Maurie Gerdtz is good with dates. His powers of recall are particularly strong when recounting stories of his time with the Australian Military Forces in the 1940s.
A sprightly 92, Mr Gerdtz recites specific events as though they’d happened yesterday.
One day that’s etched in his mind is February 19, 1942. He’s not the only one with vivid memories of that dark day, when the Japanese conducted their largest attack since Pearl Harbour.
About 190 Japanese planes were launched against Darwin, and between 900 and 1100 people were killed.
Mr Gerdtz had been in Darwin for just a couple of weeks when the skies rained bombs and chaos enveloped the harbour.
The first attack occurred in the morning and Mr Gerdtz was instructed to take cover. There were no trenches, so he lay on his back near a tree with no option but to wait out the attack.
“Fifty-four high-level bombers came over, flying in formation, and pattern-bombed the airfield. I could hear them open their bomb doors. Lucky they didn’t come over my side of the fence,” Mr Gerdtz said.
He can talk about his experiences at length. His stories of war cross the Timor and Java seas to Borneo, where he spent six months training occupying forces.
It was a niggling knee injury made worse cutting mangroves in Darwin, followed by a bout of Dengue fever, that had him finally discharged from the army in January 1946.
The father of four now lives at Villa Maria retirement village in Bundoora. In recognition of the centenary of Australian involvement in WWI and the Anzac Centenary, the aged-care residence will this week unveil a commemorative plaque in honour of residents past and present, like Mr Gerdtz, who have served in conflict zones.
Villa Maria chief executive Greg Pullen said many returned service men and women have lived at the home since it opened in 1907.
“With such strong linkages to the great wars, it was only fitting Villa Maria recognised the Anzac centenary,” Mr Pullen said.
The memorial will be set in a rose garden and unveiled on Thursday by federal Batman MP David Feeney.
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