NATIVE HERO

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22492, 29 January 1943, Page 6

NATIVE HERO

George Medal Award Noted Solomon Islander ; The award of the George Medal tjf Sergeant-Major Vusa, or Vouza. as ft was cabled from London, will not come as a surprise to those who know this Solomon Islander, writes H. T. Fairbrother in the “New Zealand Herald,” It was he who refused to divulge any information to his Japanese captors on Guadalcanal, was boyoneted in the arm, shoulder, face and stomach, left for dead and then crawled back to the American lines with valuable advice. Vusa. who was born when registration of births, deaths and marriages was still undreamed of in the Solomons, is probably about 37 years of age. Physically, he is not very tall, being about the average height of his countrymen, but is stalwart and well built. It was while he was in the native constabulary that the wonderful physique and drill of this formation earned them the term “Bronze statues.” Vusa’s last appointment, as sergeantmajor of constabulary, was at the district office of Auki, on Malaita, an island inhabited by self-willed and intractable natives, who looked upon a Guadalcanal “boy” as being as much a foreigner as a Russian would be. However, by his courage and integrity Vusa earned the respect of the people of Malaita and six or seven years ago manned one of the women of this island. Vusa frequently travelled from Auki to his home on the Guadalcanal coast two miles east of Henderson airfield. Vusa. who is a Christian, belonging to the South Seas Evangelical Mission, induced that organisation.) to establish a school in his village and encourage the natives to receive the full benefit of it.

Very few of the Solomon Islanders have British decorations. The police wear a loincloth, usually khaki, and a sash, the colour of which varies with their rank. In the case of those natives who have decorations, the medal is worn on the belt of the sash, for there is usually no clothing above the waist to which a medal could be fastened.