Between the ages of 18 and 30, the Andrews brothers from Fiji were recruited by the New Zealand Pioneer Maori Battalion for World War I. They transitioned from working on the copra farms of Lovonisikeci Estate in Cakaudrove to military training at Levuka Public School. The brothers—William Wilson Andrews, Phillip Tui Andrews, and Joe Andrews—embarked on a journey to fight in a war situated thousands of miles away from their homeland, completely unaware of the repercussions of their enlistment.
Maryann Whippy, 87, the daughter of Phillip Tui Andrews, recalled her father and his brothers’ preparation for combat with the New Zealand military. “Levuka Public School was utilized back then to prepare locals for warfare, and my dad and his brothers were among those selected to join the NZ Maori Battalion. They left without even returning home to say goodbye,” she shared. Their journey began in Levuka, quickly moving to New Zealand and then onwards to the battlefield in France.
During their time in France, tragedy struck when William was shot while on a train filled with soldiers. Maryann recounted how her father witnessed the death of his older brother. “He jumped onto the railway track to protect William from gunfire. When the shooting stopped, he carried his brother’s lifeless body, which marked one of the most tragic moments of his life. It was heartbreaking for my dad to carry his brother’s dead body when they had just been in school together back in Fiji.”
Phillip Andrews, who returned to Fiji after serving three years, often spoke of the unimaginable challenges he faced during the war. “They sometimes went for weeks without food or water, relying on each other to stay encouraged,” Maryann explained. “My dad kept his Bible close, considering it a stronger weapon than his gun. In desperate times, he would pray, thinking of his family back home and wishing for a swift end to the war.”
Maryann shared that her father developed camaraderie with Ratu Sukuna during the war, who ensured that fellow Fijian soldiers received adequate rations. After the conclusion of the war, Phillip returned to New Zealand briefly before moving to Samoa, where he eventually married and settled.
Years later in Samoa, Phillip was once again called upon to help with military operations during World War II. He urged his family to remain cautious, advising them to keep the house dark and refrain from answering the door at night.
Fast forward to August of this year, Christine Whippy-Dunn, a great-granddaughter of William, made the emotional pilgrimage to his grave at the Mazargues War Cemetery in France. “After 110 years since World War One, it was crucial for me to pay my respects, even though he passed long ago. Visiting his grave brought a deep sense of satisfaction and relief,” she expressed.
The family’s saga from the copra farms of Fiji to the battlefields of Europe encapsulates the profound impact of war on their lineage, deeply intertwining their history with sacrifice and remembrance.