Remembering the war in New Guinea - Interview with Lungas Bibius

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

Lungas: Nem bilong mi Lungas Bibius bilong Fatmila na mi bin bon long1930 na ol Japanis ikamap long krismas long 1941. Mi yet mi bin kuk long wanpela Japanis long Lamatai ol ikolim long Yamutason, na ol ibin salim mi long wanpela pas bilong kisim tok orait long Sinoria Masta bai salim ol dispela pepa bilong kisim ol paspot bilong kilim idai olgeta man long Niu Ailan na ol meri bai istap. Na mi bin go kam long Raburua na mi bin wokim pas bilong Sinoria Masta. Dispela Sinoria Masta man save katim nek bilong ol man taim ol igat ol liklik asua o liklik bikhet ol ikatim nek bilong ol. Man isave katim nek bilng ol em Sinoria Masta.

Dr Iwamoto: Plis tok long wanem as Sinoria Masta katim nek bilong yupela?

Lungas: Kain pasin bilong ol man ijelelim tok na bos ipainim sampela spai bilong Amerika o Australia na ol igo ripot giaman tasol na dispela ino tru. Na ol itok giaman tasol na ol ikisim ol na igo kalabusim ol. Hol igo daun, long kam antap ol nonap long kam antap so ol iputim mambu na kam antap. Ples itutak ol ino lukluk long dispela hol. Na taiming bilong ol. Sapos itaim bilong ol long katim nek bilong wanpela man, ol isave long ol pepa iredi long katim. Ol ikisim em kam antap nau ol ikaramapim ai bilong em long hap laplap na ol ikatim nek bilong em.

Dr Iwamoto: Plis telim hamaspela man idai pinis olsem?

Lungas: Long hia wanpela man bilong Fatmila long Tabar tripela man ol ikatim nek. Long hap bilong Bol fopela man ol ikatim nek bilong ol. Na mi bin kuk bilong Yamutason klostu long fopela krismas na Yamutason lo bilong em iorait, igutpela ino mekim tumas kain pasin wantaim ol pipel. Em ibin orait tasol long ol pasin, toktok na tingting bilong em.

Dr Iwamoto: Wanem kain kaikai yu kukim?

Lungas: Mi kukim ol taro, ol kaukau olsem long dispela taim ino bin gat rais nau. Ol man iwokim gaden na ol igivim mi na mi kukim long ol Japanis. Ol kaikai tasol bilong mipela long peles, ol rais saplai ino bin kam.

Dr Iwamoto: So yu bin kaikai wantaim ol Japanis?

Lungas: Mi kaikai wantaim ol.

Dr Iwamoto: Ol Japanis ibin stap wantaim Yamatasan ipaitim man bilong yupela?

Lungas: Dispela ol lain ya ol ibin orait. Ol man igat ol liklik asua ol ino katim nek bilong ol, tasol ol ikalabusim ol. Kalabusim man na go na givim kaikai bilong em long graun na em inildaun na kaikai long waisan. Ol itambuim mi long holim long han o putim long lip. Mi toromoi nating kaikai bilong em long waisan, em ikaikai.

Dr Iwamoto: Igat mo stori? Mi laik harem.

Lungas: Taim ol Amerika ibin lukim olsem ol iwok long saplaim kaikai kam long Kavieng na olgeta fektori istap nambaut. Orait ol ken bomim bris long Lindan. Mipela karim kaikai long narapela trak long hap na kam nau long wanem ol anrapela bris long sait blong Bol ol bikpela trak tasol iken go. Tasol long sait olsem long Liden inogat wei bilong em long go. Na mipela iwokim dispela wok. Wanpela krismas mipela wokim dispela wok.

Dr Iwamoto: So man bilong peles bilong yupela ikarim kago bilong Japanis?

Lungas: Yes, mipela karim kago bilong Japanis.

Dr Iwamoto: Hamas man ikarim kago olsem?

Lungas: Kolostu olsem fifti samting olsem mipela ikarem na igo bek long narapela peles.

Dr Iwamoto: Karim kago iwanpela wok bilong Japanis o ol man bilong yupela iwokim ol narapela kain wok bilong ol Japanis?

Lungas: Wok gaden tu.

Dr Iwamoto: Em hatpela wok?

Lungas: Hatpela wok. Katim bus, digim baret, planim kaukau, kamautim (havestim), wokim basket na putim long kar ikarem igo. Ikam long dispela hap mi tok pinis long em, long Liden ken ibikpela wok ken long karim wakabaut go long narapela hap. Olgeta basket imas igo long wanem ol ibin kauntim pinis. Ol soldia istap long olgeta hap isave hamas basket bai igo na kam long narapela hap (peles). Na bai noken misim kain pasin olsem wanpela wanpela basket bai go aut.

Bikpela gaden istap long Bola.

Dr Iwamoto: Yu kisim planti kaikai long gaden?

