This is a statement of intent (SOI) to re-visit an earlier blog post: “Livai Veilawa (Senior) joined Fiji Labour Corps (FLC) – 1917-1919” – published on 03/11/11, for the following reasons, viz: (i) to commemorate the hundred years of the FLC that left Fiji for Calais on 19 May 1917; (ii) this exercise is to contribute to an assignment that I am doing for the Fiji History Community (FHC), an initiative of the History Department of the University of the South Pacific (USP) and of which I am a member;  (iii) furthermore, this exercise will represent an attempt on my part to intensify and widen the relevant research on this subject – more than I had done in the past, and this time being convinced of the benefit of auto-ethnography; and (iv) and at the same time, I will also address the inconsistency in the information on this subject that is contained in various publications.

The inconsistency applies to three aspects of the published story about the FLC, viz: (i) the length of the stay in Europe; (ii) ETA Calais; and (iii) the route taken to get from Suva to Calais.

This blog will be updated when necessary.

[Image courtesy of Christine Liava’a: ‘Qaravi Na’I Tavi: They Did Their Duty – Soldiers from Fiji in the Great War’ 2009]