Rāwhiti Īhaka remembers the war in Greece

Rāwhiti Īhaka served with the Māori Battalion as part of A Company. His brothers' Reweti and Riki also served.

Ihaka was an orator of great skill in both Māori and English, hence, the Rāwhiti Īhaka trophy presented to winners of the junior Māori section of the Ngā Manu Kōrero speech competitions

This story of how the Māori Reinforcement Company was captured, taken from Te Wharekura 8, School Publications Branch, Department of Education, Wellington, 1964.

Published with the permission of the Īhaka whānau and Learning Media Ltd.  English translation by Basil Keane (Ngāti Kahungunu).

Kua takoto ngā patu

Laying down of arms

Nā Rāwhiti Ihaka

By Rāwhiti Ihaka

Ka kōrero a Rāwhiti Īhaka inaianei mō te whawhai i Kirihi i te Pakanga Tuarua; mō tō rātou haerenga mā runga taraka mai i te tāone o Athens, ki Corinth, ki te maunga o Tripolis, ā tae noa ki Kalamata. I Kalamata ka mutu ngā kōrero a Rāwhiti nō te mea i konei ka whakatakoto te mano hōia i ā rātou patu.

Rāwhiti Īhaka speaks now about the war in Greece in the Second World War; about their journey on truck from Athens to Corinth, to Tripolis mountain, and on to Kalamata. At Kalamata Rāwhiti’s story stops because it was here that the numerous soldiers lay down their weapons.

I te 25 o ngā rā o Āperira i te tau 1941, i te ono o ngā hāora i te ahiahi, e whakaputa ana mātou i te tāone o Athens e ahu atu ana ki te Corinth Canal.

On 25 April 1941, at 6pm, we left the city of Athens and headed for the Corinth Canal.

E whā rau taraka, kī ana i te hōia, kotahi rau, koni atu rānei. E rima o ngā taraka nei i ngā Māori. Te mea tuatahi ko tō W. McKay, muri mai ko tō H. Hokianga, muri mai ko tō H. Wiremu, muri mai ko tō H. Ngata, muri mai ko te toenga o ngā Māori, i tōku taraka. He mea whakakī mai tō mātou taraka ki te Pākehā. Tokorima ngā Pākehā nei, nō Te Waipounamu katoa. Ko ngā taraka, me ngā motokā horekau i taea te mau, he mea pākarukaru, kātahi ka peipeia ki te moana.

There were 400 trucks, filled with soldiers, around 100 or more. Five trucks had Māori aboard. The first one was W. Mackay’s, following was H Hokianga’s, following that was H Wiremu’s, behind that was H. Ngata’s and behind that, carrying the remaining Māori, was my truck. There were some spare spaces in our truck filled by Pākehā. There were five Pākehā, all from the South Island. The trucks and cars that could not be brought along were destroyed and discarded in the sea.

Ko te tikanga mō te pākarukaru taraka, hei ā tuku te hinu me te wai kia rere mimiti noa, kua taraiwangia te taraka ki te taha o te moana. Tae atu, kua whakahorongia te haere o te initia pakaru noa i te wera. I te mea e tino wera tonu ana, kua tukia atu ki te moana, ki tētahi atu taraka. He taraka tino papai ngā taraka e pākarukarungia nei.

The method for destroying the truck was to let out the oil and water until it ran dry and then drive the truck to the sea shore. On arrival, the engine was run at full throttle until it overheated and broke down. Because it was so hot it was pushed into the ocean by another truck. The trucks being destroyed were in great condition.

Ko te horo o te haere o ngā taraka i tō mātou tīmatanga atu, kei te whā-tekau ki te whā tekau mā rima māero i te hāora. He tino horo tēnei haere, nō te mea kei mua tata anō tētahi taraka i tētahi, nō te hurihuri o te huarahi, me te hīpoko o ngā rāiti. I pēnei ai te horo o te haere, nā ngā whakahau mai, kia whiti mātou i te Canal Bridge i mua o te tekau mā rua karaka i te pō. Ko te hāora tērā i whakataungia hei pākaru i taua wāpu.

When we started off we drove quickly in the trucks, going between 40 and 45 miles per hour. This was extremely fast given that each truck was only a little way in front of the next, the road was windy and the headlights were extinguished.
We travelled so quickly because our orders were to cross the Canal Bridge before 10pm. That was the time that the bridge [1] would be destroyed.

