Anzac Day: Greensborough World War II veteran Charles Harris blew up 67 toilets
One of the few remaining World War II veterans from Melbourne’s north has spoken of the quirky moments during the war, with the memory of him blowing up 67 toilets springing to the 94-year-old’s mind first.
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The sounding of the Last Post makes Charles Harris “cry like a baby” every Anzac Day — but the World War II veteran from Greensborough said he would go to war again to protect his home country.
“I get emotional every time,” he said.
“We were young men in the day, but Australia was in trouble and I’d do it all again if I needed to.”
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The 94-year-old served three years and five months in Papua New Guinea during the WWII conflict.
He worked as a cook assistant, before accepting a promotion and working as a leading aircraftman.
Mr Harris said he witnessed death, lost close friends and was reduced to tears many times during the war.
But he said the moments of laughter and friendship will always trump the negatives.
One of those moments was when Mr Harris blew up 67 toilets.
“They would just be a long line of holes in the ground with toilet seats — there was no privacy, only flywire between each toilet,” he said.
“They would throw petrol in the holes, light them and that would burn the waste.
“So it came to my turn to dump the petrol in, which I did, but I had tipped in too much petrol and all 67 toilets blew up.
“We were reprimanded, but we killed ourselves laughing.”
Mr Harris also recalled the moment his friend became so drunk he fell into a 4kg gallon drum and drifted off to sleep.
“We were in the cookhouse and one night gathered all the rubbish you could think of and made a brew — it was an absolute stinker,” he said.
“My mate who we called General McArthur drank most of his and then became so drunk he went missing.
“We looked and couldn’t find him, then we found him later sound asleep in a 4kg gallon drum.
“He was paralytic, so drunk — everything you could find in the bin was in that drink.”
Mr Harris was relieved of his duties in August in 1945.
He flew to Cairns, before catching the train to Melbourne.
He was stationed at the MCG awaiting his next posting, but the end of the war was declared.
“The whole city went mad,” he said.
“Everyone threw their hats up into the air, the men were cuddling the women, it was great to be a part of.
“It was like a great burden had been lifted off everyone’s shoulders.”
Mr Harris said the turning point of the war was Port Moresby.
“Had that fallen, the Japanese would have come right through into Australia,” he said.
“I and all Australians should feel very privileged to have the freedom we do today and this is worth celebrating on Anzac Day.”
Mr Harris is a life member of the Montmorency Eltham RSL Club.
A total of 18 WWII veterans remain at the club, while six died in the last 12 months.
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