This is the remarkable story of Herbert ‘Bert’ Sharp, a World War II Veteran who currently resides at our Juniper Waratah Lodge Residential Aged Care Home in Wagin.
When Herbert first tried to join the army, he was not yet 18.
When his father found out that Bert wanted to join, he insisted he wait until he was of age – but Bert insisted and joined as a cook.
While in the Army, Bert also had to do other duties when needed within his Battalion, which included standing in as a machine gunner. Herbert served in the 3rd Battalion of the Australian Army alongside the British and had the horrific job of aiding in the clean-up of Hiroshima, in Japan, after the nuclear bomb had been dropped by the Americans.
Part of Bert’s job was to help clear the rubble from the streets and restore the infrastructure necessary to rebuild the city, water and sewage lines, electrical lines as well as assist with food distribution.
By August of 1947, two years after the bombing, the majority of those living in Hiroshima were still in temporary shelters, but the rebuild of stores and homes was well underway.
Herbert went on to join the Australian Airforce in 1956, where he served for 12 years as a Sergeant.
Pictured below is Bert, along with a snapshot of a certificate awarded to him in 2020 to mark the 75th anniversary of World War II.
Thank you for serving your country, Bert. Lest We Forget.
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