100th birthday ‘just another day'
It will be "just another day" for Timaru man Albert Hey as he prepares to celebrate his 100th birthday tomorrow.
Mr Hey was born at maternity home Whare Nana in Timaru on July 4, 1925.
His parents and older sister lived on a small farm in Fairview which his father had won in a returned servicemen's ballot.
While he was still little, the family relocated to Mosgiel and Mr Hey recalled the train journey down as his first memory.
"I can also remember sitting on the wagon that was taking the furniture to our new house. We weren't allowed to sit on the back, we had to sit right up front behind the horse.
"I had a normal upbringing, I started at primers when I was five and went through, that was at Mosgiel District High School and when I got to standard six I left and went to King's High School in Dunedin. It had only just recently opened then.
"I had six years there and then I wanted to get a job where I could get a superannuation. I applied to the State Service Commission for a position, had interviews and then they offered me a job in Wellington at the Social Security Office."
A photograph of Albert Hey from his time in the New Zealand Air Force. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
At the time World War 2 was under way and having been in the ATC at school, he signed up to be a part of the New Zealand Air Force's air crew.
"We had to wait as we went through in batches of 60, I went in 1941 when the war started in the Pacific.
They had a series of camps, and I went to three.
"The first time I went we were in three-man tents, [Sir] Ed Hillary, Ian Hobbs and myself. We had five weeks in the Cheshire camp, then went to Fareham camp which was one big hut that had the whole 60-odd of us in it. Then we went into Guernsey camp, and that was back to three-man huts."
While Mr Hey was in Taieri training on Tiger Moths the war in Europe was wrapping up and soldiers were being sent back.
"They said they didn't want us any more, some were discharged, and some were put on other jobs. I was put on a library duty.
"After having a short course on that I was sent over to the Solomon Islands, most of the time I was at Guadalcanal. They had closed one of the bases and the librarian there just got on a plane, came back and left everything, so I was sent over to clean the library up, pack the books and list them.
"It didn't take long. When I finished that, the American that was in charge of the whole area banned any further ones from going home until the island had been cleaned up."
An incident with a backfiring diesel drum, that was used to light a hot plate, led to Mr Hey being medically discharged.
"Some water must have got in it and it just went bang. I put my hand down to turn it off and I got scalded all over my hands, bare feet and face.
"I was sent to Ardmore to get the discharge and I had to have a medical exam to do it. It ended up getting cancelled and they sent me to get an X-ray of my chest and there was a shadow there.
"It was Tb [tuberculosis], which was a serious thing then because they didn't have any treatment, it was warmth, fresh air and rest. So I was sent home to Dunedin and for a start I would go see them at the Dunedin Hospital every three to six months."
He said it was quite easy to adjust back to civilian life.
"I knew I had to leave. When I was going to be discharged, they asked me what I wanted to do, and I was at that stage wanting to go into orchard work in Central Otago.
"They looked at that and said 'but you're trained as a clerk, we're here to to rehabilitate you into the job you've got'. I was sent to an office and started work the next day, I didn't even have civilian clothes.
"The bloke that was senior to me, had been in the army. He reckoned I was good, he got a raise and then recommended me for head of the department, I'd had virtually no training but I found it easy, just kept going and I always wanted the job above me."
Mr Hey would work for the Social Welfare department in Dunedin, Wellington and Invercargill before eventually retiring back to Timaru to be closer to family when he was 59.
He bought his first ever house on Otipua Rd after retiring, was never married and never owned a car.
Possessing a keen green thumb Mr Hey spent his retirement years maintaining a big vege garden, cycling everywhere and striving to maintain a good diet and stay fit, something he believed was the key to living a long life.
"You've got to eat lots of fruit and vegetables and I still try to get out and walk three times a day, that's all I can do now with my walker."
Aside from trying to stay active he said he also spends his time reading through the Otago Daily Times newspaper, completing the crosswords and code crackers and keeping up with the cricket, rugby and netball.
He planned to celebrate his birthday with an afternoon tea at his niece's home before returning to the rest-home he now resides at for some happy hour celebrations.
connor.haley@timarucourier.co.nz
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