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.
