More than 200 ex-members of the Third Battalion and other units of the Royal Fiji Military Forces who fought in the Solomon Islands during World War II met at an annual reunion at Nabua Village.
The reunion also marked the 28th anniversary of the award of the Victoria Cross to the late Corporal Sefanaia Sukanaivalu.
This memorable event was covered by The Fiji Times on July 7, 1972.
Cpl Sukanaivalu was killed in action at Mawaraka, Bouganville, in the Solomon Islands on June 23, 1944, and since 1947 the battalion has been an holding annual reunion in his memory.
After a traditional ceremony at the Nabua Village ground, the ex-servicemen moved into the hall for speeches and toasts.
Those present at the reunion included Fiji’s then deputy prime minister Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau, Ratu Sir George Cakobau and Ian Thomson.
Ratu Edward and Ratu George were company commanders in the battalion and Mr Thomson was adjutant. Don Aidney, who was in the Royal Air Force, and O.
Freeman were also present at this reunion.
Ratu George, introducing the guest of honour Mr Thomson, said that World War II veterans were becoming fewer at every reunion but he hoped that they would maintain the bond which bound them together during the war.
“Corporal Sukanaivalu’s winning of the Victoria Cross was of a special national significance and I still remember saying some years ago that I hoped that all units of the Fiji Military Forces which fought during the last war should hold one reunion together in memory of Corporal Sukanaivalu,” said Ratu George.
Mr Thomson said that although the ex-servicemen had gone through a battle during the war, they still had to wage other battles to overcome the peacetime problems of their own personal lives.
Ratu Edward then proposed a toast to the fallen comrades.
This was followed by two minutes of silence and the sounding of the Retreat and the Reveille. The Nabua villagers staged mekes and prepared a magiti (feast) for the ex-servicemen.
The ex-servicemen later attended a church service at the village with the Reverend Mikaele Dreu as preacher.
The Commander of the RFMF, Brigadier D.J. Aitken, who attended also, was later handed a cheque for $100 by Ratu George on behalf of the ex-servicemen for the RFMF chapel at Queen Elizabeth Barracks.
