6219 SGT Frank Edward Sanday
Fiji Military Forces
Frank Edward Sanday was born in Raviravi, Ba, Fiji, on 28 January 1914. He was the son of Edward Sanday (1884-1960), an Australian of Scottish/English ancestry who went to Fiji in 1900, and Siteri Voreqe (1880-1958), a Fijian lady from Nakoroboya village, Ba, Fiji.
Frank Sanday joined the Fiji Military Forces on 21 April 1941 and after military training was posted as a Despatch Rider. Frank’s role as a Despatch Rider was to deliver official mail including orders and instructions from the Headquarters to various military formations out in the field. The photo [right] shows Frank dressed as a Despatch Rider with motorcycle riding gloves etc.
In 1944 Frank was promoted to the rank of Corporal and later that year was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was posted to the Base Transport Section of the Fiji Military Forces. He remained in that role until June 1945 when he was transferred to the 4th Battalion, Fiji Infantry Regiment, which was being prepared for active service against the Japanese in Burma. But the deployment of the 4th Battalion to Burma was called off after the surrender of Japan on 15 August 1945. For his war service Frank was awarded the British War Medal (bottom left) and the Defence Medal (bottom right)
On 8 January 1946 whilst he was still a soldier, Frank married Helen Rainima Faddy at the St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Suva. Helen was the daughter of Captain Norman Faddy, a World War 1 veteran and a pioneer of the dairy industry in Tailevu. Frank Sanday took his discharge from the Army on 28 March 1946 and settled down with his wife to raise a family. Frank and Helen had six children.
Frank’s wife, Helen, passed away on 16 May 1963 at the age of 36 years. Frank then migrated to Australia in 1965. He retired in 1977 at the age of 63 years and returned to Fiji where he lived until his death in March 1981 at the age of 67 years. Frank and his wife Helen are buried in the same grave in the Methodist section of the Suva Extension Cemetery.
Photo above taken in 1942, somewhere in Western Viti Levu (background mountains pin point the location?). Three Sanday brothers (l-r) Frank, Sam and John.
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