deaths

Sir Jacob Vouza At his home on Guadacanal in March, aged 83.

Sir Jacob was probably the most famous Pacific Islander participant in World War 11.

Reporting an interview given in New Zealand by Sir Philip Mitchell, then governor of Fiji and high commissioner for the Western Pacific, PIM of Decem ber 1942 carried the following account of the events on which Sir Jacob’s fame principally rests: Referring to the battles in the Solomons, Sir Philip said that the loyalty of the Solomon Islanders to the British and the Americans had been a prominent factor in the success of the Allied cause. He quoted, as an example of native heroism, the recent case of a retired sergeant-major of native police, who had come back into the service to do intelligence work for the Americans. On one of many trips through Japanese-occupied areas he had been caught and his small American flag of identification disc overed. He was tied to a tree and, to make him divulge the size and disposition of the US force, he was bayoneted first in the shoulder, then in the stomach, arm, face, and throat. Still not giving the required information, he was thrown aside as dead. Nevertheless, he recovered sufficiently to crawl to the American lines, and there he gave invaluable information concerning the Japan ese forces before he was taken to hospital.

For his wartime exploits, Sir Jacob was awarded the George Medal by the British, and the Silver Star by the Americans.

Born at Tasiboko, Guadalca nal, Sir Jacob joined the Solo mon Islands Armed Constabul ary in 1916. He retired as sergeant-major in 1940.

His postwar career was no less distinguished than his doings in war.

He was appointed district headman in 1949, was presi dent of the Gaudalcanal Coun cil from 1952 to 1958, and served on the British Solomon Islands Protectorate Council from 1950 to 1960.

He was awarded the MBE for government service in 1958, and was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honors of 1979.

American war veterans in particular never forgot their debt to Sir Jacob, and he was active over many years in keep ing alive the spirit of friendship with the veterans, especially on their pilgrimages to the 7 old Gaudalcanal battlefields.

Bishop Alfred Stemper In New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, in February, aged 71.

An American Sacred Heart missionary, Bishop Stemper worked as a pilot when he first arrived in PNG 38 years ago.

He worked in New Britain before moving to New Ireland, where he became the first bishop of Kavieng.

He retired as bishop in 1980 through ill health, and was replaced by another Sacred Heart missionary, Bishop Carl Hesse.

In a tribute to the late Bishop Stemper, Namatanai (New Ire land) MP and former PNG prime minister, Sir Julius Chan, said; “We have lost a personal friend, New Ireland has lost a leader, and the Catholic Church has lost a missionary statesman. ”

Adi Lady Davila Ganilau In Suva on March 2, aged 61.

The wife of Fiji’s Governor- General, Ratu Sir Penaia Gani lau, Adi Lady Davila was a woman of many parts and a tireless worker for her people and the country.

A descendant of Ratu Seru (king) Cakobau, she was born in Bau on November 11, 1922 to Kitione Lalakoma-coi and Adi Kacaraini, the sister of the late Ratu Sir Lai Sukuna.

She attended Ballantine Methodist School and qualified as a teacher from Teachers’

Training School.

Adi Lady Davila taught for 20 years in various primary schools throughout the country and her last teaching post was the Le lean Memorial School.

Apart from numerous other commitments, Adi Lady Davila was appointed the first educa tion officer for the Fiji Visitors Bureau, in 1971, and served for five years travelling extensively and giving talks about the role of tourism in Fiji.

She was a member of Fiji’s censorship committee, and of a special committee appointed by the Ministry of Fijian Affairs to look into ways of preserving Fijian culture and tradition.

Adi Lady Davila was also a national vice-president of the YWCA and in 1982 was appointed a member of the Fiji Broadcasting Commission and of the Housing Authority.

A close friend remembers her in the following words: “If one had to choose a single word to describe her, it would be ‘duty’. Not duty in the arid, burdensome sense of chores to be endured; rather in the sense of obligation cheerfully per

formed. ”■

Vasiti Sikivou in

The Fiji Times.

Vivian Edward Forbes At Toowoon Bay, New South Wales, on January 5.

Viv Forbes was a well known planter and businessman in Solomon Islands for nearly 30 years.

Born and educated in Syd ney, he served as a signalman in the Australian military forces in New Guinea and Bougainvil le in World War 11.

An uncle, C. H. V. Hodgess, who had operated several plantations in the islands since 1930, offered him a job after the war. He accepted and with his wife Joy took up the posi tion as plantation manager at Marau Sound in September 1949.

He moved to Joroveto in the Western District in 1954, then to Liapari the following year where he proceeded to establ ish a successful trading opera tion, finally taking over the company of C. H. V. Hodgess Pty Ltd in 1959. He remained at Liapari until he retired to Australia in 1977.

He was appointed a founda tion member of the Legislative Council, serving one term only, and for many years was the president of the Vella local council. He also served as a member of the Copra Board from 1960, and was involved in several agricultural schemes, mainly coconut replanting.

He was highly respected by

both islanders and expatriates for his integrity and fairness in business. He assisted local co operatives and small businesses whenever asked, and was the driving force behind local re covery following the devastat ing cyclone of November

1977.-

Ian D. Forbes.

Monseigneur Louis Julliard In Noumea, on Februray 13, aged 71.

Fere Louis Julliard was the first Catholic Bishop of Vanuatu. He was bom of a peasant family in Coubon in the Haute Loire, France, in 1912, and joined the Marist order in 1929.

He was ordained in 1936.

During his nearly 44 years in the country he worked in seve ral regions. His longest period spent away from Port-Vila was 12 years at Melsisi, in Pente cost.

This work was broken off by a call for Pere Julliard to be come apostolic vicar in 1955, and later Bishop, when Vanuatu became a separate diocese in 1966. During his time as bishop he ordained the first ni-Vanuatu priests Frs Cyriaquo- Aden, Gerard Leymang and Noel Vutial and oversaw the building of many schools and churches, including Port-Vila’s cathedral.

His colleagues found him “a truly very humble man”, and a down-to-earth and encouraging bishop. The French Republic decorated him with the Legion d’Honneur in acknowledgment of his work.

In 1975 he asked to be relieved of his duties and re turned to a simpler life of missionary activity at St. Michel in Santo. “I am the fifth wheel in the cart,” he would say, refusing any pomp or cere mony.

In 1981 he retired to Mont martre on Efate, where he stayed until his last illness forced an evacuation for surgery to Noumea. This was unsuccessful, and a fortnight later he died. His body was returned to Vanuatu for a fune ral mass and burial at Montmar

tre.

Julie-Anne Ellis.