Michael Mon
Madang

I was about 7 years old when the war started. I was in school one year, and then the Japanese came, and there was no school. The war started in 1942 and finished around 1944.

Arrival of the Japanese
When the Japanese came, the Australians all left. Some Australians they captured, and they killed them. Others ran away before the Japanese came. The overall bishop sent the missionaries back to their homes. When they left by the sea, they bombed them. They died in the ship. We do not know who bombed them, maybe the Americans or Australians by mistake.

Treatment by Japanese
This place was full of Japanese Army, all along the coast and up in the mountains. The Japanese treated us very bad. They treated us like slaves and they would try to grab the young ladies to rape them. They took our parents and made them slaves.

We did not like the Japanese, but we had no choice when the war came. When they came we had no choice, and had to do what they said. From this area, they went up into the mountains and forest to hide themselves. Sometimes the Japanese would find them and take them to be their slaves.

The Japanese took over the gardens, and stole all the food. We found very hard times, and when the people fleed into the mountains they would try to get food from the mountain peoples gardens, and sometimes there would be fights with them. We costal people did not get along with the mountain people because of the shortage of food.

Building The Airstrip
The Japanese next built an airstrip at Alexishafen. They took us PNG people and told them to build the airstrip. The Danip airstrip was completed, but no Japanese planes came into land because the Australians bombed it before they came and chased them away.

Sometimes they would shoot down an Allied airplane. One crashed in the mountains near our home village, it is now underwater and sand.

Ground Fighting Aproaches
Some we carried ammunition or guns so the Japanese could fight the Australians. Some carried boxes or made traps. [Alexishafen was booby traped by fleeing Japanese]

Some went up to Bogia or down to Madang. Some, they took to Wewak or along the coast. Sometimes we would get sick, or if you were better you have to work.

Some Japanese died in the bush because they did not have enough food, and some had their death caused by mosquitoes (milaria). We would bury them if we found them.

Return to Madang | Main Page