Fijians’ Notable
p. 97 · Read in the full issue
History
In Pacific War
THE History of the Fiji Military Forces, 1939-45, compiled by Lieut. R. A, Hewlett, just published by Whitcomb and Tombs Ltd., at 7/6, will not only find a place in the majority of reference libraries—it also will be bought and read because of the inspiring story which it tells.
For the first time in history the Pacific area was engulfed in war. The war was connected with the struggle in Europe, which we call World War II; yet it was something separate and distinct. After three decades of intensive planning and preparation, Japan seized the moment of Europe’s direst preoccupation to strike out savagely on her own behalf, in an attempt to make herself unchallenged mistress of the Pacific. The future, if not the actual existence, of every freedom-loving people in the Pacific basin was threatened.
Under the leadership and direction of the United States and Britain, every little nation and community in the Pacific— with one or two shocking exceptions—did its part in resisting and defeating the invader. None made a better record than the people of Fiji.
The fact that men of this Islands race fought as a distinct entity in defence of their home-land; that a large proportion of their leaders and officers were native Fijians; that they displayed such skill and courage in the battlefields of the jungle that their officers boasted of them and European servicemen were proud to be associated with them; and that one of their men, Corporal Sefanaia Sukanaivalu, was the only serviceman in the whole Pacific area to win the coveted Victoria Cross—these things made Fiji’s partici pation in the war an event of historical importance. From then, henceforth Fiji became something more than the name of an archipelago. The Fijians, by their en durance and courage in the swamps of Bougainville, won something that Aus tralians and New Zealanders had similarlv won 28 years before at Anzac—national fame and high honour.
This is a war history rather than an exciting chronicle of military achieve ment; but there are many sections of it that are worth reading because of the story they tell. Fittingly, the deed that won the Victoria Cross for a Fijian has
a prominent place. But there were in numerable other examples of courage and resource—bright pages scattered through most of the attractively-printed volume of 267 pages.
Some 11,000 men passed through the Fiji Military Force. At the peak of its strength in August, 1943, there were 8,513 on the strength, of which the distribution by races was as follows; Europeans 1,070 Europeans, NZEF ... 808 Fijians 6,371 Indians 264