Corporal Sefanaia Sukanaivalu worked as a carpenter before enlisting in 1942 with his older brother. His name Sukanaivalu means “return from war”, as he was named after his island chief, whose return from fighting in France during the First World War in 1918 coincided with Sefanaia’s birth.

In June 1944, a patrol of Commonwealth troops was ambushed near Mawaraka on the island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

Under heavy fire, Sefanaia crawled forward along a jungle track to rescue two wounded men before crawling on to a third. On his return Sefanaia was hit and fell to the ground unable to move further. Several attempts were made to rescue him despite Sefanaia’s protests as to the danger. Realising that the men would not withdraw without him, Sefanaia raised himself up in front of the Japanese machine gun and was killed, deliberately sacrificing his own life to preserve those of his men.

For his heroism and self-sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

The following details are given in the London Gazette of November, 2nd, 1944: On June, 23rd, 1944 at Mawaraka, Bougainville, in the Solomon Islands, Cpl. Sefanaia Sukanaivalu crawled forward to rescue some men wounded when their platoon was ambushed. After recovering two men this N.C.O. volunteered to go alone through heavy fire to try and rescue another - but on the way back was seriously wounded and fell to the ground unable to move further. Several unsuccessful attempts were made to rescue him; and realising that his men would not withdraw while he was still alive Cpl. Sukanaivalu raised himself up in front of the Japanese machine gun and was riddled with bullets. This brave Fiji soldier, after rescuing two wounded men with the greatest heroism and being gravely wounded himself, deliberately sacrificed his own life knowing that in no other way could his men be induced to retire from a situation in which they must have been annihilated.

After the war his grave was brought to CWGC Rabaul (Bita Paka) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea. He is one of 117 Fijian servicemen of the Second World War Commemorated by the CWGC.