Joined The Navy And Saw The World

THESE three Fijian lads—Leading Seaman Napoleoni Wara, Able Seaman Peni Q io and Able Seaman Tomasi Naceba—were back in Fiji in March, on leave after serving several years with the Royal New Zealand Navy. They took part in the Battle of the Coral Sea and ff , while training in England, were at SSiS. ed to the Home Fleet.

While Napoleoni was at Portsmouth his group was visited by Field-Marshal Montgomery, who soon singled out the only

dark sailor in the room for a few words.

An illuminating comment on the weather in England was made by one of the Fijians. “During winter,” he said, “the natives of the country had fires from about 5 in the afternoon until 6 next morning. As for us, we kept our fires burning all night and all day, too.”

After their training was completed the Fijians joined the Achilles and returned to Australian waters, via the Medi terranean.

—Photo, by Rob Wright.