"Village Churchill" Goes

to War He Provides Men, Japs Provide Equipment

By Harold Cooper,

THIS is the story of a Solomon Islander, Seni, chief of the Mindi- Mindi Islands, off New Georgia, who was determined to go to war and didn’t mind working his passage.

As soon as the US Marines had lib erated southern New Georgia Seni applied for admission to the Solomon Islands Defence Force and was signed on as a scout and given a solitary rifle. A few days later he distinguished himself by ambushing a party of six Japanese and killing one. By this means he acquired a second rifle and persuaded his Commanding Officer to enrol another volunteer, whom he trained to use it.

Then he and this new recruit went out in quest of further victims. On patrol together in a canoe they met a canoe containing five Japs and immediately opened fire on them. The Japs were bet ter marksmen but Seni and his friend knew more about canoe management and a running fight which lasted several hours ended with Seni in possession of five more rifles.

Five more volunteers were signed on and given a hurried but thorough course of training.

This process was repeated until, at last report, Seni was in command of a scout ing force 32 strong—all of them armed with weapons captured from the Jap anese.

The British officer who told me of Seni’s exploits described him as “a vil lage Churchill,” and certainly there was nothing facetious about the comparison, for this obscure chieftain has proved himself not only a dauntless warrior but a born leader of men.