169:
33:
99:
264:
Realising that his men would not withdraw as long as they could see that he was still alive and knowing that they were themselves all in danger of being killed or captured as long as they remained where they were, Corporal
Sukanaivalu, well aware of the consequences, raised himself up in front of the
268:
This brave Fiji soldier, after rescuing two wounded men with the greatest heroism and being gravely wounded himself, deliberately sacrificed his own life because he knew that it was the only way in which the remainder of his platoon could be induced to retire from a situation in which they must have
254:
After two wounded men had been successfully recovered this N.C.O., who was in command of the rear section, volunteered to go on farther alone to try and rescue another one, in spite of machine gun and mortar fire, but on the way back he himself was seriously wounded in the groin and thighs and fell
250:
On 23rd June 1944, at
Mawaraka, Bougainville, in the Solomon Islands, Corporal Sefanaia Sukanaivalu crawled forward to rescue some men who had been wounded when their platoon was ambushed and some of the leading elements had become casualties.
261:
This gallant N.C.O. then called to his men not to try to get to him as he was in a very exposed position, but they replied that they would never leave him to fall alive into the hands of the enemy.
504:
509:
258:
Several attempts were then made to rescue
Corporal Sukanaivalu but without success owing to heavy fire being encountered on each occasion and further casualties caused.
343:
233:. He died under Japanese fire on 23 June 1944, at Mawaraka, during an attempt to rescue comrades, in circumstances which led to his being awarded the Victoria Cross.
433:
467:
287:
282:
His body was eventually recovered by
Australian forces assisted by members of the Fijian 1st Docks Company. Sukanaivalu was buried at
353:
514:
230:
389:
494:
519:
320:
499:
202:
218:
194:
122:
142:
201:, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to
489:
484:
459:
32:
76:
369:
374:
298:. In 2005, it was announced that there were plans to repatriate Sukanaivalu's remains to Fiji.
168:
349:
72:
295:
214:
146:
52:
244:
has been graciously pleased to approve the posthumous award of the VICTORIA CROSS to:—
198:
186:
172:
478:
411:
222:
132:
291:
137:
345:
The
Forgotten VCs: The Victoria Crosses of the War in the Far East During WW2
241:
226:
283:
190:
104:
56:
247:
No. 4469 Corporal
Sefanaia Sukanaivalu, Fiji Military Forces.
16:
Fijian soldier and posthumous recipient of the
Victoria Cross
434:"Body of honoured Fiji soldier to be returned from PNG"
390:"The Fiji Infantry Regiment Operations In World War II"
505:
Fijian World War II recipients of the
Victoria Cross
205:
forces. He is the only Fijian to be awarded the VC.
265:Japanese machine gun and was riddled with bullets.
229:in the 3rd Battalion, which was taking part in the
160:
128:
118:
110:
92:
82:
62:
39:
23:
378:(Supplement). 2 November 1944. pp. 5016–5017.
510:Fijian military personnel killed in World War II
238:
8:
255:to the ground, unable to move any farther.
321:"Fiji to build war memorial for WWII hero"
20:
412:"Casualty details: SUKANAIVALU, Sefanaia"
217:, Fiji, on 1 January 1918 and joined the
269:been annihilated had they not withdrawn.
312:
189:(1 January 1918 – 23 June 1944) was a
7:
414:. Commonwealth War Graves Commission
436:. Radio New Zealand. 29 August 2005
468:The Register of the Victoria Cross
14:
167:
97:
31:
87:Rabaul (Bita Paka) War Cemetery
1:
77:Bougainville, Solomon Islands
348:(eBook ed.). Casemate.
536:
30:
392:. Fiji Sun. 23 June 2020
225:. By mid-1944, he was a
213:Sukanaivalu was born on
515:I-Taukei Fijian people
280:
219:Fiji Infantry Regiment
123:Fiji Infantry Regiment
231:Bougainville campaign
143:Bougainville campaign
471:(This England, 1997)
463:(David Harvey, 1999)
460:Monuments to Courage
342:Best, Brian (2017).
