Darcy Hoffman’s life reads like the script for a Hollywood blockbuster movie.
Now resident at Dunedin's Ross Home, Darcy was 14 when World War 2 broke out in 1939.
The raw-boned lad from Gore enlisted in the Merchant Marine the following year, lying about his age.
“I told them I was my brother’s age, 17,” he said with a hoot of laughter.
During the war Darcy was torpedoed on two occasions; the first time on a return trip from New York in convoy in March 1943.
German U-boats had already sunk a number of tankers when Darcy’s ship the Canadian Star was mortally hit with two torpedoes.
The survivors were picked up by the Canadian Corvette Anemone; a total of 200 survivors were then taken to Scotland.
“The corvette was on the verge of sinking herself there were so many people,” Darcy chortled.
Later Darcy, who rose to the rank of Bosun in charge of the deck crew, was again on a ship that sent a party ashore in France to do some reconnaissance.
Darcy was warned that if caught they would be shot as spies.
They spent some time with the French resistance attacking German outposts. Eventually an American patrol connected with the group and Darcy’s time in the resistance was over.
In 1945 Darcy was once more on a ship that was sunk in a freak accident when another ship which had been torpedoed lost its steering and ploughed into Darcy’s freighter, the Mapleton, slicing it in two.
Darcy was in a lifeboat adrift for a few days until they were picked up by a Norwegian freighter.
When the war ended Darcy was only 21. He returned to New Zealand where he took up boxing where he had left off making a name for himself knocking out many more fancied opponents in the light-heavyweight division.
Darcy also worked as a building contractor and later gained his pilot’s licence before building two planes himself which he flew from the Taieri Airfield.
During his wartime service Darcy was awarded a number of service medals including the 1939-1945 Star, the Atlantic Star, the Pacific Star, the Italy Star, the Burma Star and the French Resistance Medal.
Anzac Day is a time of reminiscence for Darcy remembering old comrades. He will be attending the remembrance service at Ross Home, where he has been a resident since 2011.
- Michael (Mike) Smith OTNZR. Mike is an Activities Coordinator at Ross Home and has known Darcy since 2011.
