IN December of 1943, the Fiji 1st Battalion was deployed to Bougainville to fight with the Americans.
Because of its excellent record against the enemy it was decided to send the 3rd Battalion to join them. Their record of service is now forever etched into the history of the war in the south-west Pacific.
Today Private Jale Bainisika is the only remaining member of the 3rd Battalion which also had the services of war hero Corporal Sefanaia Sukanaivalu who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
“Au a lako ena matai ni i valu mai Solomone, na gauna oya se sega ni kila tu kina o Viti na i valu. Keimami qai sota kina kei ira na kai Merika, sa oti mai na i karua ni valu levu sa qai mai rogo o Viti e vuravura taucoko (I was part of the first Fijians who landed in the Solomons. It was after World War II that the Americans who we fought alongside with respected us and we were known to the world).
“Dua na noqu i tokani sa qai mate qo o Ilimo, mai Verata Ucunivanu ya keirau tiko vata mai Solomone, keirau na yaca ni neirau tabana na A Company (One of my comrades Ilimo from Verata, Ucunivanua just recently passed away, we were members of the A Company and were together in the Solomons).”
He remembers a comrade losing his leg after stepping on a landmine and comrades who died in battle. There were also moments of laughter and moments of pain.
“Keimami na tiko na 3rd Battalion, Vola Tabu ga eke, tavako eke. Kevaka sega ni kana tavako, o wili Vola Tabu. Kila na cava rogo kina o Viti e vuravura taucoko ena gauna ni valu? baleta na Kalou ga na kena Brigadier (The members of the 3rd Battalion had a Bible in this pocket and cigarettes in the other. It was either you smoked a cigarette or read the Bible. And you know why we were revered? Because God was our brigadier).
“Dua na gauna keimami se moce tu e veikau, na tolu na kaloko na matakalailai au sa qolou, ‘oilei, qo sa dro ruarua tu na lewe ni yavaqu voleka saraga ni vakamatei au’. Sa tarogi sara mai ‘o cei oya’, sa cavuti sara ‘ai o Jale’, ya o au, ‘e cava’, e dro na yavaqu ruarua (One night we were sleeping in the forest, around 3am I woke up and screamed. Everyone woke up and our leaders asked who it was, I told them it was me and that I had cramps in both my legs. I thought I was going to die from these cramps),” he said with a laugh.
Apparently they had been trying to remain as quiet as possible to avoid being spotted by the enemies.
“Neitou kanala sega ni laveti keda cake, tabaki keda sobu tiko koya na kai Ositerelia, baleta na kuli ni yago. Levu na ka vinaka keimami cakava mai Solomoni, era sega ni cakava o ira, ia sega ni talanoataki. Koya na kai Ositerelia dau vuvu taki keda tiko. Keda lomani ira, ira qai sega ni lomani keda (Our colonel was an Australian and it seemed he disliked us, probably because of the colour of our skin. A lot of things we did he did not praise, neither did he respect us but we did not mind. We just did our duties and followed orders).
“Sega ni rawa ni da tukutukuni keda, e da madua. Au mada noqu i vakarau ya au sega ni rawa ni talanoataki au, e rawa ga ni dua e talanoataki au, baleta au dau madualaka na talanotaki au. (For me personally, I feel it is not good to boast about our success. It is easier for a person to talk about me but I cannot talk about myself).”
When he returned, he worked at the New Zealand Air Force base in 1947 at Laucala Bay.
“Sa oti mai na i valu sa qai mai tiko e Suva sa qai mai cakacaka tiko ena 1947, qai 1948 era sa voli kakana tale vei au. Na noqu loga veitavioka koya na gaunisala ko cici yani va qori e Nasese (My tavioka plantation was next to the road leading to Nasese and by 1948, people were buying tavioka from me).”
The ebb and flow of time has chiselled away his wrinkled face and the chapters of his life are written there to read strength of character and memories of lost loved ones, Mr Bainisika has a touch of sadness because he is alone in the world now.
“Au sa tu ga mai na koro, sa mate na watiqu, mate na luvequ e lima, mate kece. Au sa qaravi au ga vakataki au. Ia au tiko mai na koro tukuna luvena na tuakaqu, me qaravi au, au tukuna vua kua, baleta na vuli na gauna oqo, iko qaravi ira ga na luvemu kei na watimu, ya na noqu rai. Laivi au meu bula, na i lavo solia tiko vei au na matanitu au sa bula tiko kina (Today, I live in the village. My wife has passed away so too my five children. My elder brothers’ children always volunteer to look after me, but I tell them not to worry about me, I can look after myself, just look after your family and your children).”
At the conclusion of our small talanoa session, his tea and toast bread were ready and he asked me to join him in prayer.
“Oi kemuni saka na Tamai keimami vakalomalagi, sa tu saka oqo e mataqu e dua na i solisoli levu ko ni solia mai me vakayagataki me rawa kina na bula. Sa kerei saka na Turaga mo ni vosa vakalougatataka, meu waraki kemuni tiko ena mataka koni na tadu mai kina mo ni kauti au kina ena nomuni matanitu, meu na lai tiko kina Jisu na i VakaBula (Oh God our Heavenly Father, we have here before us is food that You have prepared for consumption and for life. Please Father, bless and sanctify the food that it will nourish my body and will help me prepare for the morning when you will come and take me to Your heavenly glory and live with Your son Jesus Christ. Amen).”
His friends are long gone and Mr Bainisiga lives to tell his stories. He and his comrades sacrificed a lot to defend our country so that we can enjoy our freedom today.
So if you ever meet the 99-year-old Private Jale Bainisika anywhere, please stand aside, shake his hand, give him a hug and give respect to the man that surely deserves respect.