E ahu atu ana mātou, e hoki mai ana ngā hōia Kariki ki te kāinga. Kia tino horo te tū o te taraka, ka kore ētahi o aua hōia e mate. Kia tū whakarere te taraka, kua tātāia ngā mea o muri, kua kangakanga mai ki te taraiwa.

As we were travelling, we saw the Greek soldiers returning home. We kept having to brake sharply so that none of those soldiers would be killed. When the truck would stop suddenly, the people behind were knocked about and would swear at the driver.

Ko Hēperi Hona te taraiwa i te tuatahi.
"No hea tōu raihana e Hona?"
"Tēnā pea he raihana taraiwa kōneke."
"E pōhēhē ana a Hona kei ngā rori anō ia o Kāeo."
"Kaua e karo i ngā taurekareka Kariki nā. Nā rātou tātou i raru ai."
Koia ēnei ko ētahi o ngā karanga mai o muri. Huihui atu anō hoki ki te kanga.
Hāunga anō te paoro ki ngā taraka pakaru o te taha o te rori, i te paoro ki te taraka o mua tata atu anō, mehemea ki te horo te tū mai.Kua rua, kua toru tukinga o te taraka o Hēnare Ngata e tō mātou, kua pakaru ngā raiti whero o muri. I te mea ko aua raiti whero hei arataki i a mātou, kua mate mātou.

The driver in the first truck was Heperi Hona.
Where did you get your licence, Hona?”
Maybe it’s a licence to drive a sledge.”
“Hona thinks he’s on the roads back at Kaeo.”
”Don’t dodge those scoundrel Greeks. They are the reason we’re in trouble.” [2]
These are some of the things that were being shouted out from the back.
That, together with a lot of cursing.
As well as banging into the broken down trucks on the roadside, we also kept crashing into the back of the truck in front of us when it stopped quickly. … We had bumped Henry Ngata’s truck two or three times, smashing the red lights at the back. Those lights were to guide us and now we were done for. [3]

He Hikareti hei Raiti

Cigarettes for lights

Nā ngā uri anō o Porourangi i kite te rongoa mō tō mātou mate.
"Me tuku mātou kia kai i ā mātou paipa, kia kite mai ai koutou kei hea mātou. Kei taka koutou ki rō awaawa!" 

The descendants of Porourangi found a cure for our dilemma.
“We will light up our cigarettes and smoke them so you can see us. Or else you might slip and fall into the ravine!” [4]

Ko te kai hikareti, horekau e whakaaetia ana, me tino huna rānō te kai.
"Tēnā e Hēnare, e pēhea ana koe ki tēnei whakaaro?" Ko ahau e pātai atu ana ki a Hēnare Ngata.
"Āe, kua pai tēnā. Ka haere tātou."

Smoking was not permitted at all, and could only be done on the sly.

Well, Henry. What do you think about this idea? I queried Henry Ngata.
Yes, that’s okay. Let’s proceed.

Paipai ana tā mātou haere i te mārama mai o te taraka o mua i te hikareti.

Our journey was much improved by having the truck in front lit up by cigarettes.

Horekau i roa tō mātou haerenga, kua kite mātou i tētahi taraka e heke ana i te pari. Ka pātai atu ahau ki taku taraiwa,
"Nō wai tērā taraka?"
"Nō te mokopuna a Hetariki, nō Himi Wiremu."
"He aha rā ia i rā reira ai?"
"E pōhēhē ana ia e tupeke ana tēnei mea te taraka i te awaawa."

We hadn’t gone far, when we saw a truck going over a steep bank. I asked my driver.
“Whose truck is that?”
“That belongs to the mokopuna of Hetariki, HimiWiremu.”
“Why did he go that way?”
“He seemed to think that a truck could jump over the valley”.

Huri atu mātou i te huringa ka kite iho mātou i te taraka e toro ana i te ahi. Ko ngā tāngata e tūtū ana i te taha, e kangakanga ana i te taraiwa.

When we came around the bend we saw the truck being consumed with fire. People stood beside it, cursing the driver.

Nō muri noa mai, ka kite ahau i a Himi, ka pātai atu ahau, "He mea pēhea koutou i taka ai i te pari?"
"I pōhēhē taku taraiwa ki ngā raiti whero o te taraka i tāwāhi o te awaawa ko ngā raiti o te taraka o mua tata i a mātou, kātahi ka haere tika atu."

