N.Z. CROSS HOLDER

Hokitika Guardian, 16 March 1933, Page 8

N.Z. CROSS HOLDER

MAORI WAR HERO PASSES

■SIEGE OF 1 NGATAPA RECALLED

AUCKLAND, March 13,

Tile last 'SurviyiLig holder of the New Zealand Mr Benjamin Riddle ■■ lias died at Wlmkataije. ’ A ‘ Air Riddle, who was a well-known resident of the Bay of Plenty for the greater part of his long life, joined die Armed Constabulary at the close of the Waikato War. After the landing of Te Kooti near Poverty Bay in July, 1868, he was a member of t..e force which set out under the command of Colonel (afterwards Major-General) Sir 0. S. Whitmore, in pursuit of the rebel leader.

In December, after the frightful massacre of 3-2 Europeans, at Matawhero, near Gisborne, Whitmore and the loyal native leader Major Ropafa succeeded in driving Te ,Kooti into his stronghold at Nigatapa, * formidable old hill fort which, had been greatly strengthened to resist rifle fire, Seven hundred Europeans and natives took part ...in. the siege, but their number wag insufficient to surround the pa. completely. The fortress occupied a strong position upon a ,height, .surrounded by cliffs and steep palisaded slopes, on three sides .and narrowing in the rear to a sparpe,*} .ridge. . It wgs necessary that this ridge (should be occupied, as i.t was believed to be the only possible line of escape .for the. defenders.A party of 12 constabulary, under 'Sergeant Sbep.berd, . and, including Mr .Biddle, was told off for this task. To jreach the crest the men had to cut ■steps up the face of the cliff under ■sharp fire from the enemy’s works.

limy succeeded, and eventually gained the ridge, which they held tor tile whole five days of the siege. Every * day they were exposed to very heavy! fire from the pa, which virtually commanded the spot where they lay. Their ,' only protection woe - a low breast- • work of stone and a trench barely a foot deep that had been hastily dug with bayonets and tomahawks. Meanwhile, Whitmore’s and Ropata’s force kept firing into the stronghold which -was also shelled .with a couple Cf light bJowdtzebsi On the eighth day of the siege part of the first defence line with taken, and the final assault was deferred until the next morning. Being well aware of this, Te Kooti and the surviving rebels tore up blankets into strips, let themselves down an unguarded section of cliff and escaped in the night. Ropata njade a successful -pursuit, capturing many stragglers, all of which were summarily shot. Te Kooti, however, evaded the pursuit and disappeared for a time into the mountains. The attacking force lost 22 in killed and wounded and 132 rebels were killed i n the pa and during the pursujt. For conspicuous bravery in the fight Mi") Biddle and another constable named' Black, a member of the same party, were awarded the New Zealand Cross. iSergeanft ISi hep herd wiss already tr.ie possessor of that decoration. For a number of years Mr Bicldle and the late Mr George (Rowley) Hill, of Auckland, shared the honour of being the only surviving holders of the New Zealand Cross.