Remembering the war in New Guinea - Interview with Kunang Aitilen

Story bilong Kunang Aitilen (Interview)
(Indigenous perspective)
This interview was conducted by Dr Iwamoto Hiromitsu and transcribed/translated by Pastor Jacob Aramans

Kunang: Yumi stori liklik long taim bilong bikpela second world wo. Mi Kunang Aitilen na bai mi toktok stori long taim bilong bikpela pait long 1941. Pait i bin kamap na mipela go insait long bus. Mipela poret long bom na gun na ol samting Japan i bin usim. Ol i mekim sampela wok olsem kalabusim mipela, stickim mipela na katim neck. Bipo Japan ol wanpela strongpela man ol i kam long pait. Olsem ol Australian man ol igo, ol Japan planti samting ol i wokim. Ol i wokim wok hard tru long mipela long helpim sindaun na mipela gat bikpela poret. Mipela poret long machine gun. Balus i tromoi bom. Mi wok hard tru long pasin bilong kisim gutpela sindaun na kaikai bai i no sot. Nogat sip bilong Japan ikam na mipela i helpim ol long wok garden. Mipela creep planti taim tru ating long 4 o'clock em i kam bek statim wok kakari garden ol balus i kam long nait traipela lait na mipela ronowei go hait. Ol balus i laik sutim bris na mipela tu wantaim, hait long bus. Bikpela wari na mipela i poret bai mipela die tasol bikos Australia i fight i no inap winim Japan. Mipela stap 4 pela mun insait long bus long hole bilong ston long bush long Beach. Planti man i die long marasin, sua i kamap na die. Bikpela hevi i kam up long mipela, karai planti long marasin no gat marasin na nogat doctor. Mipela nogat samting bilong helpim mipela long taim nogut na taim bilong pait. Mipela think Japan imas kisim PNG olgeta. Bikos ol i kam long pait strongpela wokabaut bilong Japan. Mipela istap wanpela Japan i tok, wok kakari, yupela harim ino 2 o 3, wan yupela i mas harim, man i sakim tok em bai kisim 1o to 20 sticks. Mipela karai Japan tok die olright em bai stop o malolo. Japan ino wari long laif em taim bilong pait. Mipela i stap insait long 4pela yias igo igo mipela ikam painim fish long solwara long apinun. Taim ol balus i go back pinis, ol i kam pait long ol Australia na America. Mipela stap poret long balus na kam painim liklik pis mipela ronowei go long bus, tasol wanpela samting Japan i tok kakari orait planti ino bai kamap, planti kaikai, orait mipela save senis ino senis long Japan ken long mipela yet. Waiyo mipela senis planti brus olsem simok mipela givim Japan, Japan nogat wari ol i amamas so mipela wari wanem tim tru bai pait pinis, mipela ino lukim tasol mipela harim tasol olgeta bris i buruk. Nait ken mipela kam wokim bris bikos Japan imas ron long kisim ol kaikai na ol givim ol long camp ol istap olgeta soldias istap wanwan ken long four pela place, Ulamekut, Lakurumau, Lubruo olgeta wanwan camp ol istap, ol sampela istap long lukautim Tuneve sabmarine we olsem sip ol spy man ikam, spy man blong America ol Sandri, tok blong ol Japan Sandri ah, ol guard, mipela stap, stap inap long 4pela yias olgeta. Pait i wok long igo bihain ol i tromoi sampela leta nau, balus i tromoi tasol ating, olsem ol Japan ol igat olsem ol narapela kantri ol i strong strong na olsem ol Japan i pinisim pait wantaim ol ah. Orait mipela kam bek long hia long nambis, mipela kam bek planti man i bagarap long sua, planti lek bilong ol i bagarap na ol ino inap long wokabaut nogat gutpela laplap nogat gutpela samting. Bikpela wari istap long dispela taim long mipela pait long second world wo, mipela kam kamap ol doctor blong army kamap ol stretim ol man long peles givim ol marasin karim ol go long hospital long Kavieng ol i stretim ol, i kamap gutpela man gen, mipela kam bek long 1950 samting mipela wok kamap bek nau insait long ples na 1941, 42,43 na 45 mipela kam bek mipela kam stap nau, docta i stretim olgeta wok . Ol ples ino stret mipela hardwok long wokim ol ples blong mipela gen, putim ol liklik haus gen na orait mipela stap, stap olsem long dispela pait na mipela save nau ol Japan itok orait kam na bai yumi celebratim day nau bai yumi kam amamas singsing nau na bai pait i pinis nau. Mipela singsing nambaut long ol camp long bush mipela amamas orait ol tok pait i pinis nau.

Dr Iwamoto: Orait papa mi laik arim yu, so yu lukim Japanese ikam long ples hia. Yu lukim ol Japanese ikam?

Kunang: Yes mipela lukim ol Japanese ikam long hia, olsem bipo mi tok ol Japan i kisim ol moto bike na ol bikpela truck na ol i ron na ol i singaut: "hey kura yes me yes matakoi mipela i kalap pinis, mipela kalap em ya long rot". Ol i sanap nambaut, ol soldia wanpela truck o lodim ol soldia mipela lukim ol gun i sanap, ol i sanap ol ino sidaun long truck igo long rot painim ol plantation, burukim ol haus, mipela i lukim ol. Ol save sanap givim cigarret , hey, kura yes mi matakoi mipela i kalap.

