UNSTINTED PRAISE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 175, 3 November 1941, Page 5

UNSTINTED PRAISE

MAORIS AS FIGHTING MEN

BRIGADIER HARGEST'S TRIBUTE

Writing to Sir Apirana Ngata regarding the work of the men of the Maori Battalion, Brigadier General J. Hargest pays the highest tributes to the fighting prowess of the men oi' the 28th (Maori) Battalion. He writes-: — You will know that the 28th Battalion lias been with me all the time practically—in England—en route to the Middle East, in Greece and Crete and they still form part of my Brigade, and I sincerely pray they will do so right through. I am very fond of them and very proud of their great qualities. Do you remember one telling me that the Maori people wanted their Battalion to be a fighting unit and not pioneers—well, they have had their wish and so far, this War has produced no better fighting Battalion than the 28th. In Greece, on the left flank of the Olympus position, holding a line nearly 5000 yards in length, they fought well and whenever the enemy penetrated their thinly-held line, they threw him out again. When eventually the Western Passes gave way and Ave were ordered to withdraw, the, 28tli was extricated with some difficulty—the enemy Avas press ing hard, the night Avas intensely dark and the track AA'as over a high mountain range, thence doAvn steep cliffs to the coast. It Avas a hazardous undertaking but they carried it out successfully before the daAvn. Personally, I have not known many nights so full of anxiety. In the later Avitlulrawals they were as calm and steady as any troops could be ancl at the last they went aboard the waiting ship with all their arms, mortars, etc., like veterans. In Crete they reached a very high plane as fighting troops —and amongst other Battalions and units with proud fighting records, they more than held their own. I truly believe that the honours of the 12 (lavs' exhausting struggle rested Avith the 28th, though each of the four Battalions of my Brigade covered themselves Avith honour. During the Avhole of the time the spirit of comradeship between them —the 21st 22nd and 23rd—was a tiling to marvel at and to cherish. It was that that brought us out. The old fighting spirit of the Maori race was reincarnated in the men of the Maori Battalion Avho from the very beginning were ready and anxious to come to grips with the enemy, using the weapons they know best —the rifle and the bayonet. From the first day they Avere superior and I believe that >;o long as this Avar lasts, the German soldiers Avill remember and respect them. Another quality inherited from their forefathers is theii "homing" instinct, which makes il impossible for them to lose tliexn selves in the Avildest of country am 1 surely guides them "Home" to theii unit. One such occasion Avill livt in the annals of our history for mam p-ears to come. We left two companies of them to guard a pass through which Ave marched as the rearguard—l4o Avas all they numbered. We rested from early morning, expecting to be attacked again about 10 o'clock, but, instead, the enemy was upon us at 6 a.m. We turned ( md fought but the enemy gradually forced his Avay between us and the two companies, cutting them off. I tried to free them with tanks but failed and Ave Avere compelled to march Avitliout them. They fougnt from 6 till 12 noon —then found a gap in the enemy's line through which they slipped and marching and carrying their eight wounded they regained us early the next morning 26 miles away. There are few finer exploits than that, even in these days Avhen endurance is n common thing. They paid a grea.. price for their glory and I miss such old comrades as Harding, Leaf and many others I was pleased to call friends. The Battalion Avas and is well led by Dittmer, avlio has good officers Major Dyer, Rang! Royal, Major Bertrand. Captain Wereliia and tnany others all pulling their weight. I shall be content to have theni in my Brigade as long as the Avar lasts. Their behaviour in the camps has been excellent and, both in England and here, they have endeared themselves to the people they met their singing and dances have charmed many thousands of people from outside their native land.