Te Arawa mourns Maori Batallion soldier Arthur Midwood

Arthur Midwood was the last of the original 'thirty niners'.

The last surviving "thirty-niner" of the B Company 28th Maori Battalion has died - just a day after the Opera in the Pa which honoured him.

Arthur Wihiri Midwood died surrounded by family in Taupo Hospital yesterday. He was 96.

The Battle of Crete veteran was the last surviving "thirty-niner" - the name given to soldiers who joined the Maori Battalion in its infancy in 1939.

Immediate past president of the Rotorua RSA, John Treanor, said it was a sad moment nationally, given he was the last of the original group.

Mr Treanor said he had spoken to Mr Midwood about his wartime exploits and felt grateful that he had shared his tales with him.

Mr Midwood served with Te Arawa war hero Lance Sergeant Haane Manahi and was the Maori Battalion's sole survivor of the Takrouna Ridge, North Africa, battle.

After the battle he helped ferry other soldiers away.

In Africa, he was in a slip trench with two comrades when a grenade landed in the back and exploded, killing the two comrades, with no injuries to him despite him sitting between the two men who were killed.

"He was also wounded in Crete, his body still had the remnants of shrapnel."

Mr Treanor said he spoke particularly of Crete and the arduous battles to get away from the advancing Germans.

Opera in the Pa chairman Trevor Maxwell said he was saddened to hear Mr Midwood had passed away.

"With a heavy heart I say farewell - he was a humble, lovely man."

Mr Maxwell said he had heard Mr Midwood was not well enough to attend Saturday night's Opera in the Pa.

"It's really sad, he was a really wonderful man."

Mr Midwood has spoken to the media in the past of his experiences, saying he did not like war "at all", but that the outcome was worth it.

Mr Midwood's tangi is being held at Tunohopu Marae, Ohinemutu. His funeral service will be held at the marae on Wednesday at 11am.