MAORI BATTALION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20075, 23 October 1939, Page 6

MAORI BATTALION

RECRUITING ON COAST TOLAGA’S GOOD RECORD LEADING NATIVE LISTS TAIRAWHITI TRADITIONS

The date for making enlistments for the special New Zealand Maori Battalion has been extended to October 31, owing apparently to the difficulty found in getting into touch with many of tne young men of the tribes in different parts of the country. So far as Gisborne and the East Coast is concerned, the extension is hardly necessary, for up to the end of last week 100 native volunteers were available. this number being well in excess of the total required from an area extending from Torere to Muriwai. Tolaga Bay has the best record of any of the coastal settlements, so far as can be discovered, for there arc 35 men in that locality who have signified their readiness to serve at home or abroad. A week-end visit by a Maori recruiting officer was attended by most successful results, and four more men were added to the list already returned from that area.

The Maoris of the East Coast are all keen on maintaining the tradition of Tairawhiti for loyally to (lie Crown, and the ciders in the Uawa County showed much satisfaction with the steps taken to form a special Maori unit.

Early Volunteers Change Over

The purpose of Die recruiting officer's visit was (o explain the basis on which the Maori Battalion was to be formed, and to gel in touch with a number of men who had enlisted previously for service with the genera! New Zealand forces. It is considered desirable to concentrate all the Maori volunteers in their own battalion, and this objective will be achieved in the case of Tolaga Bay, for 10 of the earlier volunteers reenlisted with the Maori unit as a result of the series of meetings held yesterday.

One point of considerable interest, explained by the recruiting officer, has to do with the shearing, an occupation in which Maori labour bears an important part. He explained that shearers would not be called upon for service until after the shearing season was over, and this statement had an immediate effect it! one gathering, where a good type of young Maori got to his feet and said that he and others had been anxious to get their shearing work over before going into camp. He volunteered on the spot, on the assurance of the recruiting officer that his gang would not be broken up prematurely.

It was explained to the Maoris of the Tolaga Bay district that there would be no “touting” for volunteers. The object was to raise a unit which could be maintained from the tribal strengths, and in which every man was enlisted with a full sense of the obligations undertaken, and the enthusiasm to carry them through. This statement was greeted with expressions of warm endorsement by the elders and the young men alike.