Remembering the war in New Guinea - Interview with Levi Tovilivan

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

Dr Iwamoto: Gut moning. wanem name bilong yu?

Tovilivan: Nem bilong mi em Levi Tovilivan.

Dr Iwamoto: Yu igat hamaspela krismas?

Tovilivan: Mi igat 77 krismas.

Dr Iwamoto: Yu go long skul pinis?

Tovilivan: Mi go long liklik tasol.

Dr Iwamoto: Taim Japanis ikam yu bikpela man pinis?

Tovilivan: Taim Japanis ikam mi yangpela liklik.

Dr Iwamoto: Papa plis yu stori long woa taim.

Tovilivan: Taim mi bin stap long elimentary skul bilong gavman, klostu long maket long Rabaul, long Malanguna na mi bin harim toktok long pait bilong Hitler bilong Germani em dispela nau.



Orait long dispela taim mipela istap long skul yet, na taim bilong holide long 1940 na mipela ikam stap long ples. Mipela stat poret nau long go bek long skul. Long wanem ol balus tu iwok long kam nau long glasim ples. Orait mipela istap long ples inonap go bek long skul. Ol kiap bilong Australia ol ikam na tokim ol man long ples long redim ol haus. Mipela wanpela long hia, long ples klostu long hap ol igat wanpela, narapela long tambelo ya na narapela long antap ya. Ol dispela hauses mipela iredim em long taim ol Japan isua long hia orait ol bai ronawe igo hait long em.

Long Januari 1943 ol Japanis kamap long hia. Em nau taim ol Japan ikam nau mipela silip long hia, mipela kirap nogut long ol Australia ol ikam. Ol hauses ya mi toktok long em, ol redi. Taim ol ronawe ikam wantaim kaikai bilong ol na tu traks bilong ol. Ol bringim long haus lotu bilong United church (methodist). Planti bilong ol kisim gan wunds. Lek, han na bodi ibagarap. Haus lotu ibagarap long blut na mipela ino mo istap. Mipela ronawe igo long ples. taim mipela ronawe igo, mipela kam bek na luk stil long wanem samting tru bai ol iwokim.

Mipela hait long rot na lukim ol karis bilong Japan igat long dispela taim ol iputim gen liklik karis bihain. Ol ron igo daun long sup nambaut long hap ya. Ol ikisim masin gan bilong ol isut nambaut long ples. Na mipela istap olsem. Orait sampela ikam bihain ol kisim mipela nau iwok wantaim Japan nau. Mipela iwokim wanpela rot ol ikolim long Palma igo daun long taun. Pinis long dispela mipela iwokim wanpela rot antap ya long Taviling na ikam daun long Keravia. Pinis long dispela mipela digim ol hols nambaut na planim bensin long em. Wanpela kampani ol kolim long Takai Buddhai em ilukautim bensin na mipela digim hols long haitim bensin. Dispela hap ol Japanis ino katim ol kokonas igo daun long wanem ol bensin istap. Dispela nogat bensin long em ol katim daun. Bensin istap igat gad ilukautim.

Orait taim mipela istap olsem, wanpela kampani kisim mipela wantaim faivpela man ken igo, nem bilong kampani ya mi lusim tingting. Ol ikisim mipela igo antap long Tauviliu na mipela digim rot bilong ol igo daun. Ol kisim mipela istat long karim kako nau igo long Baining igo long Touvuru long narapela sait. Mipela wokim planti taim tru. Moning tru long 6.30 a.m mipela save lusim Tamaringa ples balus, mipela save poret long balus. Mipela save karamapim mipela yet long lip diwai na taim mipela lusim ples balus orait mipela rausim lip.

Mipela save igo ikam ating amas mun mipela save igo silip. Moning lukim ol hoses ol isilip nabaut long rot, ol stia tu ol idai nambaut na silip nambaut long rot. Mipela save kalapim ol na wokabaut yet, karim ol beg rais, Katen tinpis, suga bilong ol long dring ti long em. Ating tripela deis mipela save wakabaut igo bungim ol Japanis bilong touring long ronawe ikam bek, orait mipela save kam wamtaim ol gen. Bringim ol long hia mipela save karim kakos ken na wakabaut ken.