Following this, I saw Himi and I asked.
“What made you go over that cliff?”
“My driver mistook the red lights of the truck on the other side of the valley for the lights of the truck immediately in front of us and drove straight ahead.”

I waenganui pō ka whakaokiokitia taku taraiwa, ka haere mai ko Hōrī Hēperi ki te taraiwa.

At midnight my driver rested and Hōri Hēperi replaced him as driver.

He mea kē anō te taraiwa i ngā huarahi papai, he mea kē anō te whetē tonu i te pouri, i ngā pari o Kirihi (Greece).

It is one thing to drive on a nice road, it is another thing altogether to be staring into the darkness while on the cliffs of Greece.

Horekau i roa te rironga atu mā Hōrī e taraiwa, ka taka tō mātou taraka i te parenga. I tika ai, ka whēke te taraka, ka puta anō ki te huarahi.
"He aha koia i hoatu ai mā Hōrī e taraiwa?"
"He aha koe te whakaara ai i a Hōrī i mua o te haerenga o te taraka?"
"E pakaru ana koe i a mātou, e Hōrī!"
"Hoatu he paraire, e kore e taunga ki te wīra."
"Mehemea e tae ora tātou, me tahu a Hōrī hei patunga tapu."
"E kore e toro i te mata."
Ko te āhua ēnei o ngā tāwai a ngā pāhihi i te taraiwa. Ka nui te tino pai o ngā taraiwa heoi anō, he pai tāwai nā tēnei mea nā te Māori.

Not long after Hōrī took over as driver, our truck went over a bank. We went straight ahead, the truck rushed forw ard, and we came back onto the road.
“Why was Hōrī allowed to drive?”
“Why didn’t you wake Hōrī up before he started driving?”
“We’ll smash you, Hōrī!”
“Give him a bridle, he’s not used to a wheel.” [5]
“If we arrive there alive, we should burn Hōrī alive as a human sacrifice”
“He won’t burn he’s too green.” [6]
The insults from the passengers continued along these lines. Though the drivers were excellent at their job, there is something about the Māori character which revels in this type of ribbing.

Ka huri, ka huri, ka piki, ka heke, huri atu anō, huri atu anō, ko te haere tēnei a te taraka.

The truck turned this way and that, it climbed, it descended, it turned here and there, and the journey continued along these lines.

I hea noa mai anō mātou, ka kite atu i ngā mea whakamārama (flares) a ngā wakarere o te hoariri; kua rangona atu te pakū o te bomb. Tata atu mātou, e mārama katoa ana ngā tahataha o te maunga nei; he kaipuke e toro ana i te moana.

When we were goodness only knows where, we saw the flares of the enemy planes; then we heard a bomb explode. When we got closer, the slopes of the mountain were clearly visible; there was a warship ablaze at sea.

Ka Tae mātou ki Corinth

We Arrive at Corinth

Tae atu mātou ki te Corinth Canal e tū mai ana ngā hōia tiaki i te wāpu.
"E tata ana te wāpu nei te pākarungia. Kua tika ngā mea katoa. E whakawhiti rānei koutou, e kore rānei, kei a koutou tēnā. Mehemea kei waenganui koutou, ka tae mai te tono kia pakarungia, kua mate koutou. Nā reira, e whakawhiti rānei koutou, e kore rānei, kei a koutou te tikanga."
Ko ngā kaihautū o te waka nei, ko ngā tāngata e torutekau o muri.
"Whakawhiti tātou!"
"He whānui rawa tēnei awa mō te peke."
"Ki te pakū ngā mea pakaru i te wāpu nei a ia nei, kua pai, kua oho a Hōrī i te moe."

When we arrived at Corinth Canal soldiers were standing guarding the bridge.
“The bridge will soon be destroyed. Everything is ready. You can cross, or not, that’s up to you. If you are in the middle, and the order arrives to destroy the bridge, you’ll all be killed. Therefore, whether you cross or not is entirely at your discretion.”

Those in charge of our vehicle were the thirty men in the back.
“Let’s cross!”
This river’s too wide to jump over.”
“If the explosives for the bridge detonate, that’s fine, Hōrī might actually wake up.”

E mārama katoa ana te wāhi nei i te kāpura. Ko te tāone o Koriniti e toro ana i te ahi; ngā mahi a te hoariri.

