MAORI RECRUITS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20070, 17 October 1939, Page 8

MAORI RECRUITS

GISBORNE INTEREST LARGE NUMBERS ENROL EARLY LOCAL RETURNS EUROPEAN LIST FILLING | During the past few days Maori rei cruiting in the Gisborne-East Coast | district has overshadowed the enroli ments of the special New Zealand i force, and a substantial number of native volunteers had been listed by I last evening. There are several settlements and areas on the Coast and in the Wairoa district which have not yet forwarded the returns to Gisborne, but if the. average so far established is maintained the district as a whole will provide a magnificent record of Maori recruiting. It is evident that the appeal of the Maori leaders' is having a response among men now well beyond the acceptable military age groups. A number of those who have signified their willingness to serve their country in this war are veterans of the Maori Pioneer Battalion, which served in the theatres of the 1914-18 Great War. i Most of these men are sound physij cally, judging by the fact that they | have been accepted by the recruiting officers, whose instructions are to turn away men who are obviously not fit for service. “Throttling Down” Their Ages During the Great War, a number of Maoris were accepted for service as of military age, when in fact they were well under the statutory age fixed by Parliament. Many of these i men are now reverting to their true i age, in order to seek the opportunity of serving again, Thus there are encountered men with records of substantial service in the Maori Pioneer Battalion, who still are under 40 years of age. The record, however, is awarded unreserverly to a man who claims to have served three years and several months with the Pioneer Battalian, attaining the rank of second-lieutenant. He now gives his age as 36 years. If he has not miscalculated his real sum of years, he must have been accepted for -service in the Great War at the age of 12. The comment of a native recruiting officer is that many Maoris are “throttling down” their real ages, in order to qualify for service. The latest lists of recruits for the special New .Zealand force, and for the Maori battalion, are as under:— Special New Zealand Force Rogers, Max Arnold, single, 23 years, c/o Mrs. F. E. Rogers, Wairoa, fencer. Brown-Bayliss, William, single, 22 years, Tangihau station, Rere, station hand. 'Nolan, James Gould, married. 40 years, Box 132, Gisborne, solicitor. Sturgeon, Walter Denis, single, 24 years, Box 13, To Puke, piano repairer. Willis, Walter, single, 21 years, c/o Mrs. Mackie, Ormond, fencer. Donnelly, Frank David, single, 24 years, Matawai, fencer. Mazengarb, George William, single, 23 years, Matawai, fencer. Hill, Seddon Henry Watkins, single. 22 years, 68 Hirini street, Gisborne, clerk. 'Lambert, Douglas Roland, single, 29 years, Nuhaka, labourer. Ransley, Albert Edward, married, 36 years, Public Works Department, Gisborne, labourer. Saggers, Percival Leonard, married, 39 years, Patutahi, painter. Buckley, Maurice Desmond, married, 29 years, P. 0., Gisborne, mechanic. Naden, Frederick, married, 40 years, Tokomaru Bay, clerk. Solomon, Manu Tu Kariri, married. 26 years, Hicks Bay, surfaceman. N.Z. Maori Battalion Tanuhana, Arapera, single, 23 years, Manutuke, farm hand. Jones, Motu, single, 35 years, Manutuke, labourer.

Potaiu, John, single, 32 years, Makaraka, labourer. Smith, Hakaraia, widower, 38 years, Tolaga Bay, interpreter. Reid, Jim, single, 24 years, Rangitukia. Matahe, Waratana, single, 22 years, Waipiro Bay, labourer. Te Rure, Pakariki, single, 21 years, Waipiro Bay, labourer. Oneroa, Richard, married, 36 years, Ruatoria, blacksmith. Paputene, Teohaki, single, 21 years, Te Puia, farm hand. Tamihana Te Ao, We*i, single, 28 years, Tolaga Bay, labourer. Tangohau, Tame, single, 21 years, Tolaga Bay, cowman. Manuel, James, single, 31 years, Rangitukia, labourer. Rangi, Jim, single, 22 Years, Tikitiki, labourer. Regers, Thomas, single, 22 years, Tikitiki, labourer. Tamepo, Peter, single, 24 years, Tikitiki, labourer. Rangi, Tai, single, 31 years, Tikitiki, labourer. Haenga, Dick, single, 21 years, Tikitiki, labourer. Raroa, Pioneer, single, 23 years, Rangitukia, lapourer. Thompson, Whainga, Te Ao, single, 35 yeai'S, Tolaga Bay, shearer. Wanoa, Albert Haenga, single, 21 years, Tolaga Bay, labourer. Bartlett, Robert, single, 22 years, Tolaga Bay, labourer. Puhipuhi, Pera, married, 40 years, Tolaga Bay, shearer. Rangiuia, Albert, single, 28 years, Tolaga Bay, labourer. Rangiuia, Tanatiu, single, 35 years. Tolaga Bay, labourer. Puhipuhi, Karu, married, 45 years, Tolaga Bay, shearer - Kahaki, Taare Tcomanga Messines, single, 21 years, Tolaga Bay, labourer. Ngerengere, Herewini, single, 22 years, Tolaga Bay, labourer. Tapuko, Brownie, single, 23 years, Tolaga Bay, labourer. Waikari, Poueke, married, 32 years, Tolaga Bay, dairy farmer. Kemara, Parekura, single, 24 years. Tolaga Bay, labourer. Karini, Hector, single, 21 years, Tolaga Bay, labourer. Te Hau, Ngarangi Tuehu, single, 25 years, Bartletts Camp, fencer. Haronga, Pare, married, 34 years, Patutahi, labourer. Ryland. Pine, single, 23 years, Pulia, fencer. Tawiri, Pene Mataora, married, 31 years, Muriwai, labourer. Riki, Reupena Tamihana, married, 28 years, Muriwai, labourer. Kiugi, Moauru, single, 22 years, Waihirere, farm hand. Hingara, Wircmu, married 34 years, Waitakaro, dairy farmer. Te Kawa, Noble, married, 31 years. Ruatoria, dairyfarmer. Campbell, Joseph Hamotu, single, 21 years, station hand. Kingi, James Robert Paul, single, 26 years, Ormond, shepherd.