Inap mi ino moa igo ol wokim wanpela kampani bilong dispela Takai Buddhai. Ol askim mi long stap long hia nau. Long hia mi save lidim sampela lain na wokim gaden bilong Takai Buddhai. Mipela wokim gaden bilong ol igo igo na mipela wok long harim harim tasol. Sampela man iwok long dispela ples nau dambelo nau tupela lusim igat Kimpetai istap long em. Em isave kilim planti man moa. Olsem polis steisen (kempe). Orait dispela ples mipela wok long harim olsem ol isave kilim ol man long dispela hap. Torot tu ol ikilim em long dispela hap. Mipela ino igo klostu long ol, bikos Japanis ino laik mipela igo klostu long ol. Ol mekim mipela ipretim ol stret na stap long we.

Sampela taim mipela igo igat wanpela matmat istap klostu long misin. Em ol dispela ol man ol save kilim ol dambelo ol isave kisim ol ikam antap long dispela matmat. Ol save mekim olsem sapos wanpela man ol imakim em long idai, ol polis save kisim em long moning igo digim hol bilong em yet. taim em digim hol pinis ol kisim em igo bek long ples we ol kempe istap long em. Orait olsem wan kilok em bai stat long wakabaut ikam bek long dispela matmat wantaim polis, wantaim Japan yet igo sanap klostu long matmat na em bai toktok long wan pisin (wantok) bilong em. Mi bai dai long dispela samting mi wokim long em. Mi sori tumas ol lain bilong mi yupela inoken bihainim dispela kain pasin, noken bikhet long ol soldia, harim tok bilong ol tasol. Em isave toktok tasol nogat man istap klostu bai ol harim. Ol stap klostu tru ol lukim tasol sigaret istap long maus bilong em. Sapos em klostu em pinis ol katim nek bilong em, na em singaut liklik na ol sakim em long bainat na igo daun long hol.

Dr Iwamoto: Bilong wanem ol Japanis ikilim man?

Tovilivan: Igat sampela liklik rong ol painim olsem wokim paia long nait. Sapos Amerika ilukim paia long nait bai ikam kilim ol. O sapos ol lukim wanpela nius pepa long basket bilong yu.

Mipela istap olsem inap long foapela krismas olgeta. Planti samting moa mipela iwokim. Mipela istap long ples na ol kisim mipela igo mekim ples balus dambilo long Kokopo. Planti samting tru ikamap long dispela taim. Man ino kamap gut long wok. Mi stori pastaim long dispela rot mipela save wokim igo daun igat faivpela man ol bilong dispela ples ol ikamap leit liklik long taim bilong statim wok. Wanwan man ol ikisim 50 kanda. Dispela kanda em ibikpela tru ino liklik, klostu ol dai. Ol paitim wanpela igo igo na ol kisim ol igo slipim istap ol paitim narapela. Em kain pasin olsem ol wokim long mipela. Long Topera igat wanpela man tu em isanap antap long bed na imas tok o bikhet liklik na ol kisim na sutim em idai.

Igat planti bilong mipela ol bom ikilim ol. Mi igat wanpela susa bilong mi bom kilim em. Ol Japanis istap pinis na ol Amerika ikam bomim. Planti man bilong mipela kisim bagarap long wanem mipela istap namel long soldias. Sampela taim mipela nogat gutpela laplap long pasim.

Dr Iwamoto: Na ol Japanis igivim kaikai long yupela?

Tovilivan: Sapos mipela igo long wok, ol givim kaikai long mipela. Mipela stap long ples nagat. Tu ol gat kaikai na ol kisim mipela na wokim traipela gaden kaikai, halvim ol. Sampela taim mipela isave igo antap long hap ya rot igo long Nonga, Rabaul na North Coast. Mipela save kisim temtem long ol box ikam long Japan, kaikai bilong ol. Mipela save kisim ikam. Planti liklik samting mi laik toktok long em. Wanpela haus bilong ol meri tasol antap long Malmal.

Dr Iwamoto: Ol meri bilong yupela?

Tovilivan: Bilong ol Japan yet. Ol Japanis soldias tasol isave go long dispela hap. Mipela nogat. Sapos sampela man bilong mipela imekim olsem, em Japanis soldias bai kilim ol.

Wanpela samting tu mipela ikros long em long 1945 long pinis bilong woa, em Japanis iredim ol hols taim ol man bai igo insait long em na Japanis ikilim ol. Kilim ol man tasol na ol meri bai istap. Taim mipela iwok long ridim ol hols, orait mipela ikirap nogut ol liklik balus itromoi ol pepa igo tambuan lukluk long em na sampela toktok olsem, mipela nogat moa pait. Orait dispela taim nau mipela ihamamas. Pait ipinis. Ol Amerika ikam nau long balus bilong ol, kam stret now long Rabaul na olsem nau woa ipinis.

Em pinisim toktok bilong mi.




This page was last updated on 1 June 2004.
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