Members of the Order of Saint John are carrying out an excellent job in Fiji, says the director general overseas relations of the Order of Saint John Major-General Michael Walsh.
Maj-Gen Walsh made this comment during a welcome ceremony at the Marist Brothers School grounds at Toorak, Suva, on July 18, 1992.
The Fiji Times reported on July 20 that he was the chief guest at the special review parade by members of the Fiji St John Ambulance Brigade, Fiji Military Forces, Fiji Police Force, the Suva Fire Brigade, and the Prison Service.
The FMF Band put on a marching display with the Maj-Gen taking the salute. Maj-Gen Walsh said that apart from the excellent services of the St John Brigade, he was aware of the excellent work done by Fiji soldiers in the Middle East.
“The St John Brigade has been in Fiji for the past 50 years and people have looked up to it,” he said.
“It is important to maintain the standard of first aid and services to the community.”
As part of the parade, members of the St John Brigade in Fiji displayed first aid and rescue exercises followed by cultural items by cadets. The Fiji St John Brigade saw its membership soar to 13,000.
The Maj-Gen also attended a thanksgiving service of the St John Brigade at the Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral in Suva.
The service was attended by 500 people.
Present were the Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, his wife Sulueti, the Commander of the Fiji Military Forces Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Ganilau, Police Commissioner Philip Arnfield, Minister of Finance Paul Manueli, Minister for Health Leo Smith, the Commander of the Fiji Order of St John Col George Mate, and the chief commissioner of St John Richard Herman.
Maj-Gen Walsh arrived on Friday, July 17, on his first trip to Fiji. With a distinguished military background, he was the commander of a parachute battalion in Aden, a Commonwealth brigade in Malaysia and an armoured division in Germany during World War II.
Maj-Gen Walsh and his wife Angela, who are members of the Wilshire St John Council in England, were involved in first aid work during the Gulf War with the United Kingdom’s Service Hospitals.
