Semesa Ma'ilei

Flag of Fiji (1924-1970)

Malayan Emergency

- Malay Peninsula 1952-1956

Elenoa Alumeci Ma'ilei

Maria Nagale Ma'ilei

Frances Chaatia Ma'ilei

**Semesa George Francis Ma'ilei**, MC, MM (May 6, 1920 - February 14, 2010, was an indigenous Fijian colonial soldier and officer who served in the Pacific Theatre of World War II and in the Malayan Emergency. After military service, he worked as a chemistry professor at the Fiji Institute of Technology.

## Early life and family

Semesa Ma'ilei was born in 1920 in the city of Nausori in Tailevu Province on the island of Viti Levu in the British Colony of Fiji. His family, native ethnic Fijians, were of traditional noble origins, historically having been stewards of the local Ratu, or chief. Their nobility was recognized by the British colonial authorities, and Joni Cokanasiga Ma'ilei (1891-1978) worked for the colonial government in Suva.

After attending boarding school in Suva, in 1937, Semesa Ma'ilei traveled to England to attend the University of Leeds. He developed an interest in chemistry by his second year, and wished to become a professor.

Back in Fiji, it became evident to the authorities that if the British Commonwealth went to war in the Pacific, Fiji was a critical territory and would need to be defended. With the threat of war with the Empire of Japan looming, a native force was raised in Fiji to defend the islands. Ma'ilei, who was at home at the time, decided to postpone his education and enlist in the military, a decision made out of patriotic concerns.

## Military service

### World War II

In May 1940, Ma'ilei was one of the first batch of recruits for the regular company of the Fiji Military Forces. In October 1940, the company was expanded to become the 1st Battalion, Fiji Defense Force. The battalion was stationed in the Suva area, and its initial objectives was the defense of supply depots in the area.

Ma'ilei, a lieutenant by this point, was trained by personnel from the New Zealand Defense Force. In November, the Fiji Infantry Brigade was established, and the 1st Battalion, Fiji Infantry Regiment was integrated into this formation. Lieutenant Ma'ilei and the Fijian soldiers underwent more training throughout 1941, in addition to their garrison duty. In June 1942, control of the strategically important Fijian islands passed from New Zealand to the United States forces. By now, the 1st Battalion was integrated into the US 37th Infantry Division, and the Fijian soldiers began preparing for deployment to the Solomon Islands, where the Allies were fighting Japanese forces.

In April 1943, Ma'ilei and his men shipped out for the Solomons. In May, they landed on the Florida islands. Lieutenant Ma'ilei's unit would remain here for five months, carrying out tasks such as patrolling and watching the coastline. In October, the battalion moved to the island of Kolombangara, where, in addition to garrison duties, the Fijians mopped up the remains of the Japanese garrison which had retreated to the mountains on the north of the island. Once this was completed, they moved to the island of Bougainville, disembarking at Empress Augusta Bay in December. Soon, the Fijian troops were engaged in probing actions, with Lieutenant Ma'ilei leading several patrols which established contact with the Japanese main forces. Ma'ilei and his men were ordered to secure Ibu, a village a ways beyond the American-held beachhead. By January 1944, they had taken Ibu, but were not sure of the enemy strength in the area. Ma'ilei and the Fijian troops held the outposts, patrolling into Japanese territory and setting ambushes. The men of the battalion established the Kameli airstrip later that month by carving it out of the jungle. A patrol in February in the hills between the Sisivie and Tokua villages in February was driven back. Enemy forces had been massing in the area for months, and in March 1944 the Japanese began the Bougainville counterattack, aiming to drive the American-Fijian force into the sea. Though the Fijians were held in reserve, Lieutenant Ma'ilei and his men were soon called up and helped to repel multiple Japanese attacks throughout the month.

With the perimeter held, the Allies began to probe into enemy territory once again. Advancing up to the Laruma River, Ma'ilei and the Fijians attacked a Japanese-held hill on the Numa Numa Trail and were repulsed, but the Japanese soon abandoned it anyway. In April, the battalion swept the Saua River area and assisted in the capture Hill 150 and Hill 350, against heavy enemy resistance. In May, they were engaged in clearing the Doyabie River Valley, encountering scattered Japanese forces. The Fijians of the 1st Battalion continued to push against Japanese forces in the Mawaraka area throughout June, making progress along the Jaba Trail. One of the final objectives of Lieutenant Ma'ilei and his men was to take the Japanese headquarters at Mosigetta, but their attack in late June was repulsed. The Fijian forces were then withdrawn to Empress Augusta Bay, and the battalion was withdrawn back to Fiji in July. However, Lieutenant Ma'ilei stayed on Bougainville until August, when he departed as well. Most of the Fijian troops were back in Suva by September.

