Ahead of the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on Friday 15 August, Kenilworth Nub News is sharing a short series on the town's connections to the Second World War and the war in the Pacific. The town will mark VJ Day with a short service at the Abbey Fields war memorial at 11am on Friday.

This VJ Day, Donna Curtis will lay a wreath at Kenilworth's war memorial. It's an honour for any Australian living abroad, but for Donna, it carries personal significance. 

Both her grandfathers served in the Second World War. Both made it home. And both carried the weight of those years in their own way. 

Her maternal grandfather, George Leonard Hopkins – known in the family as "Pop" – was stationed in Darwin during the Japanese bombing raids of 1942 and 1943.

He worked in supply and logistics, keeping a vital outpost running under pressure. He returned home after sustaining injuries but died young, at just 42, leaving behind a wife and eight children.

Donna's mother was only 13 at the time. 

"Like so many of his generation, he didn't talk about the war," Donna said.

"We don't have much – just a few stories and the knowledge that he served." 

Her paternal grandfather, Walter Arthur Johnston – "Pa" – left a deeper imprint. He lived on the farm next door when Donna was growing up on the outskirts of Sydney and his character loomed large in her childhood. 

He enlisted in 1940, lying about his age to qualify, and left behind his young wife, Jean, who was pregnant with their first child in 1941.

He was posted to Singapore – and taken prisoner when it fell in 1942. From there, he was sent to Changi and later forced to work on the notorious Burma–Thailand Railway. 

Conditions were brutal. More than 7,000 Australian POWs died from disease, starvation and violence.

Walter, a bush kid and one of 13 children, relied on skills learned during the Depression – how to forage, how to survive, how to help others. 

One story passed down in the family has become legend. One Christmas, he managed to save scraps of rice, a little fruit and one precious egg. With it, he made a Christmas pudding, cooked in his POW lap-lap.

"He said it wasn't Christmas without one," Donna smiled. "It became one of those cheeky family stories – light-hearted, but when you think about it, deeply courageous." 

Another story left a lasting impression. While at Changi, he was called to a Japanese officer's quarters. On the desk, he spotted a partially visible photograph. It was Jean – and beside her, a baby girl. It was the first time he realised he was a father.

His daughter Kitty had been born on Christmas Day 1941. 

Meanwhile, Jean was raising Kitty alone, working on the farm and delivering milk. In April 1942, she was told her husband was missing. For more than three years, she had no idea if he was alive. 

When the war ended, Walter – like many emaciated POWs – was first sent to Japan to recover, then to Manila. He returned to Australia in October 1945 and was discharged that December. 

He and Jean had two more children, including Donna's father, Bob – named after a fellow POW from Melbourne whom Walter had helped survive. "Uncle Bob", as Donna knew him, remained close with the family for life.

The two families often travelled to visit each other in later years. 

Walter never spoke much about those years. Like many veterans, he carried a heavy load. He drank heavily for a long time – but gave it up in the 1970s.

Despite the trauma, he built a good life, ran a successful orchard and nursery with his son, and was known for his mischief, strength and dry humour. 

"He was a real character – full of Aussie grit and cheek," Donna said.

"He could be tough, but he had a big heart under it all. He really was remarkable" 

Walter passed away in 1997, aged 77. Jean lived to nearly 100. 

Now living in England, Donna says her wreath honours more than just her family.

"It's not just about those who fought – it's also about the women who waited and the children who hoped," she said. "I feel proud to share their story."