a Coast-Watcher

The Nursery-Rhyme Girl Became a Coast-Watcher

By F.P.A.

OPENING “Where the Trade Winds Blow,” and reading of Nopu—or to give her correct name, Eima—and of her Pidgin English version of popular nursery rhymes, reminds one of her later adventures.

She is now nine years old, has an im pressive war record and a little school ing to her credit. Right now I can see her on the verandah of the Boss Boy’s house studying the Papuan Reader; she has reached that stage in her education that we all know—where we are in formed that “The cat is on the mat,” and that “The man has a big dog.” Her hair is combed, her copper skin shines and she is wearing a pair of blue, elastic banded knickers, referred to as “Small trousis belong me.”

When, early in 1942, the Japanese occupied Buka Passage, Eima and her parents—Sarawa and Giwa —were cut off; but, by stealth and by night, they made a canoe journey of thirty miles, keeping clear of all Japs, and landed at Bougainville: thence across to the hill country at back of Tinputs to join up with their Master, who had retired to that part, feeling that Buka was, per haps, becoming a little overcrowded.

Eima joined happily in the work of the camp, washing baskets of kau-kau at the stream and trying to help the boys plant a garden. She complained that her help was not appreciated bv the boys, but Giwa remarked: “Wait first time!

S’pose you big fella mary, plenty man can like help along you!”

Eima, with the rest, watched the Jap planes go overhead, and learned the dif ference between a “Bom-ber” and a “Fightah.” She saw the Jap. warships and convoys pass down the coast and often heard the sound of guns at sea.

The Jap. front line was then 400 miles to the south.

CAME August the seventh, and the news of the American landing at Guadalcanal: and then began the daily flights of Jap. ’planes, southward bound, to attack the American forces.

In the early morning, Eima would stop scouring the kau-kau at the burbling brook, listen, and then come running to say, “Mastah, airplane come now.”

Soon would be heard the distant buzz ing which grew into a roar as the air armadas passed overhead in beautiful formation. They would be counted and Sarawa would say, “Sixis fella ten bom-ber, and three fella ten fightah go south.”

In the afternoon, the sound of return ing planes would be heard; and, when they came into view, some would be limping, the engines of some missing badly, and many planes short of the morning count. After a hasty count and calculation, Eima, with the rest, would call after the disappearing planes, “Savvy now, Japan? Savvy now?”

Soon the Japs began to increase in numbers, and to penetrate inland, and become inquisitive, so retreat further into the hills became necessary. T. Tashiro, erstwhile fisher of trocas. and ex-Rabaul business man, who knew the area well, arrived to advise the local Jap. com mander.

Things began to look grim, and hard times loomed ahead. But. Eima, when properly called upon to do so, would de scribe the adventures of Beetle Boy Blue, Jacks-and-Jill, Beetle Bo Peep, and en quire from an imaginary cat, “Pussi cat,

pussi cat, where haf you bin?” —all of which was a light touch at an awkward period.

CAME a time when Sarawa, Giwa, and Eima joined up with those famous Coast-Watchers, Lieut. Jack Read and Captain “Sepik” Robinson; and then they got to know the really high spots of Bougainville as the party dodged back and forth in the mountains, while the vital news of Jap movements was being radio’d down to Guadalcanal. This was the kind of news that caused tough Ad miral Halsey to say: “The messages from the Bougainville Coast-Watchers did much to save Guadalcanal, and Guadal canal saved the Pacific.”

High up in the dripping forests under banana-leaf shelters, in between times of coding and decoding messages and during the long evenings, Eima would amuse Jack Read and Sepik Robbie by her recitations. They taught her new ones, and Jack Read introduced a method of singing “Beetle Bo Peep,” that became a popular number.

Giwa and Eima would boil water over a small and shielded fire and make much appreciated tea in a teapot that Giwa had brought along. Sepik Robbie says the tea kept his heart up.

One day, Jack Read had forebodings of an impending attack, and was uneasy all day. At dark he decided that Giwa and Eima, with a faithful Rabaul boy, Ketna, should shelter till morning in a lean-to erected down the hill-side away from the camp.

As they went down the track, and were about to turn off down the hill, they saw an advancing party shining torches downwards into the track as they came along—it was a large party of Japs, com ing to attack the camp.

Giwa, Eima and Ketna “froze” until the Japs, passed, and then hastened on their way, until suddenly hell broke out on top, as the Coast-Watchers let the Japs, have it. Bullets whistled over their heads, so they lay close and hung onto tree roots to keep themselves from slid ing down-hill. Towards morning they slid and slipped down to the river, and remained hiding in the vicinity until the Japs and their native guides and helpers retired.

