Thornlands man Lindsay Boyd turns 102

“Hooray, here come the Yanks,” he thought. But that was before the bombs were dropped.

The 102-year-old can still remember Japan’s attack.

Three formations of nine planes –  27 altogether – raided the Northern Territory’s capital.

First at 9.58am and again 60 minutes later, Mr Boyd recalls.

The raids were 76 years ago but they are something Mr Boyd, who turned 102 on March 29, is unable to forget.

Mr Boyd recalls entering buildings after the bombings to check if people were hurt.

He found a table set inside one home – the person who lived there had quickly escaped without their dentures, which were abandoned on the dining room’s side table.

Mr Boyd served as a battalion runner during WWII, including at Alice Springs.

There were no walkie talkies or mobile phones then and messages needed to be carried to commanders.

One riddle time has not yet solved, is why no one at Bathurst Island radioed in about the Japanese planes before the attack.

“(The radio operator) would have seen the planes and could have advised Darwin’s headquarters that there were a lot of unidentified planes,” Mr Boyd said.

“If that was true, they could have defended the attack.”

Mr Boyd led last year’s Redlands RSL Anzac parade and he could make an appearance at this year’s service.

He still does his own washing and is mobile with use of a walker.

Mr Boyd married his wife Joyce after WWII. He was 32.

“Something must have clicked...we were engaged within a fortnight and married four months after meeting,” he said.

The two had a son and daughter and share a granddaughter.