In 1961 the British army struggled with volunteer recruitment after the abolition of\nNational Service. Recruiting teams were sent to three remaining colonies and found an\nexcellent source of volunteers in Fiji. Two hundred men and twelve women from across\nFiji’s racial divide enlisted and subsequently served with distinction throughout ‘the fringes\nof empire’, bolstering NATO, in Northern Ireland and the Falklands conflict.\nAbout a third of the men served for 22 years or more, marrying British and other nationals\nand many chose not to return to Fiji. Some of those who returned played significant roles in\nthe 1987 election with a few supporting subsequent military interventions.\n\nThe author interviewed the surviving ‘212’ wherever they settled. Brigadier Ian Thorpe, the\nlast New Zealander to command the Royal Fiji Military Forces, first served with Fijians\nin the Malayan Emergency and later established an officer training school for the RFMF,\nprovided the foreword.\n Reviews There are no reviews yet. Be the first to review “212 Soldiers for the Queen” Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Your rating * Rate… Perfect Good Average Not that bad Very poor Your review *Name * Email * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
