Fijian Labour Corps

Summary

The Fijian Labour Corps was a labour corps unit raised in Fiji that served alongside British Empire forces in the First and Second World Wars. The unit was first formed in 1917 at the proposal of Lala Sukuna, the son of a Fijian chief who had been rejected for service in the British Army on account of his race. The 101-strong unit initially served to support the Western Front providing labour at Calais and Marseilles and worked in Taranto, Italy, after the end of the war. The unit completed its service in 1919 and returned to Fiji. Twelve members of the unit died during the war.