MW6-016 - Interview with Blasius ToUna, Nodup

Tape#1, Music Background and Life Experiences during World War II of Blasius Touna of Nodup Village Side A & B: : Early Years and the Japanese during Occupation. Blasius Touna is a Tolai musician and talks about his life story and how he composed and sang his many songs and style of music well known then around PNG in his time. Blasius was born on 2/2/1922 at Paparatava Health Centre of Catholic Mission to parents from Toma area of the Gazelle Peninsula. The father was a Catholic catechist missionary stationed at the Catholic Mission at Paparatava. His mother died when he was 2 months old so was taken into foster care at Vunapope Catholic Mission Sisters so did not grow up in the village setting with his father. His exposure to music during early years was with the Sisters in church chorals with organs but forgotten that now in his later years. He started school at Milmila Catholic Primary School in Duke of York Islands for 6 years till 1939 when they were told that the War (WW2) was coming so he returned to Vunapope Catholic Mission. He was not exposed to guitars till his late teenage years as he was under the care of Catholic sisters who only use organs and pianos and church chorals. He then returned to his father in 1940 who was now at Rapitok Catholic Mission and the war just came with the Japanese invasion to Rabaul and Gazelle Peninsula.There were many wartime experiences mainly atrocities of the Japanese with individuals, village people and any captured allied forces in camps and the town of Rabaul. His personal experiences was he was put in prison for trivial matter and was due to be executed by beheading as a practice of punishment. He was with an American pilot captured and put in prison but later escaped. The local guard employed was from Markham for NG Mainland in Morobe Province. He was also a fierce man and always mistreated him doing inhumane things in prison. Before the execution time, the American had escaped and Blasius was well aware of the plan and he held back not to go with him. When the day was up for execution for the two of them, the Japanese captain discovered the American was missing and became very angry so he asked Blasius what had happened. Having able to speak Japanese well enough, he replied that the local guard was was responsible for his escape as he opened the gate door in the night and they left him there but was well awake and saw they leave the prison. The captain was satisfied with his answer although a lie and released Blasius from execution and they now dealt with the local guard for punishment to not doing his job for an escapee under his guard. Blasius was now free and still remained in the camp so he had a good feed then was given a bicycle to exercise along the road just outside the perimeters. He later saw the vehicle coming with the local guard in it with the executioner and Japanese guards with spades and shovels. They made the local guard dig his own grave so Blasius was curious to see what they were doing so he hid the bicycle in the bushes and climbed a tree at a distance and saw the whole ordeal. The local guard was blindfolded then sadly beheaded then was buried in the grave dug. Blasius witness everything and was shivering but keep his calm till he returned to the camp premises. He then saw the local