Sound: Jim Blundell remembers VJ Day

Hear former merchant seaman Jim Blundell talk about Victory over Japan Day in Auckland.

Transcript

VJ Day we actually had arrived the night before in Auckland. And if I remember right, well the whole city went bloody mad. The following morning it was reputed that they swept up five ton of broken bottles. They went nuts ... I had a cousin who was in the navy, fell off a tram and nearly killed himself, pissed ... I went ashore with my wife on the afternoon, Christ, man, they were rooting in the bloody house bar, they were rooting in, you know. Oh, it was all on.

I believe a lot of people who came out, and they had the churches open in the afternoon for thanksgiving or whatever, parents who had lost sons or daughters, were disgusted. They were really upset over it, you know.

Jim Blundell's United States merchant marine certificate, 1945