THE PICK OF MAORI MANHOOD

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 39, 21 March 1940, Page 3

THE PICK OF MAORI MANHOOD

(By 23/762)

NCE a year the pick of the () Manawatu District’s farming produce, from _ prize winning stock to vegetables and fancy butter, is displayed in the sheds and stalls and green spaces of Palmerston North’s spacious showgrounds, for all the world to see and admire. On Saturday afternoons, during the winter, football teams played their matches in the show-ring. But the war has altered all that. Now the pick of Maori manhood is camped there, training to become a complete and efficient military unit. In a few weeks these sons of New Zealand, gathered from all parts of the Dominion, have made such progress that their officers speak with enthusiasm and delight of their achievements and future. Last week I spent two afternoons with the Maori battalion. It was my first visit since 1915 when my own battalion, hurriedly removed from Trentham, took refuge in the show buildings until a camp at Rangiotu was prepared for us. We had a week there, sleeping on the hard, hard floor, with only a groundsheet and a blanket to ease the aches. Now long lines of beds give the main show building the appearance of a dormitory-each bed a model of precise arrangement, with neatly folded blankets, uniforms and military equipment laid on it, and giving the appearance of a mass production effort. Everything is spotless and a tribute to the efficiency of military régime. Floors are disinfected, windows and doors allow the breeze to circulate, but dividing walls break any draughts. Lieut.-Colonel G. Dittmer, officer commanding the battalion, has every justification for pride in the appearance and conduct of his men. Since the Maoris went into camp at Palmerston North great progress has been made in building up and training the unit, and the utmost friendliness prevails. A sense of fun is in evidence. I watched a group of men waiting to go on duty. They were giving each other orders, in English and Maori; they practised turns and amused each other by imitating the goose-step; each saluted the other and played tricks which drew great gusts of laughter from those standing nearby. Football Champions There should be no difficulty in getting together a first-class football team, for the material is there, including several prominent Rugby and League champions to give additional strength and prestige. A healthy rivalry is evident between companies, and as each company is composed of men from separate districts, the honour of those districts is at stake. Thus a fine spirit of camaraderie is being built up to aid the reputation of the battalion.

Each Wednesday afternoon is devoted to sports. Later on, when the organisation is complete, inter-company competitions will be held and probably football matches will be staged to foster the rivalry. As with other units of the Division, the Maoris are being trained as a full fighting battalion. Officers and men wearing decorations from the last war are proof of their desire to serve again. Machine gunners, a Bren gun _ unit, signallers, transport--all are in training as essential parts of a complete military unit ready to take its place on the field. And the camp itself is as complete in equipment as any other in New Zealand, One company at a time spends a period in tents, changing with others who are housed in the main building so that they will become accustomed to field conditions. Three men sleep in each tent, on beds, with ample accommodation for personal equipment provided by cupboards made from butterboxes. There is no crowding or sleeping on the ground as in the last war. If the weather is wet and unseasonable, training operations are not hindered. The grandstand and the show buildings provide comfortable quarters where the work can go on without interruption.

Grand Hotel The men have their canteen, to which some wag has given the title "Grand Hotel." There is a cinema on the premises, with pictures once a week; concert parties provided by Palmerston North talent give a weekly concert, and concerts among the men themselves are held every other night. In the evenings the women of Palmerston North arrive at the Y.M.C.A. to serve tea and coffee to the men. Every facility has been provided for recreation, including a plentiful supply of sports equipment. Radio sets provided by the Maoris are in evidence. An ablution shed has been built close beside the main building, as well as shower baths. Physical jerks, not the kind we knew in the last war, follow the day’s work, after which there is a rush for the showers before the evening meal, I watched the platoons marching out for this obviously enjoyable interlude, everyone clad in shorts and singlets (and often only shorts) to allow as much freedom as possible for exercises which are mostly fun and games. It was a fine sight; some of those men were perfect physical specimens. One of the small. showground buildings has been turned into a hospital, happily free except for one or two patients who were suffering from colds. The health of the camp is excellent.

There is a dental clinic, for every man’s teeth must be in perfect order before they leave New Zealand. Officers and men have been’ inoculated and X-rayed, and blood tests have been taken, Music-as They March Now the more advanced stages. of training have been reached and_ route marches are hardening up the men. "These marches are a joy," one of the officers told me. "It’s grand to hear the men whistling and singing as they swing along the roads." Apparently the residents: of Palmerston North think so too, for crowds gather when the troops go by. The Maoris are popular with

the townspeople. From time to time they assist with concerts given in the towa to raise funds for the regiment. This popularity is rather embarrassing to the senior officers who receive requests for Maori concert parties.from all over the countryside, including towns as far distant as Hastings. Naturally such tours would interfere with training operations and the requests have to be refused. There is no lack of volunteers for the Maori Battalion. Judging by its present appearance the future is assured, and there is little doubt that new laurels will be gained by _ these fine warriors of a new age when they" go overseas.