Fiji Police Sgt

Thi Fiji police [a semi-military force] were composed of Fijians, Indians and Pakistanis with a proportion of British Officers.
In general they didn't wear boots or hats.
WF
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The Fiji Police started as the Armed Constabulary of Fiji in the 1870s. A civil police was raised in the 1890s, and the two combined in the 1910s.
The sulu has always been the dress of the native members, becoming a parade item during the 1950/60s.
There have been Sub-continent members of the force from at least the 1920s, probably earlier, clothed in more European styles with a turban. Towards the 1970s a peaked cap was more commonly worn.
I have done a number of plates on the AC of Fiji and Fijian Police in my CD on Uniforms in the British Pacific. Included are the police/constabulary for the New Hebrides, the Solomons, Papua and New Guinea, Cook Island, Nauru, Gilbert & Ellice Islands. I have also included what military uniforms I have been able to piece together.

The uniform shown is still worn as full dress by indigenous members of the modern Fijian Police and can be seen around tourist-frequented areas like hotels and airports to add local colour. I remember wondering how sulu wearing officers could chase miscreants. The ordinary dress is a drab but practical dark blue peaked cap, shirt and slacks.

BuistR
Maybe the bullet is faster than the sulu wearing officer.
Nice bit of information.
US navy also had Samoan Island dress in with there naval uniform. Rank insignia worn above the red strips of the lava-lava.
Thanks

wfrad wrote:BuistR
Maybe the bullet is faster than the sulu wearing officer.
Nice bit of information.
US navy also had Samoan Island dress in with there naval uniform. Rank insignia worn above the red strips of the lava-lava.
Thanks

I think the Guamanian Insular Guard also wore a similar uniform around the time of the Japanese invasion in 1941. However the post 1945 reformed Guam National Guard and the Guam Police Department (created in 1949) wear standard US uniforms for their respective agencies.

The Insular Guard and the Marines put up quite a fight before the territorial governor ordered them to surrender. Guamanians, Samoans and Puerto Ricans have historically been among America's best fighting men and women and are always quick to answer the call. Its kinda funny how the US territories (who's residents cant even vote in federal elections) have a much higher proportion of veterans and recruits then the 50 states.

I thought the Insular Guard wore naval pattern uniforms, at least the 1941 pictures I've seen show 'whites' in wear.
Would love more info on a 'native' dress.

Sean wrote:I thought the Insular Guard wore naval pattern uniforms, at least the 1941 pictures I've seen show 'whites' in wear.
Would love more info on a 'native' dress.

Maybe im confusing the Guamanian Insular Guard and the US Navy run American Samoan Insular Guard?

I know one of them definitely wore a US Navy style uniform and the other wore a Navalized version of the traditional native clothing.