From Moala to the British Army at 16

At just 16, Jake Tuilele left his home in Moala, Lau, and travelled to England, beginning a military journey that would shape the next 22 years of his life.

He was among the 212 Fijian pioneers who joined the British Army in 1961, leaving behind family, familiar faces and the comfort of home to begin a new life thousands of miles away.

Now retired, Mr Tuilele looks back on his years in uniform as a chapter filled with adventure, challenges and unforgettable experiences.

For 22 years, he served as a paratrooper in the British Army's airborne forces, travelling to different parts of the world and parachuting into places he had never imagined visiting as a young boy from Lau.

“I was in the airborne for all my service in the British Army, jumping all over the world, wherever I go,” he said.

His military service took him to North Africa, Egypt, West Africa, Zambia, Saudi Arabia, France and Germany, among other places.

Some assignments took him to areas where fighting was taking place, exposing him to experiences far removed from the life he had known growing up in Moala.

Leaving Fiji as a teenager meant growing up and building a career far from home.

Mr Tuilele joined the Army as a single young man and later raised a family of his own. His children now live in Fiji.

As one of the pioneers whose service helped establish a lasting connection between Fiji and the British Army, Mr Tuilele's journey forms part of a wider history of Fijian courage, commitment and sacrifice.

Reflecting on his years in uniform, he had a simple message for young Fijians serving in the British Army: discipline and respect for military rules were essential to becoming a good soldier.

“To be a good soldier means to follow the rules that are given to them,” he said.

From a 16-year-old leaving the shores of Moala to a retired soldier reflecting on 22 years of service, Mr Tuilele's story highlights the sacrifices and journeys behind the legacy of Fiji's 212 pioneers.