28(Maori) Battalion, Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force

577 Pages·2012·23.112 MB·English

by  J.F. Cody

28 (Maori) Battalion
The authors of the volumes in this series of histories prepared under
the supervision of the War History Branch of the Department of
Internal Affairs have been given full access to official documents. They
and the Editor-in-Chief are responsible for the statements made and the
views expressed by them.
Moving into the line at Faenza
Official History of New Zealand
in the Second World War 1939-45
28 (Maori) Battalion
by
J. F. CODY
CHRISTCHURCH • NEW ZEALAND
This work has been re-printed with the permission
of Manatü Taonga – the New Zealand Ministry for Culture
and Heritage, and the 28 Maori Battalion Association
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical,
electrostatic, photocopying or otherwise, or stored
in a retrieval system, without the prior permission
of John Douglas Publishing.
First published 1956
Reprinted August 1957
(Coulls Somerville Wilkie Ltd, Dunedin)
Facsimile Edition printed November 2012
(John Douglas Publishing, Christchurch))
This Edition as an eBook published March 2014
ISBN: 978-0-9876675-7-1
Published by
John Douglas Publishing Ltd.
259 Maidstone Road, Avonhead,
Christchurch 8042
New Zealand
e-mail: [email protected]
Foreword
Lieutenant-General Lord Freyberg,
vc, gcmg, kcb, kbe, dso
I am proud to be asked by the Maoris to write a foreword to
the history of their Battalion, partly because they had such
a distinguished fighting record, but also because they were such
excellent wartime comrades. Speaking of their military record
overseas—I believe that when this history is published, it will
be recognised more widely that no infantry battalion had a
more distinguished record, or saw more fighting, or, alas, had
such heavy casualties as the Maori Battalion.
In this history you will read the whole story—how they went
overseas from New Zealand in 1940, with the Second Echelon
to England, to take part in ‘The Battle of Britain’. When the
threat of invasion diminished they re-embarked for the Middle
East, and arrived in time to take part in the disastrous cam-
paigns in Greece and Crete. Later they fought in the 1941
Libyan Campaign and in the battles in 1942 in defence of
Egypt. Later, when the tide changed, they took an active part
in the victorious Western Desert Campaign, under Generals
Alexander and Montgomery. They finished the war in Italy
on the 2nd May 1945.
In all these many campaigns this Battalion took a great part,
often a decisive part, in the fighting, as in the counter-attacks
at Maleme and 42nd Street in the Cretan Campaign, or again
in the Battle of Tebaga Gap, where gallant and young Ngarimu
v
FOREWORD
gained his posthumous Victoria Cross, or in the capture of
Takrouna. But as glorious as these battles were, and as gallant
and brave as was the Maori part, it is not only of their bravery
that we wish to write. We want to record what fine fighting
comrades they are.
To know and appreciate their great qualities you must under-
stand their background and their tribal traditions. The Maoris
are a fighting race, and according to their traditions and in
keeping with the laws of New Zealand, they did not come
under the National Service Act, which called up men when they
reached the military age. The Maori was always a volunteer. For
them it was an honour to serve, an attitude strongly supported
by their tribal leaders.
In this book you will discover that the Maoris are fine men
and fine soldiers. They were a great joy to be associated with.
They were ideal comrades in arms—high-spirited, happy and
brave. They had a further great military virtue—their sense of
humour never failed, they always saw humour even in the most
difficult situation.
The Maori Battalion was raised from all over New Zealand.
During this war the Maori Battalion made Maori history on two
occasions. As a Battalion they were commanded in battle for
the first time by Maoris. Some great leaders, such as Colonels
Tui Love, Baker, Charlie Bennett, Keiha, Peter Awatere and
Henare, were produced from officers of Maori or part-Maori
blood. And Maori history was made when Ngarimu won the
Victoria Cross.
I know that the Maoris would wish to record how much the
Maori Battalion owed to their Pakeha leaders. They will always
remember with affection such COs as Colonels Dittmer, Dyer,
Fairbrother and Russell Young.
This is a fine story of one of the great fighting infantry
battalions of World War II. I hope that it will be widely read
by the Pakeha as well as the Maori, and especially by the people
here in Great Britain.
Deputy Constable and Lieutenant Governor,
Windsor Castle
16 December 1955
vi
Preface
It is not always easy to see things as others see them—the
obstacles multiply when there is a difference in racial outlook.
The writer, a pakeha, approached the job of writing the Official
History of 28 (Maori) Battalion with some trepidation. The story,
at both divisional and battalion level, is as accurate as careful
research and detailed checking by officers of the War History
Branch can make it, and my thanks are due to them. But there
are occasions, the bayonet charge at 42nd Street is one of them,
where no amount of probing could reconcile the stories of the
participants, all of whom are quite definite that their version is
the correct one. I have taken the middle course, the course in
which lies the greatest amount of accord. I have been fortunate
in inheriting a considerable amount of work done by Lieutenant-
Colonel Bennett, Captain Wikiriwhi, and Sergeant-Major Nepia;
particularly the last, who was battalion historian in Italy and
who has placed on record the particulars of actions as soon as
possible after the events took place. In this connection I am
grateful to the officers, junior and senior, who took so much
trouble in answering my questionnaires and who made their
diaries available to me. Lieutenant-Colonel Baker, chairman of
the 28th (Maori) Battalion unit history committee, was most
helpful both in his official capacity and as an actor in much of
the drama up to the time of his evacuation when wounded.
I have felt it a privilege to write the history of this magnifi-
cent battalion.
J. F. cody
Wellington
29 February 1956
vii

Contents
Page
FOREWORD v
PREFACE vii
1 FORMATION AND DEPARTURE 1
2 ENGLAND 18
3 THE MIDDLE EAST 33
4 THE CAMPAIGN IN GREECE 48
5 CRETE 78
6 SOLLUM AND GAZALA 133
7 MINQAR QAIM 179
8 PARRY AND THRUST 197
9 ALAMEIN TO TRIPOLI 225
10 MEDENINE AND POINT 209 256
11 TAKROUNA 282
12 ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN 315
13 ORSOGNA 322
14 CASSINO 349
15 ADVANCE ON FLORENCE 375
16 THE RIMINI CAMPAIGN 406
17 THE WINTER CAMPAIGN 430
18 THE LAST BATTLE 451
19 AOTEA QUAY 479
ROLL OF HONOUR 486
SUMMARY OF CASUALTIES 501
HONOURS AND AWARDS 502
COMMANDING OFFICERS 504
INDEX 505
ix