The whole place was lit up by fire. The town of Corinth was ablaze; the work of the enemy.

I te toru karaka i te ata, ka oho ahau i te moe. I ara ai ahau, i hinga moe atu ahau ki runga i te taraiwa, ka peia mai ahau, tata puta i te kuaha o tētahi taha.
"E pēhea ana ngā mea, e Hōrī?"
"Ka nui te pai."
"Kua whakakīa te taraka ki te hinu?"
"Kāhore anō."
"E tatari ana koe kia toro i te kāpura ka whakakī ai?"
"E mara! Nāu rā i mea mai kaua e tū te taraka kia kī mai rānō a koe. E kore e taea te whakakī me tū rānō."

At 3am, I awoke. I woke because I had fallen asleep on the driver and been pushed out, and nearly came out the door on the other side.
“How are things, Hōrī?”
“Really good.”
“Have you filled the truck with petrol?" [7]
“Not yet.”
“Are you waiting until it all catches on fire before you try to fill up?”

“Mate! You were the one who said don’t stop the truck until you say so. I can’t fill up unless I stop.”

"Kua moemoe anō te hunga i muri nei?"

Is everyone in back asleep?”

"Āe. Kua moemoe. Kua mutu te kangakanga mai."
Auē! Kua paoro mātou ki te taraka pakaru e tū ana i te taha o te huarahi. Tata puta ahau i te wini o mua.
"E hoa! E titiro ana koe ki hea?"
"Mehemea rā hoki kia rua tāua hei titiro i te huarahi, kua māmā. Ērangi rā koe, i moe."
"Kua hiamoe rā pea koe?"
"Ehara i te mea kua hiamoe, ērangi kua mamae aku kanohi i te whetēnga kia kite i te huarahi. Kua mea kē ahau ki te tū, ki te tango i ngā hīpoki o aku raiti. He aha rānei i hīpokitia ai, e mōhio nei ngā Tiamana kei konei tātou."

“Yes. They’re asleep. The cursing has stopped.”
Damn! We crashed into a broken down truck standing at the side of the road. I almost came flying out the windscreen.
“Mate! Where are you looking?”
“If there were two of us watching the road it would be simple. But you were asleep.”
“Are you sleepy?”
“I’m not sleepy, but my eyes are sore from staring out to try and see the road. I had been thinking about stopping to take the covers off my lights. What’s the point in covering them, the Germans know that we’re here.”

"Ko ngā whakahau mai me hipoki. Nā reira i hīpokitia ai. Nāu i whakaatu ki ngā Tiamana kei konei tātou?"
"Titiro koe ki tāwāhi; ki matau. E kite ana koe i te raiti e māpurapura mai ra? E aha ana ki a koe tērā raiti? E rama tuna ana? Tēnā pea tētahi kei muri i te taraka nei e mōhio ana ki te whakamāori 'Morse'.
"E mōhio ana, erangi e kore e mōhio ki te reo Tiamana. Ahakoa anō mehemea e mōhio ana, e kore e mōhio ki te 'code'. Me tū tātou, kia whakaarangia e ahau tō irāmutu a Hēperi hei taraiwa. Nui noa atu tēnei haerenga mai māu."

Our orders are to cover them. That is why they are covered. Do you want to let the Germans know we’re here? ”
“Look in the distance; to the right. Can you see the light burning over there? What do you think is up with that light? Eeling with a torch? Perhaps someone in the back of the truck can translate ‘Morse’.

“Someone knows it, but they don’t understand German.
And even then, if they did, they wouldn’t understand the ‘code’.
Let’s stop, and I’ll wake up your nephew Hēperi to drive.
You’ve been going for a long time now.

Ka pare mātou ki te taha o te huarahi, ka tū. Ka tū mātou, ka tahuri mai ki muri.
Whana atu, whana atu, he taraka. Anō he ngārara nō tētahi atu ao, e ngaoki mai ana. Māero atu, māero atu, e ngaoki mai ana te ngārara nei; horekau he mutunga mai.

We pulled up on the side of the road and stopped. While we were stopped, we turned around.

Truck after truck rushed by. Together they all looked like an insect from another world crawling along. Mile after mile, this insect crawled; there was no end to it.

Mārama mai i te ata, e kake ana mātou i tētahi maunga ko Tripolis te ingoa. I te ono karaka, ka rongohia te ngunguru o te wakarere. Puta mai te wakarere nei, kotahi anō, hurihuri iho ana i runga, ā, kua haere.

