REUNION OF 28TH MAORI BATTALION ASSOCIATION by Ted Nepia Close on to two thousand people congregated at the famous Poho-o-Rawiri marae in Gisborne for the three-day reunion celebrations of the 28th Maori Battalion National Association during Easter. Representatives of the Maori Battalion of World War II, of the Korean Force, and of the Malayan campaign were present, some with their wives, and the facilities at the marae were fully taxed to cater for one of the largest huis for a long time.

A Memorable Occasion Ngati Porou, Rongowhakaata, and the other tribes which comprised ‘C’ Company of the Maori Battalion, rose to the occasion and met the challenge by providing, not only ample accommodation and food, but also a first class programme which made every minute a memorable one. Behind Apa Te Kani, scion of one of the rangatira families of the Poverty Bay and East Coast districts, toiled men and women from all the hapus of the Company area, united as never before, in the cause of those who forsook the comparative comfort of their homes for the heat of the battle overseas. It was significant that the last time members of the Maori Battalion of the Maori Battalion invaded this marae was in January 1946, when a tremendous welcome home was led by the late Sir Apirana Ngata, Father of the Maori Battalion. Some of the speakers on that occasion were present again to add weight to the marae greetings as the visitors marched in for the reunion.

Separate Maori Battalion Again? Reunions of the Maori Battalion National Associations are not restricted in nature to the consumption of copious quantities of ale, or to the swapping of yarns; there is aways a heavy agenda of formal business to be conducted. The Secretary for Defence, Mr J. K. Hunn, set the ball rolling when as guest speaker Hunn, set the ball rolling when as guest speaker he made what many thought a very provocative address, speaking firstly on the part that Maori ex-servicemen should play in peacetime, and secondly on the thorny question of the formation of a separate Maori Training Unit within the framework of the New Zealand defence system. In regard to the first question, he implored members of the Association to play a larger and more active part in the battle for peace, by taking a leading part in affairs of vital importance to the Maori people. It was when he made his points on the second main topic that an apparent restlessness pervaded his ex-servicemen listeners, many of whom lost sympathy with Mr Hunn. For many reasons, he said, it was not possible to accede to the request by the Association for a separate Maori Unit. He mentioned several reasons–a blow to the integration of the two races, difficulty in filling the quota for the Unit, practical difficulties regarding its training, the danger of creating a rival feeling between Maori and Pakeha soldiers, lack of Maori officers, and so on. As soon as Mr Hunn sat down, the fight was on. I sympathised with him, for I knew the great potential the Association guns had for such an occasion as this. Every speaker attacked the points made by the guest speaker, and the meeting ended as it did three years before in Rotorua, with the firm resolve to continue to fight for a separate Maori Unit.

Memorials Unveiled Later, when the flagstaff in front of Poho-o-Rawiri was unveiled as one of the war memorials to those of the of the Maori race who fell overseas, Mr C. M. Bennett gave a commemorative oration on Te Moana Nui a Kiwa Ngarimu, V. C. Brigadier Dittmer, the first Commander of the Maori Battalion, unveiled a memorial to the late Reta Keiha, a former Commander who died in May 1960. The new president of the Association is Mr Henare Ngata, a son of the late Sir Apirana Ngata, and with him as his secretary is Mr Peter Kaua; both of these men are living in Gisborne. In future, reunions will be held on a biennial basis; the next one will be in Hastings in 1966. A general invitation was issued to all members of the Association to attend the opening of the Memorial building in Palmerston North