Nestled among the sugar cane fields of Momi lies a now silent gun battery. In 1941, with World War II raging throughout the Pacific, the Fiji Islands, like most other Pacific Island nations, was vulnerable to Japanese attack, and if captured, the perfect staging area for incursions into New Zealand and Australia. As the Japanese swept down from Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands to parts of what is now Vanuatu and headed towards Fiji, defensive positions were constructed by the 30th Battalion of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces in key points around he main island of Viti Levu. The capital city of Suva hosted at least three batteries and the Royal New Zealand Airforce Base. In the west, Momi was selected as a battery site because it overlooked the Navula Passage.The passage offered one of the few breaks in the surrounding reef and was the spot where enemy ships could enter to attack Nadi town and the adjoining airfield. The battalion built eight cement structures that housed a command post, a fire control room, a rest room, two ammunition storerooms, two gun emplacements, and a range finder. In the two gun emplacements, the battalion installed two six-inch guns and mounted them facing the sea. It was rumoured, but never confirmed, that one of the guns was used in the Boer War and the other in World War I. In addition, the soldiers built other structures to assist them in monitoring the movement of ships. The Momi Battery was ready for action. While building the battery, the troops lived in tents while a large bure served as the Officers’ Mess. Life at Momi during the seven months of construction was far from ideal. The daily routine was, “...get up in the morning... dig, sweat and swat mosquitoes...” (Pacific Kiwis). Afterwards, proper barracks were constructed. To entertain themselves, the soldiers looked forward to mail deliveries, days on the sugar cane trains to Nadi, indulging in night time visits to nearby villages, and reading about the adventures of other soldiers in the Momi Meteor. In August of 1942, a battalion of the United States Coast Artillery replaced the New Zealanders. The Americans remained at Momi until they were stationed to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in 1944. Today the Momi Battery is in the care of the National Trust of Fiji Islands thanks to the generous donation of Mr.Trammel Crow. It represents a proud period in Fiji’s history when so many of its citizens joined the war effort, many sacrificed their lives to keep Fiji safe and free. It is a monument to the memory of these men and women
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 23:41:57 +0000
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