A Warwick Ure Ra Umana Kaina e I ga Taday Go Kaveve a Umana Lolo Niu Britain (The story about the bad times that came to our islands of New Britain) by an unknown author, Translated from Kuanua to English by Gideon Kakabin
When the news came that Japan would own these islands we, the black people, were confused about their rule and about their behavior. The white people told us that their rule was not always good; they told us that we had to obey their rules and laws, otherwise we would be killed.
It was not long before their ships arrived and they filled up the sea in New Britain. However, I will tell about the wartime here in the Ulu District [Duke of York Islands, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea].
When the Japanese arrived at the beach, firstly they destroyed the houses for the white people and their animals were shot. Later it came to our turn, the black people from here.
They arrested our Minister, Mr Shelton, and took him on to the warship. We said goodbye to him at the bridge at Mioko Palpal, and we cried and were sad because he was no longer with us. And the Japanese filled up this small island of Duke of York.
So … first, they kiilled our animals and they removed our things—clothes and shell money. Then they killed some people for minor cases of disobedience, and they recruited the men to fight. Then they recruited the men to work and build the place where aeroplanes would land. That was very hard work that the men did. They did not eat and their bodies became weak as the Japanese beat them up also. They arrested us too—the missionaries and church workers, motherss and their babies, the sick, old men and old women.
This is how they made us suffer. They tied our hands to a tree at our back and then they beat us with big sticks. They hung some upside down, with their heads down and legs up, and some of us were made to drink water so that we could die. And then they removed eight missionaries and one black Minister to be killed. His name was Benjamin Talai. We were forbidden from worship, but the church did not leave our hearts and we continued to believe in Christ.
The lives of the people weakened slowly, and many died because they did not eat good food. We became thin and there was no medicine.
One day we were surprised that we saw the Japanese throwing their weapons into the sea. We were also surprised that a medical person from our Government came and told us that the war was finished. He came to heal us of our sickness and he was strong in his work.
These are the names of the black people that perished:
Benjamin Talai: a Reverend from Ulu, Duke of York Islands.
William Taupa, the son of Talai
Assam Ravian
Erin Tamaren
Melinda Kukuraina
Romulus Aria
Iosepat To Wamilat
Daniel To Riga
Esau To Waira
Kitiona Tamdip
Source: Unknown: A Warwai Ure Ra Umana Kaina e I Ga Tadav Go Kaveve a Umana Lolo Niu Britain. A Nilai Ra Dovit. Melbourne, December 1946, p1.