A new book exploring the astonishing feats of bravery and the Victoria Cross recommendation for World War II hero Haane Manahi will be launched in Rotorua at the end of the month.
In May 1943 Rotorua's Lance Sergeant Haane Manahi, of the 28th Maori Battalion's B Company, was recommended for a Victoria Cross by four Allied generals for his bravery during the battle of Takrouna Ridge in Tunisia, North Africa.
However, the award was later mysteriously downgraded to a Distinguished Conduct Medal.
After the war, rumours of war crimes committed by Mr Manahi also surfaced, rumours later used as a reason not to award him the Victoria Cross.
In his biography - Victoria Cross at Takrouna: The Haane Manahi Story - Auckland University of Technology history professor Dr Paul Moon uncovers the events surrounding the Victoria Cross recommendation, and subsequent downgrading, and dispels rumours of war crimes that damaged Manahi's reputation after the war.
Dr Moon told The Daily Post he was approached by members of the Manahi family to write the book.
"I get approaches all the time but I had the feeling there was unfinished business so I started drilling down into the records."
He said the scale of Mr Manahi's feats of bravery at Takrouna could not be under-estimated.
"It was not just one feat of gallantry, it was a number of them, over a few days."
Dr Moon said Mr Manahi's Victoria Cross recommendation was "almost certainly" downgraded by the chairman of the Victoria Cross committee, British commander Field Marshall Lord Alanbrooke.
He also said evidence uncovered points to the fact that no atrocities were committed.
"Even the enemies' war records show no evidence of war crimes," Dr Moon said.
"The story started as a joke, about tossing people off a cliff ... Sadly the rumour was used by officials to see that he didn't get it [the Victoria Cross]. It's an important story to tell and for people to be aware of," he said.
Dr Moon described the actions of two New Zealand Governments since the 1990s as amounting to "a cynical, shameful and protracted act of betrayal, against not only Mr Manahi, but the whole of the Maori Battalion".
In 2006 it was decided that Mr Manahi would not be awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously despite supporters' lobbying the Government.
But in March 2007 the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, presented Mr Manahi's sons with a special citation for bravery, an altar frontal cloth and a letter of tribute from the Queen. He also presented a sword, belonging to King George VI, in recognition of his bravery.
Mr Manahi died in 1986 and is buried in Muruika Cemetery in Ohinemutu.
Victoria Cross at Takrouna: The Haane Manahi Story will be launched at Tamatekapua meeting house in Ohinemutu on Saturday, October 30.
Book dispels WWII hero Manahi's war crimes rumours
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