Fijian soldiers are the unsung heroes of the British Army, putting their lives on the line with determined dignity.

Their physical robustness, strong spirit and boundless bravery echoes that of the far more famous Gurkhas.

But Fijian troops do not enjoy the high profile of their Nepalese comrades, and other observers describe them simply as good, reliable infantry soldiers.

Long colonial links have seen the South Pacific islanders serve alongside British soldiers for more than a century.

They helped combat the Japanese in the second world war and quickly gained a reputation as fierce jungle fighters.

They later served in Malaya, Borneo and Oman.

The six infantry regiments of the current Scottish division have 150 Fijian volunteers in their ranks, representing about one in 22 of the manpower.

The Black Watch lists 31 Fijians among its 500 fighting soldiers, while the Royal Scots has 89 and the King's Own Scottish Borderers a further nine.

Other units contain South Africans, Ghanaians and West Indians, although these Commonwealth countries are not represented in Scottish regiments.

The MoD says the exact numbers of overseas soldiers in each unit is ''not available''.

The army holds regular recruiting drives on the islands, and the South China Morning Post said more than 10,000 hopefuls have applied since 2000.

A spokesman for the Fijian embassy in London said more than 2000 are now serving with British regiments around the world as a result of recruiting since 1998.

Major Charles Heyman, senior defence analyst for Jane's Consultancy Group, said: ''There is a long military tradition in Fiji and many serve today because their fathers and grandfathers did.

''The Fijians have been an essential part of the British empire and what they are doing, basically, is filling the vacant slots in the British Army because we cannot recruit enough from the UK itself.

''This happened very successfully in the 1960s and 70s and is working very well again today.

''The truth is they are just normal guys, just like our guys. They make very, very good infantry soldiers.''

High unemployment in Fiji and historical ties are often put forward as reasons for the high interest among young islanders in joining the British military.

They are also paid far more than they would be in their own armed forces, and money sent home is important to their families, especially those in the remote mountain villages or outlying islands.

The embassy spokesman said: ''There is a long tradition in Fiji in serving with the British Army and it is seen as an honour.

''You have to understand that Fijians have a strong admiration for the British royal family and there is a huge sense of pride in serving the Crown.''

Fiji is one of the smallest Commonwealth countries. It gained independence in 1970 after almost a century under British rule.

It has a population of just over 880,000 and is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies.

The first recruitment drive was in 1961, the embassy spokesman said, and many at the time went into Scottish regiments.

In 2002, the British High Commissioner in Fiji, Charles Mochan, said the islanders made ''exemplary soldiers''.