After his return home, Ma'ilei was promoted to captain. The brigade continued training for further action, and Captain Ma'ilei was alerted to the possibility of a deployment of his battalion to Burma to fight the Japanese there, but nothing came of this. With the end of hostilities in the Pacific on August 15, 1945, all Fijian forces were to be demobilized on September 1, just one day before the Empire of Japan's complete surrender to the Allies.

### Postwar

Captain Ma'ilei was honorably discharged along with his men at Suva. Now a civilian, he spent a year at home in Nausori before returning to England to finish his education, after which he returned home once again.

### Malayan Emergency

In 1948, the British and Malayan authorities declared a state of emergency, due to an insurrection by the Communist terrorist group known as the Malayan National Liberation Army. The Fijian Council of Chiefs offered to raise a battalion for service in Malaya, and Semesa Ma'ilei was offered an appointment as a company commander. He accepted, and was promoted to major. The 1st Battalion, Fiji Infantry Regiment, was re-raised to meet the Communist threat. The force was accumulated and trained over a period of several years, and by January 1952 was ready to ship out to Malaya.

Major Ma'ilei and the Fijian soldiers established their base of operations in Johor, the southernmost region of the Malay peninsula. Their duties, as well as hunting for the MNLA insurgents, included village relocation, whereby the Fijians would relocate Chinese villagers to so-called "new villages" in order to isolate them from the insurgents. This proved very effective, and without a civilian base to supply them, the guerrillas became increasingly isolated. Major Ma'ilei led his men on many patrols into the jungles of the Batu Pahat, Muar, and Pontian Districts, in the southwest of Johor province. Soon enough, they were killing or capturing scores of MNLA guerrillas and destroying their supply bases. The Fijians were originally only supposed to stay until 1953, but, as they proved so effective in jungle warfare against the Communists, Ma'ilei and his men were asked to stay for a four-year tour instead. This they completed in 1956, and although the MNLA insurgency would not be fully defeated until 1960, it was losing steam and would be on the defensive for the rest of the war.

### End of service

The Fijian troops returned home to Suva in 1956. Major Ma'ilei decided to continue serving in the regiment, and he remained in the Suva garrison until May 1959, when he officially retired from service. He declared, however, that if Fiji were to enter another war, he would return to the army and do his duty.

## Personal life

In 1946, Ma'ilei graduated from the University of Leeds as a bachelor of science. In 1959, upon retirement from the military, he decided to pursue his dream of teaching and went to the University of Auckland, New Zealand, where he graduated with a master's degree in 1961. He taught science at a number of secondary schools in Viti Levu's rural areas, as well as some of Fiji's smaller and less populated islands. He is credited with greatly helping to improve the quality of education for many rural students.

In 1947, Semesa Ma'ilei married Seruwaia Levani Katalou. He was the first in his family not to have an arranged marriage. They would have five children together, four daughters and one son, including one born when Ma'ilei was in Malaya. Their names were Lillian Kaali, Jonathan Solomone, Elenoa Alumeci, Maria Nagale, and Frances Chaatia.

On February 14, 2010, Semesa George Francis Ma'ilei died in a hospital in Suva at 89 years of age. He was buried in his hometown in a traditional Fijian ceremony.

### Views

Ma'ilei had a complex relationship with the Indo-Fijian population of the island. Though he often considered himself above racism and arbitrary division, he was sometimes susceptible to the biases of the Native Fijian population and the Methodist Church. For one, he held a particular resentment against the Indian population for their general refusal to participate in the war effort during World War II, when the country was under threat of invasion.

In 1987, he supported Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka's coup d'état against the Indo-Fijian government, but was against the second coup which proclaimed the republic and deposed the queen. He also rejected the racial nationalist politics which resulted in the 2000 and 2006, but did argue for clemency for those involved in the name of reconciliation. This latter position was not free of controversy.

## Equipment

In the Solomons during World War II, Ma'ilei carried the Lee-Enfield Mk III bolt-action rifle, the Enfield No.2 Mk I\* revolver, and the Mills Bomb M36 fragmentation grenade.

During the emergency in Malaya, Ma'ilei used the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle and L9A1 Browning Hi-Power pistol.