§ 19. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many West African and other Colonial Servicemen have been awarded the V.C. and other medals for gallantry.
§ Mr. George HallTwo V.Cs. have been awarded during the War to members of the Colonial Forces. The first was won by Major E. C. T. Wilson, The East Surrey Regiment (attached to the Somaliland Camel Corps), during the 1940 campaign in British Somaliland; the second by the late Corporal Sefanaia Sukanaivalu, Fiji Military Forces, during the fighting in June, 1944, on Bougainville in the Solomon Islands, in which he lost his life. Other awards for gallantry to members of the Colonial Military Forces include 35 D.S.Os., 180 M.Cs., 56 D.C.Ms., and 300 M.Ms. A considerable number of awards for gallantry have, of course, also been won by men from the Colonies serving in the U.K. Forces, particularly by West Indians in the R.A.F.
§ Mr. SorensenCan my right hon. Friend indicate the number of these awards given to soldiers from West African regiments? I did ask for this information in the Question.
§ Mr. HallWe have had very little time to look into this matter but I will get the figures and send them on to my hon. Friend.