Charlie Mohi, Part 6 - Being surrounded

CHARLIEMOHI-crop.jpeg

Te Tohara (Charlie) Mohi grew up in Pakipaki.  He embarked for war in 1941 and served with the Maori Bren-carrier platoon.  Charlie returned on furlough in 1945, see the photo here.

In this recording Charlie recounts a particular engagement in the desert between the Battalion and Germans.

Site editors note: ? - denotes audio is indecipherable

Transcript

Kei te moe ke au i te taha o taku, taku waka, he moe ngenge tonu nei.  Ka maharahara oku hoa kua whara au. Ka haramai taku heihana ki te tiro i a ia, e kei te ngongoro ke te ?.  Kare i o ngongoro o te toa nei, he ngongoro, he ngongoro mangere Bear au.  Ka haere mai matou, a ka mauria matou ki runga tetahi ahua hiwi nei.  Ko nga hoia o nga, o matou hoia, kua karikari katoa i o ratou trenches kei mua tonu i a matou, e whanga ana mo te Tiamana.  Kite matou e hara mai ana nga Tiamana kei runga hiwi ke matou e titiro ana.  Ka haramai nga Tiamana ra, a, e rimu tekau iari pea te tawhiti mai ki o matou.  Ka heke ratou.  Kei te haere atu hoki o matou, a matou pu, e kei te haramai tonu te Tiamana nei.  Ka kite matou, te tera te tuatahi i kite ana au te Tiamana e mea ana i te peita.  Kuhungia atu te pene ki mua i to ratou reiwhara ka hara mai ratou.  Kei te whakaaro, he aha hoki te mahi a matou tamariki, a matou hoia, kei te tuhi, kei te paku nga pu, engari kei te hara mai tonu te Tiamana.   Ka ahua tata mai pea, e rua tekau iari i pea ka timata te haka.  Rongo tonu ma te, e rua rau iari pea matou i muri.  Kei te rongo matou, i a matou mea, a matou tangata e haka ana.  E, ka piki atu i waho.  Ka haere tonu atu me a ratou peneti.  Timata to matou, te huritanga o tera te Tiamana – araaaaa.  A hoki, ka whai haere tonu, whai haere tonu, kei te rongo matou e karanga ana nga apiha, nga heihana “kia hoki mai, kia hoki mai.”  A, hoki mai ratou.  Kua ahua tata tonu te pouri i taua wa.  Well, kua puta mai nga korero ko, ko te mea kua ‘circlengia’ matou.  Ei, me pewhea hoki!  Ah well, kei te haere tonu tena i tona taha, haere tonu. Tena.  Ka puta mai o matou apiha, me nga korero.  “Kei te haere matou, e moe, engari kei te haere tatou i te rua o nga haora i te ata.  Kua huri noa te Tiamana kei waenganui tatou.”  Kua maungia to tatou rangatira a Freyberg, i whara i taua wa.  Kua maungia, kua puta ma runga aeroplane.  Engari tatou, well, a te rua o nga haora ka whawhai tatou, kokiritia tatou kia puta atu.

Reference:

Sound file from Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, ref: 139356. Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright.

Image
Crop of full photo -  Bren-carrier platoon leads the Maori Battalion into Tripoli, 23 January 1943.  Sgt Te Whiu Purei (standing) and Charlie Mohi, seated.

Submitter:
Submitted by mbadmin on

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