212 Soldiers for the Queen: Fijians in the British Army 1961-1997

In 1961 the British army struggled with volunteer recruitment after the abolition of
National Service. Recruiting teams were sent to three remaining colonies and found an
excellent source of volunteers in Fiji. Two hundred men and twelve women from across
Fiji's racial divide enlisted and subsequently served with distinction throughout 'the fringes
of empire', bolstering NATO, in Northern Ireland and the Falklands conflict.

About a third of the men served for 22 years or more, marrying Briti...