When soldiers recalled stories of “Padre” Hēnare Wēpiha Te Wainohu of Hawke’s Bay (Ngāti Pāhauwera and Ngāti Kura Hikakawa of Ngāti Kahungunu), they spoke of his warmth and splendid singing voice.
As part of this year’s Anzac commemorations in Gallipoli, a crucial part of his story and others in the Māori Contingent has been memorialised in a special ceremony of rededication and remembrance.
More than 100 years after the harrowing events of the Gallipoli campaign, Defence Minister Andrew Little was joined by official representatives from Aotearoa, Türkiye (Turkey) and Australia, as well as the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) Gallipoli contingent, descendants and others to memorialise and acknowledge the New Zealand “Maori Pah*” site on the peninsula.
The ceremony took place at the site on Sunday night (New Zealand time), where members of the Māori Contingent of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, including the reverend, were based at Gallipoli in 1915.
The contingent’s campsite at the No 1 Outpost became known as the “New Zealand Maori Pah” (a fortified village).
On the eve of the attack at Table Top, one of the men of the Wellington Mounted Rifles, who was about to join part of the Māori Contingent, wrote about the reverend and his comforting nature before they went to battle.
“The hymn Jesus, Lover of My Soul [Au e Ihu] was sung in Māori, to a tune of their own. The parts blended beautifully. The chaplain, in a splendid voice, sang the solo, the rest supplying the obligate... My squadron stood around silent, listening intently.
“There was something about... the tune and the scene that brought tears to the eyes, and yet as we listened we felt that they, and we, could go through anything with that beautiful influence behind us.”
A Te Ara biography written by Grant Nikora Wainohu said that Hēnare Wēpiha Te Wainohu was born in Mōhaka, Hawke’s Bay, on June 4 1882.
During last year’s Anzac Day commemorations, the New Zealand Minister for Veterans, Meka Whaitiri, asked Ismail Kaşdemir, the President of the Gallipoli Historic Parks Directorate, whether it would be possible to officially mark the “Pah” site in Gallipoli.
The NZDF and other agencies worked closely with Turkish authorities to create an information sign and improve access to it.
“Gallipoli holds a special place in the hearts of many New Zealanders. As Minister for Veterans, I am grateful the legacy of the Māori Contingent will have a physical presence in Gallipoli where they bravely fought. New Zealand’s contribution to the war and the stories of our Māori veterans deserves to be recognised,” Whaitiri said.
During the service, a replica King’s Colour of the Pioneer (Māori) Battalion was paraded. The Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Kevin Short said the place has great historical significance for Māori, and to everyone from every country with connections to it.
“We are grateful to the Gallipoli Historic Parks Directorate for making the installation of the information sign that marks the site possible,” Short said.
In a fitting tribute, the hymn sung by the reverend (Au e Ihu) was sung during the ceremony, and a haka was performed by the NZDF Māori Cultural Element.
At the outbreak of the First World War, Te Wainohu was appointed chaplain to the Māori Contingent.
He was said to have risked his life for others on many occasions at Gallipoli, notably working with medical officer Major Peter Buck (Te Rangi Hīroa) to carry the wounded, distributed water, and comfort the dying - often under fire.
“Remember you have the mana, the honour and the good name of the Māori people in your keeping this night,” Te Wainohu once famously said.
He was wounded in battle but went on to accompany the contingent in France.
In 1920, at the age of 38, he died from stomach cancer in Wairoa, where a statue remains of him in uniform, unveiled by his friend Sir Peter Buck.
His story can also be found at Te Papa’s exhibition Gallipoli: The Scale of our War.
*The traditional spelling of ‘Maori pah’ has been adopted with regards to this site which includes no macron on the word ‘Maori’ and an ‘h’ included on word ‘pah’. This has been done in consultation with leading Māori academics and reflects the spelling used at the time.