Paul Silva was a New Zealander of Fijian Brazilian (African) descent, who was seriously wounded on Gallipoli, losing the use of an eye. He was later court-martialled (along with two others) on a charge of mutiny while recuperating in a Maltese hospital. Silva was defended by a ‘soldier’s friend’, who emphasised his good service record and pointed to the poor image that could result from an overly harsh sentence against a man with dark skin. In January 1916 Silva was sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment with hard labour at the detention barracks on Malta. After serving four months, his sentence was commuted as an act of clemency by the island’s governor.