236:The citation reads:
184:Sefanaia Sukanaivalu
25:Sefanaia Sukanaivalu
323:. 14 September 2006
495:People from Yacata
375:The London Gazette
275:The London Gazette
520:Deaths by firearm
277:, 2 November 1944
197:recipient of the
181:
180:
527:
446:
445:
443:
441:
430:
424:
423:
421:
419:
408:
402:
401:
399:
397:
386:
380:
379:
366:
360:
359:
339:
333:
332:
330:
328:
317:
296:Papua New Guinea
278:
171:
151:
103:
101:
100:
69:
49:
47:
35:
21:
535:
534:
530:
529:
528:
526:
525:
524:
500:Fijian soldiers
475:
474:
450:
449:
439:
437:
432:
431:
427:
417:
415:
410:
409:
405:
395:
393:
388:
387:
383:
368:
367:
363:
356:
341:
340:
336:
326:
324:
319:
318:
314:
304:
279:
273:
211:
177:
147:
98:
96:
88:
71:
67:
51:
45:
43:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
533:
531:
523:
522:
517:
512:
507:
502:
497:
492:
487:
477:
476:
473:
472:
464:
455:
454:
448:
447:
425:
403:
381:
361:
354:
334:
311:
310:
309:
308:
303:
300:
271:
210:
207:
199:Victoria Cross
193:soldier and a
179:
178:
176:
175:
173:Victoria Cross
164:
162:
158:
157:
156:
155:
154:
153:
130:
126:
125:
120:
116:
115:
112:
108:
107:
94:
90:
89:
86:
84:
80:
79:
70:(aged 26)
64:
60:
59:
50:1 January 1918
41:
37:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
532:
521:
518:
516:
513:
511:
508:
506:
503:
501:
498:
496:
493:
491:
488:
486:
483:
482:
480:
470:
469:
465:
462:
461:
457:
456:
452:
451:
435:
429:
426:
413:
407:
404:
391:
385:
382:
377:
376:
371:
365:
362:
357:
355:9781526717993
351:
347:
346:
338:
335:
322:
316:
313:
306:
305:
301:
299:
297:
293:
289:
285:
276:
270:
266:
262:
259:
256:
252:
248:
245:
243:
237:
234:
232:
228:
224:
220:
216:
208:
206:
204:
200:
196:
192:
188:
185:
174:
170:
166:
165:
163:
159:
152:
150:
144:
141:
140:
139:
136:
135:
134:
131:
127:
124:
121:
117:
113:
109:
106:
95:
91:
85:
81:
78:
74:
65:
61:
58:
54:
42:
38:
34:
29:
22:
19:
466:
458:
453:Bibliography
438:. Retrieved
428:
416:. Retrieved
406:
394:. Retrieved
384:
373:
364:
344:
337:
325:. Retrieved
315:
288:War Cemetery
286:(Bita Paka)
281:
274:
267:
263:
260:
257:
253:
249:
246:
239:
235:
223:World War II
212:
203:Commonwealth
183:
182:
148:
133:World War II
129:Battles/wars
68:(1944-06-23)
66:23 June 1944
18:
490:1944 deaths
485:1918 births
370:"No. 36774"
292:New Britain
138:Pacific War
479:Categories
302:References
195:posthumous
93:Allegiance
46:1918-01-01
209:Biography
272:—
227:corporal
114:Corporal
73:Mawaraka
221:during
149:†
440:1 July
418:1 July
396:1 July
352:
327:1 July
284:Rabaul
215:Yacata
191:Fijian
161:Awards
145:
102:
83:Buried
53:Yacata
307:Notes
442:2021
420:2021
398:2021
350:ISBN
329:2021
242:KING
240:The
119:Unit
111:Rank
105:Fiji
63:Died
57:Fiji
40:Born
481::
372:.
294:,
290:,
187:VC
75:,
55:,
444:.
422:.
400:.
358:.
331:.
48:)
44:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
