FIJIAN SOLDIER WINS V.C.

Southland Times, Issue 25797, 8 October 1945, Page 2

FIJIAN SOLDIER WINS V.C.

BOUGAINVILLE ACTION How Corporal Sofanaia Sukanaivalu, a Fijian who fought against the JapI anese, won the Victoria Cross in the i war was interestingly told last night lin a broadcast entitled “The Story of a Fijian V.C.” The story was prepared by Mr L. G. Usher, Public Relations I Officer at Suva. “In the face of Japanese fire Suka I had crawled ahead and rescued one of his platoon who had been wounded and had then gone back to get another,” stated the narrator. “This man I was dead when Suka reached him and [shortly afterwards while still going forward Suka himself was hit in the groin |and thigh by a burst of Japanese fire. ■He lay for several hours alone with I occasional tracer bullets whistling just | over him, as a reminder that he was at the Japanese mercy if he moved. Then the order came to withdraw as I night was coming on and the position lof the platoon was becoming extremely dangerous. His friends told Suka to hold on, that they would not leave him to fall into the hands of the Japanese and that they would come and get him. “He realized the position clearly. He knew that if his companions stayed they would be annihilated during the night. He knew that they would not go while he was still alive. He knew that if they tried to get him some at least of those who made the attempt would be killed. Reinforcements arrived to help in the withdrawal of the platoon. Suka saw movement and thought that the effort to rescue him had begun. Those who were watching saw him quite deliberately raise himself on his hands before the Japanese machine guns and then he fell, riddled with, bullets, and his platoon withdrew

and got safely away. The 3rd Battalion of the Fiji Infantry Regiment, the battalion to which Suka belonged, had left Bougainville when his body was found. It was discovered by Australian troops who drove the Japanese back from the Mawaraka area, where he had been killed. There were still some Fijians on Bougainville, however. They were men of the Ist Docks Company and they had been doing fine work for the best part of a year, unloading ships in Empress Augusta Bay. They paraded at Suka’s funeral ceremony which was conducted by a Fijian chaplain who had gone to the Solomons with the 3rd Battalion and had stayed with the Docks Company. At the ceremony too were Australian, American and New Zealand officers. Australian buglers sounded the Last Post. It was an Allied tribute to a gallant Fijian. The award was made posthumously.