George Bogese
George Bogese was the first indigenous Solomon Islander medical practitioner in the Solomon Islands. Born in 1904 on the island of Isabel, he was educated in Norfolk Island from 1914 to 1917 before returning to become a teacher on his home island.
In 1922 he was among the first natives to work as clerks in the colonial government service. Six years later he was sent to study Native Medical Practice at the Fiji School of Medicine, becoming the first native to do so. He completed his studies in 1930, winning the Barker Gold Medal for attainment.
He faced numerous sexual misconduct charges during his career. However, he was cleared of all allegations except for adultery, for which he was fined £4. His professional competence was never questioned, but his view that he was not inferior to the Europeans put him at odds with most of the Protectorate Administrators, particularly his boss Donald Kennedy, a government officer who became a coast watcher during World War II.
When the Japanese arrived in the Solomon Islands in early 1942, bringing World War II with them, Bogese dressed the wounds of two Japanese survivors when their destroyer was sunk off the island of Savo. From that point, Bogese was taken by the Japanese to tend to their wounded. He became an interpreter and was at one point taken to the Japanese base in Rabaul to advise Japanese doctors on tropical diseases.
On May 17th, 1942, Bogese helped the Japanese locate coastwatchers who were using his boss’ boat, the “wai-wai,” possibly out of pure hatred for him. Solomon Islander coast watcher Bill Bennett was injured during the confrontation but managed to swim to shore. He later called Bogese “just a bloody traitor.”
The Americans captured Bogese in August 1945 and sent him to an internment camp in Australia. He was returned to the Solomon Islands in October 1945 to face charges of collaboration with the enemy.
In his trial in 1946, Bogese denied having assisted the Japanese in locating the coastwatchers and claimed he helped the Japanese because he was frightened to disobey. However, the court, presided over by the Chief Justice of Fiji, Sir Claude Seton, found him guilty of voluntarily joining the enemy and he was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. He was released in 1949 having served three years.
Bogese paid dearly for his association with the Japanese. He lost his job and spent a total of seven years in custody. The colonial administration, unforgiving and ever distrustful, rejected him, never giving him an opportunity to regain a position of any standing or influence in the Solomon Islands, or to live down the reputation of traitor that he had acquired. He had not been represented by a lawyer at his trial; he was refused leave to appeal against his sentence, and from prison he was prevented from contributing to a political discussion then flourishing among his compatriots.
He returned to Kotare on Isabel upon his release and remained there until his death in June 1959.
References
Butcher, Mike, '...when the long trick's over': Donald Kennedy in the Pacific, Holland House Publishing, Kennington, Vic., 2012.
Horton, Dick C., Fire Over the Islands: Coast Watchers of the Solomons, A.H. and A.W. Reed, Sydney, 1970.
British Solomon Islands Protectorate (ed.), British Solomon Islands Protectorate News Sheet (NS), 1955-1975.
Bogese, George, 'Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands', Oceania, vol. 18, no. 3-4, 1948, pp. 3: 208-232, and 4:328-357.
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