Duke and Duchess of Sussex to pay tribute to Fijian SAS hero Talaiasi Labalaba today

Duke and Duchess of Sussex to pay tribute to Fijian SAS hero Talaiasi Labalaba today

By Lena Reece
25/10/2018
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan Markle outside the USP ICT center

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will today pay tribute to a Fijian hero who was in the British special forces as part of their final official engagement in Fiji before travelling to Tonga.

The Duke, Prince Harry will unveil a statue of Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba, a Fijian member of the elite British Special Air Service, who single‑handedly held off 250 attackers from taking an army base 46 years ago.

Labalaba, one of the SAS's greatest heroes, gave his life in an epic struggle to defend his fellow soldiers at the Battle of Mirbat, in what is now Yemen in 1972.

The 30‑year‑old held off 250 opposition fighters for six hours after sprinting through enemy fire to single‑handedly man a three‑person machine gun.

He suffered a bullet to the jaw and he ignored his wounds to hold off the guerrilla force until the Sultan's Strikemaster jets arrived.

The sergeant was posthumously awarded a Mention in Dispatches for his bravery, and his body was returned to England, where it was buried in Hereford.

The statue will be erected at the Nadi International Airport.

The Duke and Duchess travel to Nadi today where they will attend a special event at the Nadi International Airport and also officiate at the unveiling of the new statue before they travel to Tonga where they will be met by Her Royal Highness The Princess of Tonga Angelika Latufuipeka.

FEATURE NEWS
Consumer Council exposes price hikes ahead of VAT reduction
As Fijians look forward to relief from the upcoming VAT reduction, set to decrease from 15 to 12.5 percent this Friday, serious concerns have emerged ...
43 minutes ago
LATEST NEWS
Fiji Pine Group signs MoU with 11 provincial rugby teams to empower landowners
Fiji Pine Group of Companies has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with 11 Provincial Rugby Teams representing Pine Landowners who will ...
6 minutes ago

Joana Divesi, crowned Miss Duavata Northern Crime Prevention Carnival, vows to champion drug awareness
Year 13 student Joana Divesi from Shri Guru Nanak Khalsa College was crowned Miss Duavata Northern Crime Prevention Carnival last night in ...
17 minutes ago

4 children from Fiji and Pacific receive life-saving heart surgeries at Sanjeevani Hospital
In a heart-warming celebration of life, four young children from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu have been discharged from the Sri Sathya Sai ...
2 hours ago

Electrical appliances made Gokals fire hard to control- NFA CEO
Following the fire at the Gokals Office and Warehouse in Toorak, Suva, National Fire Authority CEO, Puamau Sowane says firefighters faced significant ...
18 hours ago

No excuse for medicine shortage - Prof. Prasad
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad says there should be no excuse for drug shortages at any health facility, and ...
18 hours ago



fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan
Latest Videos

Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
IN DEPTH
Fijian Media Association meet the public and the press
This extraordinary technical collaboration sees camera operators, sound engineers, graphic artists, video editors and production coordinators working ...
2 days ago

George 'Fiji' Veikoso passes away
Moce mada George.Fly high and may your music live ...
2 days ago

2025-2026 National Budget Debate
Parliament has officially passed the 2025–2026 National Budget, with 75 percent of Members of Parliament voting in favour of the budget, matching ...
9 days ago

TOP