28th Māori Battalion to be honoured in Kaitāia

Members of the 28th Māori Battalion march up Nias Track to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in 1940. A ceremony to remember the efforts of Māori in all wars will be held in Kaitāia next week

The prowess of the 28th Māori Battalion and their indomitable war efforts will be celebrated in a ceremony in Kaitāia next week.

To coincide with the anniversary of the signing of He Whakaputanga the Declaration of Independence, on October 28, 1835, the ceremony to remember the wartime efforts of Māori overseas will be held at Te Ahu from 6am on October 28.

The ceremony is not just to remember the 28th Māori Battalion, but to honour all Māori soldiers who had fought in wars to make New Zealand a safer place, kaumatua Bundy Waitai said.

Waitai said the ceremony will honour all those who have passed fighting for their country.

‘’It’s a way to celebrate our people and their efforts to keep this country safe for everybody, all of us together,’’ Waitai said.

■ The 28th (Māori) Battalion was part of the 2nd New Zealand Division, the fighting arm of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF) during World War II (1939-45). A frontline infantry unit made up entirely of volunteers, the Battalion usually contained 700-750 men, divided into five companies.

Many Māori were quick to answer the call to arms when war broke out in September 1939. In October, in response to calls from Sir Apirana Ngata and the other Māori MPs for an all-Māori unit, the government agreed to the formation of the 28th (Māori) Battalion. After training in Palmerston North, the main body of the Battalion sailed for war in May 1940.

Between 1941 and 1945, New Zealand’s 28th (Māori) Battalion forged an outstanding reputation on the battlefields of Greece, Crete, North Africa and Italy. About 3600 men of the 28th served in WWII.