A MAORI HERO.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1917, Page 2

A MAORI HERO.

■ HONORED FOR FIGHT ON GALLIPOLI. Tau Pfiruilu, a young Rangitikei Maori, was .personally decorated with the Distinguished Service Medal at Marion a few days ago by Colonel Sir James Allen, Minister of Defence. The honour was for conspicuous bravery at Anzac on August C, 1915, during an attack on No. 3 post. The circumstances surrounding the ■incident were that Tau was cut oft' from j ihis comrades, and was encircled by five Turks, who made a desperate effort to 1 get their man. The New Zealander, . however was not to be caught. With celerity and- effectiveness he drove his bayonet through one of the enemy, but was unable to extricate it, the Turk having caught it in his grasp and held it in the hope of stabbing the Maori with his knife. The other four Turks then tried to get the New Zealander alive, but a heavy blow he landed one a terrific smack on the jaw, and bowled him over. Another received a kick in the stomach, and before the fourth and fifth could disable him he was successful in getting the rifle of an enemy ,who had fallen. With expert handling he placed another Turk out of action for a time by a crack oh the skull with the butt of the rifle. In the end he had accounted for four, and with the one remaining he had a real pugilistic encounter. The Turk got so much the worst of it that eventually he was glad to surrender, and Tau had the extreme satisfaction of bringing him as a prisoner into the' British lines. "The Maori boy's bravery and great achievement were observed, and as a result King George recognised the courageous act by bestowing upon him the Distinguished Service Medal. During the presentation Sir James Allen paid a great compliment to the work of the Maoris, and said that nothing better had over 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 Pakeha held out his hand to hji." Maori brother and said that if anything had separated him in the past it had gone for ever, and the Maori was : one with the white race in helping to make New Zealand the finest country on the face of the globe.