guards directing village people away from the area saying that there were mines planted for enemy attack of Americans and Australians but infact was where the body of the Marhkam guard was in his shallow grave. He later was transferred to Vuvu camp on the north coast of Gazelle Peninsula then put in jail again for another lie of a local guard saying be was a spy of Allied Forces in Americans or Australians. He was later released and the guard was again beheaded at Tunnel Hill prison site. Blasius was eventually set free after the war was over and joined ANGAU unit hospital in Nonga then Namanula with the Australians under Territory of New Guinea administration in 1948. Due to new found relatives in Nodup and Matalau, he now adopted his name Touna after an elder in the village. Blasius also had exposure to Japanese music with both traditional guitar instruments and normal guitars but only sang their own songs with their own melodies not other foreign songs. He learnt a few but forgotten their songs. He also observed their concerts playing these music. With Blasius localised to nearby Nodup and Malatau villages due to working at Namanula hospital, he was able to partake in local social nights with stringband music. People had guitars and ukeleles then under the influence of the South Seas Missionaries. Blasius borrowed a guitar then from the villagers and started learning and composing songs, bought himself and ukelele and then started off as a musician from early experiences. (Steven Gagau, January 2019) . Language as given:

Tape#1：诺杜普村布拉修斯·图纳的二战音乐背景与人生经历 A面与B面：早年岁月与日占时期
布拉修斯·图纳是一名托莱族（Tolai）音乐家，他讲述了自身的人生故事，以及如何创作并演唱诸多在其活跃时期闻名于巴布亚新几内亚（Papua New Guinea，简称PNG）当地的歌曲与音乐风格。
布拉修斯于1922年2月2日出生在天主教传教区帕帕拉塔瓦医疗中心，父母来自加泽尔半岛（Gazelle Peninsula）托马地区。其父是驻帕帕拉塔瓦天主教传教区的天主教教义问答传教士。他在两个月大时母亲便离世，随后被武纳波普天主教传教修女会（Vunapope Catholic Mission Sisters）收养，并未在父亲身边的村落环境中长大。他早年接触的音乐是修女们带领的教堂合唱与管风琴演奏，但在晚年已对此记忆模糊。
他在约克公爵群岛（Duke of York Islands）的米尔米拉天主教小学（Milmila Catholic Primary School）就读6年，至1939年，因得知战争（第二次世界大战）即将爆发，他返回武纳波普天主教传教区。在十几岁之前，他从未接触过吉他——此前照料他的天主教修女仅使用管风琴、钢琴开展教堂合唱活动。1940年，他回到当时驻留于拉皮托克天主教传教区（Rapitok Catholic Mission）的父亲身边，此时日军已入侵拉包尔（Rabaul）与加泽尔半岛。
他的战时经历多与日军暴行相关：日军对平民、村落居民以及被俘盟军人员在营地与拉包尔镇实施了诸多暴行。他本人的遭遇包括：因琐事被投入监狱，原本将被以斩首的方式处决。当时他与一名被俘的美国飞行员一同被关押，二人后来成功逃脱。负责看守他们的当地人员来自莫罗贝省（Morobe Province）新几内亚本土的马克姆地区（Markham），此人性格凶悍，在狱中对他施以诸多非人道的虐待。
行刑前夕，美国飞行员成功逃脱，布拉修斯知晓该计划却并未随行。行刑当日，日军小队长发现美国飞行员失踪，暴怒之下质问布拉修斯。布拉修斯日语流利，便谎称是当地看守夜间打开牢门放走了飞行员，自己当时醒着目睹了二人离开监狱。小队长听信了这一谎言，赦免了布拉修斯的死刑，转而惩处当地看守失职导致囚犯逃脱。
布拉修斯重获自由后仍留在营地，他饱餐一顿后，日军为他提供了一辆自行车，允许他在营地外围的道路上活动。不久后，他目睹载有当地看守、行刑者与日军卫兵的车辆驶来，众人带着铁锹与铲子。他们强迫当地看守自行挖掘坟墓，布拉修斯出于好奇，将自行车藏在灌木丛中，爬到远处的树上目睹了全过程：当地看守被蒙上双眼后惨遭斩首，随后被埋入他自己挖好的墓穴。布拉修斯目睹全程，浑身颤抖却强作镇定，直至返回营地。
此后，当地看守向村民谎称该区域埋设了针对美澳盟军的地雷，驱赶村民远离此地，实则此处便是马克姆籍看守的浅埋坟墓。
他后来被转移至加泽尔半岛北海岸的武武营，又因另一名当地看守诬告他是美澳盟军的间谍，再次被投入监狱。之后他被释放，那名诬告的看守则在隧道山监狱旧址（Tunnel Hill prison site）被处决。
二战结束后，布拉修斯最终重获自由，于1948年加入澳大利亚新几内亚行政单位（Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit，简称ANGAU）下辖的农加（Nonga）医院与纳马努拉（Namanula）医院，当时该区域隶属于新几内亚领地行政当局（Territory of New Guinea administration）。
因在诺杜普与马塔劳（Matalau）结识了新的亲属，他以村中一位长者的名字改名为图纳。
布拉修斯还接触过日本传统吉他乐器与普通吉他，学过部分日本歌曲与旋律，但后来已遗忘，也曾观看过日军的音乐会。
因在纳马努拉医院工作，他定居于诺杜普与马塔劳附近，得以参与当地的弦乐队音乐社交之夜。当时受南太平洋传教士（South Seas Missionaries）的影响，村民们普遍拥有吉他与尤克里里（ukulele）。布拉修斯向村民借了吉他开始学习作曲，之后还购买了尤克里里，凭借早年的积累正式走上音乐人的道路。
（史蒂文·加高，2019年1月）
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