Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba

Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba. . , 23892771 Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba , B.E.M. MID. Killed in action , Battle of Mirbat, Dhofar, Oman , 19 July 1972, The Royal Irish Rangers 22 Special Air Service Regiment, We are the pilgrims, master, , We shall go always a little further, , It may be beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow , Across that angry or that glimmering sea., Unveiled by HRH Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex on the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex , 25 October 2018, The Labalaba Statue Memorial Project , Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba BEM, MID, 22 Special Air Service (SAS) was born in 1942 and raised in the village of Vatutu, Nawaka, in Nadi, Fiji., He was recruited into the British Army in 1961, one of 212 Fijians recruited in Fiji and joined the Royal Ulster Rifles (RUR). He passed SAS selection in 1966 joining B Squadron and quickly earned a reputation as an outstanding soldier, whether in the jungles of Borneo or the shanties of Aden working undercover for which Laba' was awarded the BEM., He fell beside his 25-pounder artillery piece on 19th July 1972 in the Battle of Mirbat, in Dhofar, Oman., In 2012 he was accorded a rare honour; Talaiasi Labalaba was one of sixty individuals to be known as the 'New Elizabethans' celebrating sixty years of HM Queen Elizabeth's rule. It is indicative of the esteem in which Laba' is still held, that a life-sized statue was commissioned and stands outside the Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess of 22 SAS Regiment in Hereford, unveiled by HRH Prince William the Duke of Cambridge., The Labalaba Statue Memorial Project was initially conceived in 2014, by the Project Lead; Mr Sekonaia Takavesi DCM who served with Laba' and fought by his side at the Battle of Mirbat, supported by friends in the UK, Fiji and worldwide. The aim of the Project was to commemorate a "New Elizabethan' and a warrior son of Fiji, the Royal Irish Rangers and 22 SAS Regiment, who lost his life in a most gallant manner, in service of the Crown., Laba' was taken home in effigy to be received by Na Momo Levu Na Tui Nawaka and his people as a long-lost son, in an appropriate and dignified manner, where he can be seen and remembered by all who visit Fiji and the people of Fiji., The statue is a memorial to Laba' and all the Fijians who have left their homeland and who have served the Crown in the Armed Forces of the UK. The statue in Fiji was unveiled by HRH Prince Harry Duke of Sussex on 25th October 2018, during the visit of HRH the Duke and Duchess of Sussex., The aim of the Project, to raise the funds, procure, erect and unveil a statue of Laba' in Fiji as a fitting memorial, was only possible due to the efforts and generous support of various individuals and organisations. The Project Executive Committee; of the Project Lead Mr Sekonaia Takavesi DCM, the Project Executive Officer Lt Colonel Richard Naivalurua REME and the Project Fiji Liaison Officer Mrs Sala Smith would like to thank all those who so generously provided support.