Image description: "James and Dyacks." (Personal collection of Norman Nigh) "James" could refer to one of three individuals listed in the Company C roster: James Gibbons of San Francisco; James Merrill of Cedar Falls, IA; and James Dressel of Baltimore.
Warning: This post contains some graphic, potentially offensive photos and descriptions of said photos. Please keep in mind that they are from over three-quarters of a century ago and document a very turbulent time in world history, as well as members of an indigenous culture.
Image description: "Another photo taken on the stern of my boat." (Personal collection of Norman Nigh)
The term Dayak (or Dyack, as my grandfather Norman Nigh wrote on the back of his photographs) is a catch-all word for about 200 non-Muslim ethnic sub-groups of people indigenous to the interior regions of the island of Borneo. During his five months there in 1945, Norman Nigh frequently interacted with Dayaks, who were featured in many of his photographs. Dayak people lived in a variety of settings in Borneo's interior, such as forests, ravines, and plains areas, where many groups were engaged in rice cultivation. The coastal areas of Borneo were mostly inhabited by Chinese and Muslim populations, including ethnic Malays. Dayak villages typically consisted of a number of wooden structures known as longhouses, in which several generations of family members lived. These structures featured a peaked roof that reached heights of 20 feet and hardwood tree trunks as posts.
Image description: "Dyack women, river and village in background." (Personal collection of Norman Nigh)
The Dayaks were willing allies for the Australian and American forces who entered Borneo in 1945. They despised the Japanese. Under their control, the Dayak people suffered. Much of their food supply was forcibly taken by the Japanese occupiers to feed troops. As a result, hunger was rampant among the Dayak groups living in or near areas with a heavy Japanese presence. In addition, although most of the Dayaks practiced an animistic type of religion, Christianity had slowly been gaining ground due to the presence of American missionaries working on the island. Both Christian Dayaks, as well as their non-converting peers, grew to deeply respect the missionaries. Unfortunately the Japanese rounded up and executed the missionaries soon after invading Borneo, igniting a passionate hatred among the Dayaks.
Image description: Dayak fellow with one of his wives. On the back of the photograph, Norman wrote, "Another wife. Both dressed in ceremonial attire. The jewelry is handmade silver and is handed down from generation on." (Personal collection of Norman Nigh)
Image descriptions: The Dayak man from above with his other wives. Left: "Dyack and one of his four wives. Each wife costs around 100 dollars. Dyack girls are very pretty and well built;" center: "Notice head piece and sarong;" and right: "Hedy Lamar hasn't anything on this one." (All images from the personal collection of Norman Nigh)
Norman arrived on Labuan Island, just off the northern coast of Borneo, in June 1945. His unit, Company C of the U.S. Army's 593rd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment, supported the invasion of Borneo by landing troops and supplies of Australia's Ninth Division (this endeavor was officially known as Operation Oboe). After Labuan Island was cleared of Japanese, Norman and other members of Company C began undertaking missions on the main island of Borneo, patrolling its waterways in their LCMs (Landing Craft, Mechanized), as well as transporting supplies and shuttling Australian troops.
Image descriptions: Left: "These Dyacks are very good specimens of physical culture and very clean;" center: "Dyack in dance costume;" and right: "Dyack man." (All images from the personal collection of Norman Nigh)
Image description: "Miruda, 65 mi. inland, Borneo, Dyack girls." (Personal collection of Norman Nigh)
Given the density of the Borneo's jungles and treacherousness of its tangled waterways, Company C frequently engaged the services of the local Dayak people as guides. As the months went on in Borneo, the men of Company C developed an affinity for the Dayaks, and vice-versa. They were invited to villages to observe community events, including headhunting rituals.
Image description: "The head is smoking but it is hard to see as the photographer dropped some fluid on the negative just over the head. If you look close you can see it. They smoke them to preserve them." (Personal collection of Norman Nigh)
The Dayaks were historically revered as tribes of fierce headhunters. Yet, European powers who colonized Borneo long before the war, (the Dutch in the south part of the island and the British in the north) wiped out the tradition.
However, in 1945, Allies began to arrive in Borneo, both during the Oboe invasions (in May-June 1945) and via pre-invasion secret missions whereby Allied special forces parachuted into the island's jungles. Sensing the coming defeat of the Japanese in Borneo, the Dayaks, with the Allies' blessing, resurrected their tradition of headhunting- but only for Japanese victims.
For the Dayaks, headhunting was traditionally a means to settle scores with members of neighboring tribes. For young men of the headhunting era, bringing a head back to the village was seen as a kind of triumphant milestone, proving that he was now strong and fierce. Dayak villagers would then clean and smoke the heads or dry the skulls, which they would then display around the village. They believed doing so would draw beneficial powers to protect the village and increase rice yields during harvest time. The Japanese occupiers and their cruel treatment of Borneo's Dayak population presented a welcome opportunity for the reappearance of headhunting and a resurgence of these cultural beliefs.
Image description: "A very proud Dyack... knife he uses for severing head can be seen on his waist. I have a knife like this." As you probably guessed, this photo features the severed head of a dead Japanese soldier (so probably NSFW). (Personal collection of Norman Nigh)
Norman indeed had a knife like this. It was in fact a Dayak weapon traditionally used for headhunting, a type of long knife or sword known as a Mandau. This blog of mine is actually in part inspired by his Mandau, the fascinating thing that I would see as a young child, which for years innocently dangled off a guest room closet door knob at my grandmother's farmhouse (see below). Who knows what it had actually been used for.
Below, behold, my grandfather's Mandau:
Image descriptions: Norman brought this particular Mandau home to Indiana after the war, where it has lived for the past 76 years. I do not know if it was gifted, or if he bought it. In the left photograph, note the Mandau's sheath, which is adorned with what I believe is human hair. The hook extending out from the top left side would have traditionally been attached to a small whittling knife, which according to Wikipedia, is known as a Langgai Puai. The right photograph shows in detail the weapon's ornamental hilt, most likely carved from a deer antler or animal bone. The center photograph depicts the Mandau's unsheathed blade, which is traditionally forged from iron ore, but around that time could have also been made of steel. Note its distinctive curvature. Many thanks to my uncle and cousin who were kind enough to send me these photos, and especially to my uncle for safeguarding this treasure.
References:
Case, Gerard R. and Pounds, James A., Operation Borneo: The Last, Untold Story of the War in the Pacific, 1945, (AuthorHouse Publishing, 2004)
Ch, Rajiv, The Washington Post, March 2, 2001; "A New Generation of Headhunters,"
National Geographic Channel documentary: "Headhunters of WWII," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmVKfm45Yz4
Van Dyk, Robyn, March 20, 2018, "With the Dayaks in Borneo," Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/with-the-dayaks-in-borneo
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