Gladys Waters

Today we remember Len Waters Australia’s first Aboriginal fighter pilot, who flew 95 operations against the Japanese around the islands to our north. Len’s widow, Gladys Waters, talks about an operation where Len’s plane was hit.

Gladys Waters audio file (MP4 23.86 MB)

Gladys Waters audio script

75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War

Audio actuality

“Fellow Citizens, the War is over” — (The Hon J B Chifley, Prime Minister of Australia)

August the 15th marks the 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War. Around one million Australians enlisted to serve from a population of just seven million.

Australia remembers Len Waters, Australia’s first Aboriginal fighter pilot, who flew 95 operations against the Japanese around the islands to our north.

On one of those ops, Len’s plane was hit, and almost didn’t make it back. His widow, Gladys, was able to relate what happened …

Gladys Waters

They had to go out flying — they were about three hours out from their camp, doing a clean-up. And this Jap shell landed up between Lenny and the back of his seat, with the fuel tank. He was terrified. And he said that he would have landed on eggshells that day because he was that frightened. But they had to clear the aerodrome of the planes … cause the shell hadn’t gone off. He was terrified about it. But he got it down, and no one was hurt in any way. Two and a half hours it took him to get back to the camp with that shell behind him. Wasn’t he lucky!

Saturday, August 15 marks the 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War. Let’s pay our respects to that amazing generation of Australians.