A MAORI HERO.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1682, 6 March 1917, Page 3

A MAORI HERO.

PRESENTATION OF D.S.M. Sir James Allen (Minister for Defence and Acting Prime Minister) visited Marlon on Friday for the purpose of presenting Tuu Paruwihi with a Distinguished Service Medal won for conspicuous bravery at Anzae on August (itb, 1015, during the attack on No. 3 Post, in that, although unarmed, he seized an armed Turk and compelled him to surrender.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are that Tau was cut off from his comrades, and was encircled by live Turks, who made a desperate effort to get their man. The Maori, however, was not to be mi light. With celerity and effectiveness he drove his bayonet through the body of one of the enemy, hut was unable lo extricate it, the Turk, in his death agony, having caught it in his grasp, and held it, in the hope of stabbing the Maori with a knife, and thus making a hotter entry into the other world, to which he knew he was soon to go.

The other four Turks then tried to get the Maori alive, hut he landed one a terrific smash on the jaw and howled him over. Another received a nasty kick in the stomach, and before the fourth and fifth could disable him he succeeded in getting the rifle of the enemy who

hiid fallen. With expert handling, he placed another out of action for all time by a crack on the skull with the butt of the rifle. In the end he had killed four, and the one remaining’ got so much the worst of it that eventually he was glad to surrender, and Tan had the extreme satisfaction of bringing him as a prisoner to the British lines. Fully 1,500 people were present at Friday’s function, including amongst others Mr E. Newman, M.P. for the district.

Sir James Allen said nothing better had ever been done in the history of New Zealand than that performed by the Maoris who had left these shores for the battle-front. Their courage and devotion to duty had been such that the I’akeha held out his hand to his Maori brother and said that if anything had separated (hem in the past it had gone for ever, and (he Maori was now one with the white race in helping to make New Zealand the finest country on tlie face of the globe.

The Minister then called Tan to the front, and expressed the great pleasure it afforded him to pin the medal, presented by 11 is Majesty the King, on his breast. Cheers were then given for the recipient, after which he was rushed by a large number of Anzacs and carried shoulder high. Mr E. Newman, M.P., spoke a few words, in the course of which he joined with the Mayor of Marlon in congratulating Sir James Allen upon the honour conferred upon him hy Tlis Majesty, in recognition of the valuable services Sir James had rendered lo the Empire—an honour that was thoroughly appreciated by members of both Mdes of the House in particular, and the country in general. The splendid work of the Maoris was referred lo in feeling language. Mr Rang! Marnmaru also spoke on behalf of the Native race.