Dr Iwamoto: So yu lukim pait blong Japanese long Australia?

Kunang: Long Australia ino kam pait tumas. Australia bai mi stori liklik. Australia ibin stap tasol. German ibin stap Australia igat pait tasol ol i kalabusim ol Germany na ol go bek stret, bikos Germany bai kisim New Ireland tasol taim ol Australia kam ol rausim ol Germany. Australia wok long, na orait second world wo ikamap wantaim Japan.

Dr Iwamoto: Orait long second world wo yu lukim Australia i pait long Japan?

Kunang: Oh yes igat 100 soldia tasol ol i redim ol long waitim dispela pait long Kavieng, tasol ol inap Japan ikamap wantaim ol bikpela tuneve wantaim ol truck ol soldia i more, na imore na i more na ol i putim masin gun long Kavieng na bikpela simok ikamap na olgeta man i ronwei, ol soldia i ronowei igo kamap Tomen na igo aut na 100 soldia blong Australia i kam ken pait tasol ol ino inap, Japan kamap na i lead stret ah, i planti tru, ol bikpela boat ikam na dropim ol Japan na kar wantaim ron long rot na painim sampela waitman istap yet o ol ino laik weit na stap olsem oli brukim ol haus long bainat, orait mipela lukim ol mipela i kalapim kulau blong ol na mipela givim kakaruk long ol, ol i laikim kakaruk mipela givim long ol, mipela save givim ol kaikai arere long rot bihain ol i go bek long Kavieng putim ap bikpela masin gun ol digim hol putim ap bikpela masin gun long wetim bikpela balus ikam blong America na Australia nau. Orait ol Japan, orait taim ol bomim ol Japan long Rauwol ol ronwei na kill nabaut na Eskito em i kam stap ya em blong Japan Eskito Masta na Sakamaki na Taumsi Masta em mipela stap wantaim ol, mipela lukautim ol, ol lukautim mipela, mipela ol kakari mipela wok wantaim ol nait Kumbara mipela wok wantaim ol, ol i bosim mipela long Lokuruma igat ol tools istap long Lokuruma igat long Luburu istap long Lemetai. Ol soldia olsem olgeta ap igat tasol Kavieng em bagarap pinis. Ol America i bomim ol gun na mipela istap nabaut long bush. Mipela istap wantaim ol mipela i wok wantaim ol mipela no wokim nupela haus blong mipela wantaim ol mipela stap long ston, mipela ino mekim ol haus, sapos mipela laik mekim haus mipela mas hait gut nogut ol balus bai lukim mipela na bai bomim mipela.

Dr Iwamoto: So ol i plenty o masta tasol?

Kunang: Long ol soldia i mas 15 or 30 long wanpela camp ol istap nabaut long Sande long was long ol sip. Bologela i gat ol soldia i was, ol dispela liklik i stap wantaim mipela em ol stap wantaim mipela ol wokim ol garden na samting long helpim ol long kaikai. Bikpela garden long Poly em bikpela tru,, winim olgeta Japan long New Ireland. Igo long Keimiguda igat ol soldia istap, na igat long Ulamekut tu. Ulapoly i wok garden tasol igat sampela Japan i lukautim ol.

Dr Iwamoto: Ol soldia bilong Kembadai?

Kunang: Kembadai na Lemetai em bilong Japan yet, Kembadai na Lemetai istap long Luburu. Ol dispela soldia bilong Japan stret, ol save kolim ol "Kebeta" ol man bilong katim neck na ol Lemetai em ol gutpela soldia bilong Japan.

Dr Iwamoto: Sampela Japanese inap tok pisin?

Kunang: Taim ol ikam stap sampela i save long tok pisin ol i lainim tok pisin. Ol ino lainim tumas. So mipela man i kisim toktok, olsem ol i tok tasol ol ino nap tumas bikos half taim long tok. Tasol mipela nau save kolim samting long tok bilong ol mipela kisim na mipela understandim olsem ol kain tok bilong ol Japan mipela kisim. Planti man klostu laik tok Japan, bikos tok Japan ino hard tumas, isi ya.

Dr Iwamoto: Ol Japan i kam long hia na ol i tokim yupela long wokim garden?

Kunang: Bikpela wok tru mipela wokim. Why na Japan ino hungre bikos planti garden mipela wok long helpim ol. Mipela tu ino hungre planti kaikai, kaukau, pawpaw, pineapple na olgeta samting Japan inap. Ol ino wari bikos ol i lukim sip ino nap kam. Japan istap ol i amamas, amamas long kaikai, mipela tu i amamas, planti kaikai bikos mipela wok nait na sun wantaim. Mipela kakari nogut, mipela wok nait mipela katim bush same time mipela planim kaukau long same time long nait. No ken bisi long laitim paia bikos balus bai sutim mipela sumuk bai kamap i tambu tambu noken wokim paia. Balus i ron long nait, i lukim bai i sutim yumi na tromoi bom. Mipela mas wok tasol kamautim bush ino trai mipela putim.

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This page was last updated on 1 June 2004.
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