Once, Ketna made a careful reconnoitre of the camp site and saw much blood and some Jap dead; but he backed out when he discovered himself close to a Jap. sentry, who, fortunately, has his back to him. They had to stay hidden for three days.

THEY had not the faintest idea of the whereabouts or fate of Jack Read’s party. So they found themselves without food on the high and strange Bougainville mountains —a Rabaul boy, used to the fiat country, and a woman reared on an atoll, and a small child. It was a problem as to what it was best to do. Eima had by this time switched off nursery rhymes and confined her self to such remarks as “Me ’fraid too much,” and “Me hungry too much.” Giwa was dressed in green shirt and shorts and carried a haversack, within it some cloth ing and also a little tea and sugar—and the teapot. But they had no matches and were in a country with no dry kindling—only bamboo clumps, green scrub and constant rain.

Eima weakened, and Ketna carried her over rough spots, and Giwa gave them

each a little sugar. They decided to head eastwards, and followed carefully some distance behind the retiring Jabs, pick ing up scraps of biscuit and cleaning out discarded pilchard tins, thrown away by the Japs.

In two days they reached a deserted village and scoured round for bananas and paw paws. They found some still live coals in one hut. so boiled the tea pot and had a cup of tea. Eima says, ‘That cup of tea veri, veri nice!” They rested up in that village.

On the sixth day, Sarawa found them; and, on the seventh day, they met up with Jack Read and Sepik Robbie, who had thought they had been either killed or captured. Jack and Robbie had been having a very tough few days, and were surprised and delighted when Giwa pro duced the now famous teapot, boiled it, and made tea from her precious stores.

So the party sat round and drank tea whilst they compared notes. Giwa laughs and says, “Master Read and Master Robbie happy too much, time two fella drink, becos two fella been die true along tea. Two fella talkim me. ‘You good gal! ’ ”

Eima recited some nursery rhymes; and, despite their recent experiences and future poor prospects, they felt satisfied about still being alive.

Ketna is now “a time-expired soldier man” and wears three ribbons.

QUITE a story could be written about how they eventually climbed the mountains again and made for the west coast, living on such scant native foods and bamboo shoots as they could gather and sleeping under leaf shelters at night in that wet and cold climate.

Finally tney came to a point on the west coast where they had a rendezvous with an American submarine.

They went off through the surf in a lubber boat to where the long, lean sub. lay waiting. They got quickly aboard and down in the mess room, were given hot coffee and food. Eima out down her piece of bread and hung onto Giwa, when the klaxon suddenly sounded, the loud speaker commanded, “Stand by to dive” and the sub. submerged steeply.

The Yank submariners thought Eima a real cute kid ’ and would gather in groups to hear about "Beetle Boy Blue* ltm ? ra pt Pussi Cat; “Little Bo Peep, sung m the Jack Read style, was a winner and, when the wandering sheep arrived home, “Bringing their tails be hm dem, Eima was lifted high into the iL? nd .pjen candy and dollar bills. her '' the 1U ’ ole Coas ‘ Transferred a few days later at a suh dn tn ht Sea mee ting” from the sub. to a fast patrol boat, the oartv p m l ed . at Guadalcanal. Soon Jack Read and Robbie went to Australia whifst lan a rhnTnf a i Eima went d ° wn t 0 ban Chnstoval to lay off and recuperate.

W™ LE th e British Solomons, t? Sarawa did Some work for the U.S Marines and New Zealand forces ?nHV>? Wed up dresses for the half-caste f£ d A Chln . ese residents, and Eima recited thpv^h? encans an , d New Ze alanders. So kt of berngin 0 g P s U and aCquired a fresh When the time came to return tn Bougainville, an American naval vessel H S} en L u .P and took them to Guadal- BnU s li authorities looked after them there; and the New Zealand aS hTnr [ ansp °o ted them and all their gear o Torokma. Sarawa’s best day was when S * spec ial parade at Torokina he wl? with some other scouts, presented bv Vlajor-General Bridgeford with the I Service Medal for good work done ° yal

AND now, as I watch, Eima has closed her Papuan Reader and is swinging her legs, while she sings the British Solomon Islands “pidgin English” war-time song: Japani want to simash ’im, every island Pacific!;

Amereeca simash ’im cap-i-tali To-ki-o. you look outa my friend, all man! klckl backi, Me laugh along you, Japan!, ha, ha! v,oT he sun shines brightly. She is wen'eontenf" 5 t 0 PUt in her hair and