Interview with Charles Nolih (Interview)
(Indigenous perspective)
This interview was conducted by Dr Iwamoto Hiromitsu and transcribed/translated by Pastor Jacob Aramans

Charles: My name is Charles Nolih and I came from Aingarain Island. I was born on 15th August 1945 straight after the war. I worked as a magistrate and looked after the court house in Manus Island. When I grew up and attended school, I came across my fathers medals and ribbons and asked him about it. He said that those were the medals and ribbons he received when serving the Japanese during the war. The Japanese were fighting the Americans and Australians in that war. I asked him, " What made you to stay with the Japanese?". He said: “At that time we were told to stay with them and helped them. That was because they forced us and even got angry with us and we were afraid of them. They trained us and we stayed with them”. “When the Americans came here the Japanese set up their camps and base around the area where the court house is presently located. They set up the machine guns and I looked after them. When the American war ships approached them they fired them. They continuously did that until all their ammunition ran out and we all ran away into the bush. We escaped and went all the way to Kari and then went to Molan island by canoe”. Dr Iwamoto: How many men became soldiers like your father? Charles: At that time there were quite a number of them. One of them was Saiee who was his brother in-law and my uncle. My grand father Kulip who lived at Lorengau also joined the Japanese forces. Some of them lived at Momoti and in many places in Manus. My father said the people were happy to fight along side the Japanese but they did not understand why the war had started. Despite that they still helped them. Dr Iwamoto: Did they receive any uniforms and shoes? Charles: They were given uniforms. My father did have one. I saw his uniform with badges on it, he also had a cap. Dr Iwamoto: Did your father work in the navy or in the army? Charles: That I wouldn't know because I was a small boy then and could not tell the difference between the two. But his cap was like the ones the other Japanese soldiers wore. Dr Iwamoto: OK. Very good and thank you very much.