Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Private J. D. Caves: The Long Journey Home

Training in Fiji

page 5

Training in Fiji

"The hurricane is undoubtedly the main news..."

page 6

Excerpt from Official History of New Zealand in The Second World War

This passage describes the Fijian hurricane of 1941 which Denis experienced first-hand.

On 5 June 1940, New Zealand decided to raise and train an infantry brigade group for Fiji, the force to consist of 2908 all ranks, increased before departure to 3053. This scheme was originally envisaged as a combined garrison and advanced training ground for reinforcements for 2 NZ Division in the Middle East, the First Echelon of which had left New Zealand on 6 January. It provided for the relief of the men after six months' service, after which they were to return to New Zealand to become reinforcements for the force in Egypt.

During weekends and holidays parties of soldiers visited the more distant villages, where they were received by the hospitable Fijians and initiated into traditional kava-drinking ceremonies. From time to time, also, representative Fijians, smart in spotless white sulus and coats of European cut, visited the military camps bearing gifts of fruit and vegetables which supplemented menus not overburdened with fresh foods, most of which came from New Zealand and much deteriorated on the way. Refrigerated space was at a premium during the first year, but large cool-stores finally overcame the food problem.

During January and February of 1941 the men experienced their first real rainy season, when the warm, moisture laden atmosphere produces mildew overnight inside hats and boots and even on tin trunks. With it came persistent hurricane rumours but, as none had visited Fiji for some years, they were ignored. February opened with oppressive heat and torrential rainstorms, producing conditions which, in the tropics, breed short tempers and imaginary slights and a disposition to procrastinate-conditions rather difficult to control and collectively referred to as malua. On 19 February the meteorological section of the RNZAF issued a warning that a storm of some violence might be expected as the erratic course of a hurricane was plotted, zigzagging at sea between Fiji and Tonga. It broke the following morning-the worst hurricane experienced in Fiji for twenty-one years. Warnings were issued to all units as the day broke with leaden skies and an unusual gusty wind. All tents were struck in both areas, canopies were removed from motor vehicles, and buildings were hurriedly wired and strutted to withstand a gale.

By nine o'clock the wind increased to tremendous force, driving in from the sea a wall of warm grey rain which stung like hail. Two hours later the hurricane was raging at its height. Huge trees toppled and snapped; palms bent so that their crowns of fronds swept the earth like dusters; sheets of corrugated iron whisked through the air like postage stamps or were wrapped round tree trunks like paper. At 11.15 a.m. the wind reached 110 miles an hour, but as the recording instruments broke at that time no accurate record was ever established. Telephone and power lines went down under the weight of wind and wreckage. One military line survived until midday, and when it broke headquarters was isolated from all units except by a wireless link which maintained communication with Namaka only with extreme difficulty.

Late in the afternoon, when the hurricane dissolved in heavy rain, the landscape looked as though it had been stripped by locusts. Tangles of branches, wreckage, and wires blocked streets and roads. Three ships in the harbour, which had escaped from Nauru Island when their convoy was shelled on 6, 7 and 8 December by the German raiders Orion and Komet, were driven high on mudbanks. Two aeroplanes, exactly half the RNZAF's strength in the Pacific, were wrecked on the Nandali airfield, where they had been tied down. Six buildings were blown down in Samambula Camp, and others, including officers' quarters at Borron's House and a motor transport workshop at Samambula, were leaning at crazy angles. Camps in the Namaka area escaped with heavy flooding, though the Nandi River rose 30 feet.

page 7
Dennis on duty in Fiji 1941.

Dennis on duty in Fiji 1941.

23 February 1941 Suva, Fiji 8th (NZ) Inf. Brigade

My Dear Jean,

This week the hurricane is undoubtedly the main news item so I will tell you as much as I can about it. Since last weekend it had been very showery and on Thursday morning the rain was consistent enough to keep us in our hut where we were having a lecture. About 9:30am the hurricane warning came and we had to pack all our gear ready to vacate our huts if necessary. All was bustle and excitement and we were expecting quite a thrill. Well we got the thrill all right.

At quarter to ten the wind which had already been strong increased into a gale driving the rain through the ventilators on the south side in the corner where I sleep. We had to take all our gear down to the other end of the hut. The wind increased in velocity and shortly leaves and loose paper, tin and debris were being hurtled through the air. Poor birds caught unsheltered were whisked along, beaten to the ground and caught up again and carried out of sight while vainly trying to fly for shelter. Visibility was cut down to a hundred yards or so and the wind and rain was whipping along the ground with such ferocity that it was almost terrifying. Palm trees swayed further and further into the wind till they snapped and were torn up like feathers and carried unbelievable distances. Loose timber and iron rattled on buildings and every now and again the walls of our hut swayed and shivered so violently that we quite expected it to be carried away.

At lunchtime dry rations were brought over to us by the quartermaster who had a hard job to keep his feet. He was drenched through all day and had quite an unenviable day getting food to his men. A lull came soon after midday which lasted for an hour or so and then the wind came up again from the North in all its fury and blew till about 4pm when it decreased to quite a moderate gale and enabled us to go over to mess. By this time the hut was full of wind, blown rain and all our stretchers wet.

Denis and cobbers in Fiji.

Denis and cobbers in Fiji.

page 8

After mess Jim, Bill, Larry and I went for a stroll around and viewed the changed landscape. The trees that were not broken or uprooted were almost stripped of leaves. Many familiar Indian corrugated iron shanties had tumbled down off adjacent hills. Much of the lowland was flooded while the large Rewa River in the distance was brown with flood water.

The morning dawned fairly bright and the wind was quite normal. We had a busy day washing the mud and water and leaves out of our hut and washing clothes. In the afternoon we were cleaning up the camp. The parks and gardens in town are horribly disfigured. It is a shame. It will take a year or more to cover up the marks of 24 hours of furious wind.

The camp toilet after the hurricane.

The camp toilet after the hurricane.

Devastation following the 1941 hurricane.

Devastation following the 1941 hurricane.

page 9
Denis and his army unit wrote this song in Fiji.

Denis and his army unit wrote this song in Fiji.

page 10page 11