SPORTIVE MAORIS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 171, 21 July 1943, Page 2

SPORTIVE MAORIS

IN GREEK WAR ZONE

INCIDENTS OP CAMPAIGN Relating humorous experiences in Greece, Corporal McKenzie, of Kamo, who is on furlough, tells of the time the New Zeaianders were camped near Caterine, in the north. "The first day we got leave we wandered to the village. The local inhabitants congregated in the centre of the square and gave us a welcome. After it had finished the Maoris, determined not to be outdone, turned on a haka, with the result that the Greeks took to their heels and deserted the town. For about two hours we had it to ourselves, until some of the villagers plucked up courage and emerged from behind locked and barred doors. "While in the El Alamein line the Maoris discovered an SSmm German high velocity gun in No-man's-land. The sights had been destroyed by the retreating enemy. Deciding to use the gun, the Maoris dragged it into their lines. The next day the officer controlling our artillerv fire was puzzled by a shell which kept landing wide. Unable to trace it to any of his .guns, he made investigations and found the Maoris using the gun, which they regarded as their biggest toy. They had it sitting in the open. Sighting the weapon consisted of laying their eyes along the barrel and, if the shot fell short giving the adjusting wheel a couple of turns to "correct" the aim. To the reai- was a slit trench. When the gun was ready to be fired, a long piece of telephone wire would be hooked on to the firing cord and with one accord, the Maoris would scatter, jump into the trench and pull the wire. They refused to part with this toy and kept it for some time afterwards."