative which is not him at all.”

Ninety-nine-year-old WWII Veteran Donald Downie with wife Gweneth. They have been happily married for 74 years. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Linking her arm through his, which earned a smile with a twinkling eye, she said: “But we got through it.”

Together they have two children, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren who all adore their gentle and kind grandfather who will be wearing his service medals and marching at Valentine today.

Gunner Donald W. Downie, NX169849, said he is proud to have served his country. “It was the right thing to do.”

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