New Zealand is working to get medals to the rightful homes of up to 500 men from the country’s Māori Battalion, who were not properly recognised for their service.
The Māori Battalion, also known as the “28th”, was one of New Zealand’s most-decorated units during the second world war, fighting in Italy, Egypt, Crete and north Africa, but many of the men who served never received their medals.
This Anzac Day, as Australians and New Zealanders commemorate those who died during the first and second world wars, the defence force is in the midst of a renewed effort to match those unclaimed medals with the whānau (families) of those who served.
The project is the result of years of work by historian David Stone, who embarked on a mammoth effort to reunite Māori servicemen and their families with the medals.
“It’s about time these medals were presented,” said Sir Robert Gillies, the last living member of the battalion. Gillies said his medals reminded him of his friends in the battalion, and were always hanging on his coat.
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According to the New Zealand Defence Force, government policy after the war was that former servicemen would apply for their medals, which would then be sent to them through the post. Many did not apply, and some surviving families of the Māori Battalion lacked the official documents to have their family ties to those who had served legally recognised.
Chief of army, Maj Gen John Boswell, announced earlier in the month that the defence force would work on reuniting the medals with their owners.
“This is a significant way to honour the service and sacrifice of those soldiers from 28 [Māori] Battalion. It’s also an opportunity to recognise the mana [prestige and power] they brought to themselves, to their families, to the New Zealand army and to New Zealand.”
Of the 3,600 men who served in the Māori 28th Battalion in the second world war, 649 were killed or died in active service. Māori also fought in the first world war, in another regiment, known as the New Zealand Māori Pioneer Battalion. They became known for performing the haka (war dance) before going into battle, and 2,800 Māori had served by 1918. Many, however, were not properly recognised for their service. According to the Imperial War Museum, Māori were largely excluded from the ballot to allocate land and training to returning soldiers.