Remembering the war in New Guinea - Interview with Repen Lamasisi

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

Repen: Name bilong mi em Repen Lamasisi. Na mi bilong Sali. Long dispela taim ol bos bilong mipela long Sali ol tok tenpela man bilong kukim oil long paia. Orait ol salim mi na wanpela Tolai mitupela igo sikarapim ol trai na kukim oil. Mipela mekim dispela wok igo na bihain ol i askim husait isave long painim pis. Na ol makim mi. Em dispela man i gutpela long painim na kisim pis. Orait mi kisim klas na igo painim pis. Longpela taim mi wok long putim klas na sutim pis. Wanpela Jiapan ya igo waitim mi long nambis na ol sutim em long kateres. Em kisim bagarap long bodi bilong em na ol kisim em igo long haus sik. Mi wok long klas yet igo igo na bihain mi igo. Mipela istap io na ol bringim pepa em man pait i pinis. Planti krismas igo pinis na pait pinis.

Iwamoto: Papa tokim mi stori bilong Sakamoto?

Repen: Sakamoto em wanpela komanda bilong ami. Em igat longpela bainat em isave karim oltaim wantaim em. Em igat ol lain bilong em. Em i bosim wanpela platoon bilong em.

Iwamoto: Wanem nem bilong dispela platoon?

Repen: Nem bilong em, em Lemetai. Em igo pas long dispela grup. Mipela istap igo na pait i pinis. Ol tromoi olgeta samting bilong pait bilong ol igo daun long solwara. Taim ol tromoi ol raibool, han krenet pinis ol kalap long ol kar bilong ol na ol igo long Namatanai.

Iwamoto: Olgeta man long ples bilong yu ol ig painim pis long solwara?

Repen: Olgeta man long ples igo painim pis bilong ol. Mi tasol mi save igo painim pis bilong ol Jiapan. Taim nogut ol balus i ron ol man isave igo painim pis.

Iwamoto: Taim yupela i kisim pis, yupela i givim olgeta igo long Jiapan or yupela kisim sampela tu?

Repen: Mipela givim olgeta igo long ol Japanese. Ating sapos nau ol bai baim, tasol bipo nogat mipela givim ol nating.

Iwamoto: Yu kukim oil tu. Na dispela oil igo long Japanese tasol?

Repen: Yes. Taim mipela kukim pinis olgeta dispela oil isave igo long kampani bilong Sakamoto. Sampela ol save usim long fraim kaukau, saksak or ol arapela kaikai.

Iwamoto: Ol man long ples yupela i wokim ol arapela wok olsem long wokim katen, planim kaikai or arapela kain wok or yupela igo painim pis na kukim oil tasol?

Repen: Mipela wokim katen tu. Mipela planim kaukau, beans na saior.

Iwamoto: Igat sampela meri wok wantaim yupela tu?

Repen: Nogat. Ol meri ino save ikam long kain taim olsem.Mipela ol man tasol. Bai mi stori olsem, long wanpela nait ol balus i kamap hau hamap long parasut antap. Antap i pulaap long parasut. Long wanem ol i laik tru nau. Orait mipela lukim ol dispela parasut ya na mipela igo daun long solwara. Win ikisim ol ikam ikam kamap long nambis long sea buruk. Mipela ting nogut ol Japanis ilukim mipela na mipela kisim ol parasut na igo haitim long bus. Parasut man ya ino hait istap, nogat, em kirap na bihainim nambis igo. Ol Japanis lukim em pinis long klas long Sali long mountan. Orait ol kirap na salim tok ikam. Ol tok igat man ikalap long parasut igo daun nambis. Mipela ikisim na haitim em long bus tasol em kirap na bihainim nambis igo. Em igo bungim wanpela Japanis na wanpela Manus. Dispela Manus em wanpela man isave katim nek tu . Nem bilong em, Beike. Taim wanpela lukim em orait tupela pasim han bilong em na kisim em igo, kamap long kem blong ol na ol katim nek bilong em. Sapos em harim tok bilong mipela na hait long dispela bus ating em bai stap gutpela. Tasol em kirap na bihainim nambis igo na ol Japanis i hholim em.

Iwamoto:You helpim dispela man Astralian na em igo we? Em stap wantaim yupela or igo long narapela ples.

Reuben: Mi no save, ol imas kilim em.

Iwamoto: Yu haitim em tasol ol Japanis mas lukim em .

Reuben: Yes mi hatim tasol nogat .

Iwamoto: So taim woa i pinis dispela Ostrelia istil istap long ples bilong yupela?

Reuben: Nogat ol igo bek . Bipo narapela tupela istap long ples Nongasa em long daunbilo . Taim tupela istap olsem iwokabaut igo long lilimbur long wanpela apinun ikam olsem long Putput . Wanpela ilong pela na wanpela isot pela . Orait wanpela man bilong mipela , nem bilong em Nongos , we em iwok olsem spai . Tupela tokim em olsem , taim ol salim mitupela igo wok spai long ol Japanis istap na yu helpim mitupela , orait taim woa ipinis bai mitupela i singautim yu ikam long opis long wanem yu helpim mitupela .

Tasol tupela igo mas ipaia pinis o salim ol igo long narapela hap . Nongat singaut ikam bek long Nongas . Em istap igo na idai pinis .

Iwamoto: Ol man bilong yupela ikilim em o em idai tasol .

Reuben: Em idai tasol.

Iwamoto: Em tasol , na tenk yu tru.

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This page was last updated on 1 June 2004.
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