It became clear in the morning, that we were climbing a mountain which was named Tripolis. At 6am, the drone of a plane could be heard. The plane appeared, just one, which twisted and turned above and then left.

E kōrero ana a Hēperi ki a ia anō, "E kore tātou e eke ki te taumata, kua puta mai te kāhui nui o ngā wakarere nei. Mehemea ki te puta mai, rite tonu tātou he pūkeko, e puhipuhia ana."

Hēperi was talking to himself. “We won’t make the summit before a great squadron of planes will appear.
If they arrive, we’ll be an easy target, shot up just like a bunch of flightless pūkeko.

I runga tata atu, e tū mai ana he āpiha. "Ko tētahi wāhi o te ope taraka nei, ka piki tonu ki runga, ko tētahi wāhi, ka huri, ka heke ki raro."

Just above us, an officer was standing. “One section of this convoy of trucks will continue to the top, the remaining section will turn around and head below.”

Ka Tae mai ngā Wakarere

The planes arrive

I te hāwhepahi i te ono, ka huri tō mātou taraka, ka heke muri anō ki raro. E toru hāora, horekau anō mātou i tatū. Kua karanga mai ngā kaititiro wakarere. "Kia tūpato! E rere mai nei ngā kāhui wakarere. Tatū ki raro!"
Ka karanga atu ahau, "Kāhore! Kia ū! Kaua e makere! Mehemea ki te tū tātou, kua raruraru katoa te ope taraka nei. Me heke tonu tātou ki raro."

At 6.30am, we turned our truck around and headed back down. After three hours we still hadn’t reached the bottom.
The aircraft spotters called. “Be careful! Squadrons of planes are coming. Get down!
I called, “No! Hang in there! Don’t get off!
If we stop, we’ll disrupt the whole truck convoy. We need to keep heading down to the bottom.”

Ngā taraka e haere nei, e hipoki ana ki te kupenga taura. I pēneingia ai, kia pakeke ai te kitea iho e ngā wakarere. Tatū rawa atu mātou i te tekau karaka, e mura ana ngā hīpoki o tō mātou taraka. Tioro pai ngā taringa i te pakū, o te 'bomb'. I roa ai mātou ka tatū, he tini nō te taraka tītaritari, i runga o te huarahi.

The trucks that were travelling were covered with a rope net. This was done, to make it harder to be spotted by the planes. When we finally reached the bottom at 10am, the covers on our truck were ablaze.
Our ears were ringing from the explosion of a bomb.
We took a long time to reach the bottom, because there were so many trucks scattered on the road.

I te tekau mā rua karaka ka karangatia mai mātou, kia whakatika, kia haere. Tokotoru o mātou i mahue atu ki reira. Ko te marara o ngā taraka, e toru taraka ki te māero. Ko te tere o te haere, i ngā horo katoa. Takitahi nei ngā wakarere i puta mai ki te whakararuraru i a mātou. I te kaha o te haere, kīhai mātou i eke ki runga, ka tū, i te wera o te mihini. Ka mātao, ka haere anō mātou.

At 12pm we were called to get ready to go. Three of us were left behind there.
The trucks were scattered around three trucks per mile.
We were always going fast, every time we had to escape.
One by one the planes appeared and tried to attack us.
Because of the frenetic pace of the journey, no-one went up top, though we had to stop, because of the engine overheating. When it cooled down we continued on.

I runga tata atu, e tūtū ana a Hēnare Ngata, me āna tāngata, kua wera noa hoki tō rātou mihini, ā, kua pakaru te taraka. I te whā karaka, ka tū mātou, ka whakatikatika, ka kerikeri i ō mātou kōhao rāpeti, ka tatari.

A little further up, Henry Ngata and his men were standing, but their engine had got too hot and the truck was broken.
At four o’clock, we stopped, and got ready, digging our rabbit warrens, and waited.

I te atatū anō o te rua tekau mā whitu o ngā rā o Āperira, ka puta ngā wakarere o te hoariri. Anō ngā kāri ōriwa o Kirihi e paraungia ana. Kei runga tata ake ngā wakarere nei, e tipitipi haere ana. Ko ngā whakahau mai, kaua e pūhia kei whakaari mātou.