Lungas: Kisim planti kaikai long dispela gaden na go. Na ol iwokim wanpela lo ken. Ol ikisim wanpela bulmakau, dispela bulmakau ilaik dai. Sapos hia long Fotmilak ol ikisim orait insait long Fotmilak olgeta man imas kilim ol idai. Sapos bulmakau idai long hia ol ikarim long bet igo long narapela peles.

Dr Iwamoto: So dispela bulakau bilong husait bifo?

Lungas: Ol ikisim long wanpela steisen tasol. Tasol ibagarap, igat sik, igat sua long em, ilaik dai. Ol i mekim progrem wantaim dispela bulmakau so sapos em idai long wanem hap peles orait dispela peles olgeta bai ol ikatim nek bilong ol na kilim ol. Tasol nogat mipela bin hariap long kisim igo long narapela peles. Pinis nau mipela ibin wokim dispela Yangoru rot. Yangoru rot bilong go long Namatanai. Orait ol ibin wokim dispela lo long wanem mi yet mi kisim dispela leta bilong go kisim tok orait long Seniora Masta long Raburua. Orait mi yet mi bin stap long rekodim nem long papa, ol ibin kisim ol kain liklik sain.

Dr Iwamoto: Wanem kain sain?

Lungas: Olsem narapela igat mak. Ol iksim ol dispela mak na sapos em ronawe bai yu save em stap yet.

Dr Iwamoto: Em katim?

Lungas: Em mak bilong feis (foto), dispela em olsem bilong luksave. Sapos mi ronave long peles ol kam, ol kam long kisim mipela na mi hait. Bai ol katim nem long hap ol man long Fotmila ol we na ol itok Lungas ironawe, go na kisim em, long wanem ol ino bin kisim dispela ol mak.

Dr Iwamoto: Olgeta manmeri ikisim dispela mak?

Lungas: Olgeta manmeri ikisim dispela kain mak. Bai ol iputim go insait long paspot, wanpela kain spesol pepa yet. Mi yet save mekim dispela ol wok wantaim pepa.

Dr Iwamoto: Sampela man bilong yupela ikamap kempe boi o soldia bilong Japanis?

Lungas: Igat soldia bilong Japanis.

Dr Iwamoto: Nogat kempe boi?

Lungas: Nogat.

Dr Iwamoto: Yu save husait dispela soldia?

Lungas: Ol Japanis ibin laikim sampela man long ol ikamap soldia na ol ikisim ol long soldia.

Dr Iwamoto: Dispela soldia itok Japanis tokpeles?

Lungas: Nogat ino save gut long tokpeles.

Dr Iwamoto: Ol ikisim unifom?

Lungas: Ol igat unifom bilong ol, ol Japanis igivim long ol.

Dr Iwamoto: Ol ikisim raifel?

Lungas: Ol ikisim ol faifel bilong ol.

Dr Iwamoto: Ol dispela soldia ol ipaitim o kilim ol man bilong yupela?

Lungas: Ol dispela kain pasin bilong Jelesim kain toktok nambau tasol na ol ikilim ol. Na ol iwokim dispela long wanem ol ibihainim lo ya. Sapos dispela soldia ino wokim dispela kain pasin bai ol ikatim nek bilong em na kilim em. Ol imas bihainim lo.

Dr Iwamoto: Ol Japanis ikisim meri bilong yupela?

Lungas: Ol ikisim sampela meri.

Dr Iwamoto: Na ol mekim wanem samting?

Lungas: Ol mekim pasin nogut wantaim ol.

Dr Iwamoto: Yu save narapela nem bilong Japanis man? Yu save Seniora Masta na Yamatasan. Yu save narapela Japanis man?

Lungas: Misave narapela tasol mi lus tingting long nem bilong ol. Mi stap wantaim Yamataasan so mi tingim nem bilong em.

Dr Iwamoto: Sapos yu gat moa stori mi laik harim?

Lungas: Mi nogat moa stori long stori long dispela tasol mi wokim long toktok tasol long o wei bilong ol Japanis ibin kam tasol long wokim mekim kain lo wantaim ol man bilong Niu Ailan. Mi wok long toktok long kain pasin we mipela ino mmekim wanpela kain asua wantaim ol gavaman bilong Japanis nogat. Mipela ibin stap fri tasol mipela mipela ibin kirap nogut long ol Japanis ibin wokim dispela kain pasin wantaim long mipela. Na PNG nogat koros wantaim long Japanis gavaman nogat. Mipela kirap nogut ol iwokim dispela dain pasin wantaim mipela.

Dr Iwamoto: Pasin bilong woa taim?

Lungas: Yes

Dr Iwamoto: Sori tru. Tenkyu tru gutpela stori.

Lungas: Orait.

Dr Iwamoto: Em tasol?

Lungas: Yes.

Dr Iwamoto: Orait gutpela na tenkyu tru.



This page was last updated on 1 June 2004.
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