‘212 Soldiers For The Queen’

Listen to this article:

Author of the “212 Soldiers for the Queen, Fijians in the British Army from 1961-1997” David Tough. Picture: VILIMAINA NAQELEVUKI

WHEN David Tough was asked on why was he interested in the Fijian soldiers who served in the British Army from 1961-1977 his reply was simple.

“I wrote this book because I had a nightmare that one day I would look the other way and get hit by a truck and the Fijians who I had the privileged of speaking to for the purpose of this book would be sitting around the ‘tanoa’ one day thinking Isa whatever happened to that Australian man,” he said.

Mr Tough while speaking to The Fiji Times said it took him over 20 years to finish the book “212 Soldiers For The Queen, Fijians in the British Army from 1961-1997”.

He said over the years he interviewed those who were surviving from the 212 soldiers no matter where in the world they settled.

He said when he approached them he was asked why are you so interested in this story?

“Part of the reason I wrote this book was for people to know about the 212 Fijians who served in the British Army because they often felt like they were unappreciated and resented,” Mr Tough said.

“There really was an interesting story and it had to be told so it started to take a lot of time to complete.”

“People who know of these 212 soldiers and should know about them, they deserve recognition.”

The book speaks of the 200 men and 12 women from across the Fiji’s racial divide who were enlisted and subsequently served in the British Army from 1961 – 1997.

David Tough majored in entomology at the University of Adelaide and worked as an entomologist for the South Australian and New South Wales departments of Agriculture for five years before joining the department of foreign affairs and trade initially as a research officer.

The book will be formally launched today, March 19 at the Fiji Museum verandah at 5:30PM.

 

Array
(
    [post_type] => post
    [post_status] => publish
    [orderby] => date
    [order] => DESC
    [update_post_term_cache] => 
    [update_post_meta_cache] => 
    [cache_results] => 
    [category__in] => 1
    [posts_per_page] => 4
    [offset] => 0
    [no_found_rows] => 1
    [date_query] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [after] => Array
                        (
                            [year] => 2023
                            [month] => 12
                            [day] => 19
                        )

                    [inclusive] => 1
                )

        )

)