MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 November 1938, Page 4

MAORI MEMORIES

GENERAL SIR DUNCAN CAMERON.

(Recorded by J.H.S. lor “Times-Age.”)

General Cameron, a courteous, brave and successful British soldier, was outwitted only once by the wily Maori warriors at Gate Pa. His methods of attack were essentially European, scientific and cautious, but extremely slow. Because of this, and on account of lameness through a wound received abroad, he was known to the Maori enemies as “Karoro Kopa” (the limping seagull). Gate Pa was a strategic position for Maori defence, flanked on both sides by impassable swamps, with double trenches, palisades and entrenched rifle pits. The British forces numbered 1700, and the big guns were 21 howitzers, mortars and Armstrong breech-loaders.

When the main palisades were blown to pieces, the hand-to-hand fighting just suited the Maori tactics. They appeared to have suffered but little from the terrific rain of shot and shell, having safely sheltered in the pits. As we forced an entrance to the ruined fort, our men were met with an orderly resistance. Nearly every officer met his death, and our assault was converted into a desperate panic in which 111 men and officers were tomahawked or shot. The Maori losses could not even be estimated. A fresh attack was planned for daybreak, but when the Pa was entered, every man, dead or alive, well or wounded, had mysteriously vanished.

The friendly Maoris, under their chiefs, Majors Te Kepa (Kemp) and Ropata (Roberts) gave loyal and valued help, especially in counteracting the Maori strategy which had been so disastrous at Gate Pa.

The missionaries had taught the Roman numerals, and the Maoris made sarcastic reference to our reported loss of 111 men as “3.”