Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui man in documentary and parade commemorating Maori Battalion in World War I

Mike Tweed
By Mike Tweed
Multimedia Journalist·Whanganui Chronicle·
21 Apr, 2020 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Lamon Paranihi-Haami took part in Whitiki, a documentary about a select group of Māori pioneers, told through their descendants. Photo / Supplied

Lamon Paranihi-Haami took part in Whitiki, a documentary about a select group of Māori pioneers, told through their descendants. Photo / Supplied

A Whanganui descendant of a distinguished member of the Māori Battalion represents his ancestor in a documentary to be screened on Anzac Day.

On June 8 last year, New Zealand military historian and writer Dr Monty Soutar organised a parade re-enactment to celebrate 100 years since the Māori Battalion returned home from World War I.

Soutar chose 100 young descendants of the soldiers, including Whanganui's Lamon Paranihi-Haami, to take part in the parade. They feature in Whitiki, a documentary of the stories of a select group of Māori pioneers, told through their descendants.

Paranihi-Haami's ancestor, Tau Paranihi, also from Whanganui, was the only Māori to receive the Distinguished Conduct Medal at Gallipoli, and Paranihi-Haami said he was "incredibly proud" to be able to represent both his ancestor and Whanganui in the parade.

"He managed to come back from the war and continue his legacy, and along the way I was brought into the world," Paranihi-Haami said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I was the only representative from Whanganui in the march, and he was in my thoughts as I went through the drills and sang the songs."

The members of the re-enactment were given uniforms made by Peter Jackson's team at Wingnut Films, and Paranihi-Haami said he and the other participants learnt the same drills their forefathers had done 100 years previously.

Paranihi-Haami said the ages of those involved in the re-enactment ranged from 13 to 60.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I went up to Gisborne and bonded with the other guys taking part, and we went through marching drills and got issued weapons.

"We learnt a few of the songs the soldiers sang during the First World War as well, like 'It's a long way to Tipperary'.

Discover more

Council reduces rates rise in response to Covid-19

20 Apr 07:00 PM

New discoveries from the archive

20 Apr 05:00 PM

WHS poised for 2021 Maadi

21 Apr 05:00 PM

Hunt for answers; May 'never be answer' on mystery Whanganui case

21 Apr 05:00 PM

"It was really hard to stand completely still at times, and not to flick flies away if they landed on you."

Paranihi-Haami said the march coincided with the launch of Soutar's book Whitiki! Whiti! Whiti! E!, which details Māori participation in World War I.

The Māori Contingent and its successors, the New Zealand Pioneer Battalion and the New Zealand Maori (Pioneer) Battalion, served in Egypt, Malta, Gallipoli, France, Belgium and England between 1914 and 1919.

According to Soutar's book, 2227 Māori and 458 Pacific Islanders served with the battalion. Of those, 336 men were killed or died overseas, and a further 24 died in New Zealand of injuries sustained during the war.

One hundred men from across New Zealand participated in a parade re-enactment commemorating 100 years since the Māori Battalion returned home from World War I. Photo / Supplied
One hundred men from across New Zealand participated in a parade re-enactment commemorating 100 years since the Māori Battalion returned home from World War I. Photo / Supplied

Paranihi-Haami said Māori soldiers as young as 15 fought in World War I, and their efforts were something that "should never be forgotten".

"It really puts things in perspective, because I was really missing my partner and my kids after only a few days away.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I can only imagine what these young guys must have felt, being on the other side of the world and knowing that they might never come home.

"The march was about representing all our families, and those who paved the way for us to be here now, and without them I wouldn't have a loving partner and children of my own."

Whitiki screens at 9am and 4.30pm on Anzac Day, Saturday, April 25, on Māori Television and online at maoritelevision.com.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Kāinga Ora needs to be ‘responsive to need’, says minister

04 Jul 06:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Work begins on key phase of port project

04 Jul 06:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Pop star to speak on new book at Whanganui Literary Fest

04 Jul 04:57 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Kāinga Ora needs to be ‘responsive to need’, says minister

Kāinga Ora needs to be ‘responsive to need’, says minister

04 Jul 06:00 PM

'We want to take a very detailed specific look at what Whanganui needs' – Chris Bishop.

Work begins on key phase of port project

Work begins on key phase of port project

04 Jul 06:00 PM
Pop star to speak on new book at Whanganui Literary Fest

Pop star to speak on new book at Whanganui Literary Fest

04 Jul 04:57 PM
Premium
Gardening: Pruning deciduous fruit trees and roses

Gardening: Pruning deciduous fruit trees and roses

04 Jul 04:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP