Not all were heroes.
Not all could be ace pilots in the Pacific theatre of war.
Most who passed through the exhibition buildings
were simple suburban kids.
On the 30th of July 1941, 17-year-old Royce Clifford
Phillips of Adelaide applied for pre-enlistment training
for prospective air crew.
His assessment by recruiters was far from glowing.
On the form they wrote "Unsuitable for Air Crew."
Undeterred, three months later Royce
enlisted as a trainee fitter with the RAAF,
and in December 1941 he's posted to the number one
school of technical training in Melbourne.
Although Royce's story is unremarkable,
it's through him we know much about the life of the men
and women stationed at the exhibition buildings.
Royce's name first came to prominence
during the restoration works in 1989.
Of the few hundred objects found underneath the floorboards,
14 letters were written to Royce.
Although his voice is absent, the letters
paint a picture of a well-liked young man navigating adult
life.
"Dear son, Just a few lines and answer
to your most kind and welcome letter, which I hope
will find you safe and well.
I'm sending you some money for Christmas
so that you can buy something for yourself.
Uncle Bill, Elsie, and Eilleen are well
and wish you a Merry Christmas.
I remain your loving father."
In a few letters a young woman Roma Wright
opens her heart to Royce wondering
when they'll meet again.
"My Dear Roy, How are you dear after last night?
I hope you enjoyed yourself because I did."
In another letter Roma mentioned she'd
been thinking of him as she took an afternoon stroll.
"I was down Sydney Road this afternoon
and was wondering if I would see your trucks go by."
But Royce and Roma's love affair was short- lived.
He's soon in the company of another girl.
In a letter penned February 20 1942 his Auntie Lil
wrote, "You say the lady brought along another girlfriend
for you.
Well, what has happened to Roma?"
Sadly we'll never know his response
nor what becomes of Roma Wright.
In another letter we sense a father's growing
concern about the sort of company Royce
appears to be keeping.
"You said that you went out to some lady's place.
Well, I hope you had a good time,
but you know son, that you have to be careful who you mix up
with over there."
But Royce's active social life soon came to an end.
On the 28th of February 1942, Royce sat an RAAF trade test
and failed.
In March he's posted to the number two bombing and gunnery
school at Port Pirie in South Australia.
There pilots and air crew received bombing and gunnery
training in Avro Ansons and Fairey Battle Mark Ones
before deployment in the Pacific.
But as an aircraft hand Royce would
have performed maintenance and general station duties.
In July 1942 Royce was posted to Darwin
where he joined 13 squadron.
In March he'd complete an armament trade test.
This time he passed and was promoted
to leading aircraftman.
For the next few months Royce was kept busy
as 13 squadron launched airstrikes on Japanese targets
from their base in Batchelor just outside of Darwin.
In mid 1943 Royce is redeployed to 457 squadron,
an Australian unit dispatched from the UK
to defend the Australian mainland.
With highly experienced pilots and a capable ground crew,
457 squadron inflicted heavy losses on Japanese aircraft
throughout 1943.
But as the squadron is redeployed to the Pacific,
Royce remained in Australia and was moved from base to base.
Before Royce was discharged he took one last test.
Although his time with the RAAF was
marred with incidents of drunkenness
and being absent without leave, he
passed and was promoted to the rank of flight mechanic.
At the end of the war he returned
to the suburbs of Adelaide.
Although we'll never know why he left letters
underneath the floorboards, his letters
reveal that wars are not won by heroes
but through hard toil by ordinary men and women
like Royce Clifford Phillips.