At sunrise on 27 April, the enemy planes appeared. It was as though the olive groves of Greece were being ploughed. The planes were just above us, gliding over. Our orders were to not fire lest we reveal ourselves.

Ko te ātaahua o ngā rā. Tino kore he kapua o te rangi. I te ono karaka i te ahiahi, ka haere mātou ki te wāpu, ki te tatari i ngā manuao, hei whakahoki mai i a mātou ki Ihipa, ki Kiriti rānei. Tata ao ana mātou e tatari ana, horekau ngā manuao i tae mai, ka tonoa anō mātou kia hoki muri. E ono pea māero, koni atu rānei. Whiti kau mai te rā, i te ata, kua puta anō ngā ānahera a Hātana, ki te parau i ngā kāri ōriwa o Kirihi. Ahiahi kau, ka hoki mātou ki te tatari i ngā manuao.
I te rua karaka i te ata, ka kitea atu aua manuao, e kōriparipa haere ana i te moana.
"Kua tae mai!"

The days were stunning. There was not a cloud in the sky.
At 6pm we went to the bridge to wait for the warships, to return us to Egypt or Crete. We were still waiting just before dawn and, the warships hadn’t arrived and we were sent back. We went for six miles, maybe more. When the sun rose in the morning, the Angels of Satan appeared to plough the Olive groves of Greece. By the afternoon, we returned to await the warships.
At 2am, the warships were spotted, travelling in formation across the sea.
“They’ve arrived!”

"E Kirihi, hei konei koe. Kua hoki mātou ki te kai onepū."
E kōrerorero tonu ana, ka tae mai a Hēnare Hokianga raua ko Hēnare Ngata.
"He torutoru nei o tātou, e mauria e ngā manuao nei. Whiriwhiria mai ko wai o koutou e haere. Ko te mea tika, hei ngā mea whai tamariki i te kāinga, me ngā taitamariki tekau mā waru, iti iho rānei ngā tau."
"Kua tau tēnā. Ko koe, ko koe, ko koe, ko mea, me haere. Mā te Atua koutou e manaaki."

“Greece, see you later. We are returning to eat sand. [8]

While the conversation continued, Hēnare Hokianga and Hēnare Ngata returned.
“Only a few of us are able to be transported by these warships.
Select those of you who will go. It is appropriate that they are either those who have children back at home, or the younger soldiers 18 or under.”
“That’s settled. You, you, you, and so and so can go.
May God protect you.”

"E kore mātou e haere. Mehemea ki te noho koutou, kua noho katoa tātou. Mā wai ngā Tiamana nei e whawhai, mehemea ki te hoki mātou?"
"He whakahau rā tēnei. Haere."
Kīhai i roa i muri mai, kā puta te karere:

“We are not going. If you all are staying we are staying too. Who will fight the Germans if we leave?”
“This is an order. Go.” [9]

It wasn’t long after that a message arrived:

He whakahau nā te Brigadier ki ngā
hōia katoa o te Emepaea, i Kirihi. Hei
te ono karaka i te ata, te rua tekau
mā iwa o ngā rā o Āperira, ka tuku
koutou i ā koutou patu ki raro.

This is an order from the Brigadier to all the soldiers of the Empire in Greece. At 6 am, on the 29th of April, you must lay down your weapons.

[1] Wāpu is translated as bridge as it refers to a bridge over the canal that the Battalion feared being destroyed as that would prevent the trucks moving further south.

[2] Text in italics from Soutar, 2008, Nga Tama Toa: the price of citizenship, p.130

[3] Text in italics from Soutar, 2008, Nga Tama Toa: the price of citizenship, p.130

[4] Text in italics from Soutar, 2008, Nga Tama Toa: the price of citizenship, p.130. Soutar translates awaawa as river. Soutar visited the area in 2011 and traversed the route in daylight accordingly, a ravine is a better description of the terrain.

[5] Interpretation is that he would be better riding a horse than driving a truck.

[6] In the original text this footnote appears, e toro ana = e kā ana, e kainga ana e te ahi.

[7] The word ‘hinu’ from the Māori text is translated here as ‘petrol’ rather than oil as it is more appropriate in this context.

[8] “We are returning to eat sand” refers to the Battalion going down to the beach at Kalamata. They were held up some distance from the beach. Sir Hēnare Ngata to Monty Soutar, May 2011.

[9] Text in italics from Soutar, Nga Tama Toa: the price of citizenship, p.131

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