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Reading, hymn and prayer as part of the religious service for the opening of Uepohatu memorial hall at Ruatoria in 1947.

The marae hosted events held on the 12th and 13th of September that included cultural competitions with local school children and the opening of the Uepohatu War Memorial Hall. The hall was built to commemorate East Coast soldiers who died during the two World Wars. 

A reunion of ex-service people (including members of the Maori Battalion) was also held. 

At the Investiture held on the second day, seventeen decorations were presented to servicemen and women who had served abroad and on the home front.

The gathering was an important one, attended by thousands including the Prime Minister Peter Fraser, the Leader of the Opposition Sidney Holland and other members of Parliament.  Sir Bernard Freyberg, the Governor General opened the hall and unveiled two memorial tablets inside.

Second hymn as part of the religious service for the opening of Uepohatu memorial hall at Ruatoria in 1947.

The marae hosted events held on the 12th and 13th of September that included cultural competitions with local school children and the opening of the Uepohatu War Memorial Hall. The hall was built to commemorate East Coast soldiers who died during the two World Wars. 

A reunion of ex-service people (including members of the Maori Battalion) was also held. 

At the Investiture held on the second day, seventeen decorations were presented to servicemen and women who had served abroad and on the home front.

The gathering was an important one, attended by thousands including the Prime Minister Peter Fraser, the Leader of the Opposition Sidney Holland and other members of Parliament.  Sir Bernard Freyberg, the Governor General opened the hall and unveiled two memorial tablets inside.

The Governor General Sir Bernard Freyberg addresses the gathering and makes the opening dedication of  the Uepohatu memorial hall in Ruatoria in 1947.

The marae hosted events held on the 12th and 13th of September that included cultural competitions with local school children and the opening of the Uepohatu War Memorial Hall. The hall was built to commemorate East Coast soldiers who died during the two World Wars. 

A reunion of ex-service people (including members of the Maori Battalion) was also held. 

At the Investiture held on the second day, seventeen decorations were presented to servicemen and women who had served abroad and on the home front.

The gathering was an important one, attended by thousands including the Prime Minister Peter Fraser, the Leader of the Opposition Sidney Holland and other members of Parliament.  Sir Bernard Freyberg, the Governor General opened the hall and unveiled two memorial tablets inside.

The hymn 'Au e Ihu' and a dedicatory closing words from Bishop Bennett at the official opening of the Uepohatu memorial hall at Ruatoria in 1947.

The marae hosted events held on the 12th and 13th of September that included cultural competitions with local school children and the opening of the Uepohatu War Memorial Hall. The hall was built to commemorate East Coast soldiers who died during the two World Wars. 

A reunion of ex-service people (including members of the Maori Battalion) was also held. 

At the Investiture held on the second day, seventeen decorations were presented to servicemen and women who had served abroad and on the home front.

The gathering was an important one, attended by thousands including the Prime Minister Peter Fraser, the Leader of the Opposition Sidney Holland and other members of Parliament.  Sir Bernard Freyberg, the Governor General opened the hall and unveiled two memorial tablets inside.

Reinforcements of the Maori Battalion send messages to their comrades during this broadcast.  Here they sing the national anthem God save the king.

Transcript

God Save the King

God save our gracious
Long live our noble king
God save our king

Send him victorious
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over us
God save our king

Reinforcements of the Maori Battalion send messages to their comrades during this broadcast.  The Minister conducts the prayer Hei mua koe and the Reinforcements sing the hymn Au e Ihu

Transcript

Minister: Kei inoi tatou.
Hei mua koe i a matou, e Ihowa
Hei tohutohu i a matou mahi katoa
Ko koe ano hoki hei whakakaha i a matou
Kia whai korōria ai koe i a mātou mahi katoa
He mea timata, he mea mahi, he mea whakaoti i roto i a koe
Kia whiwhi ai hoki matou ki te ora tonu i te mea e atawhaitia mai nei e koe
Ko Ihu Karaiti hoki to matou Ariki
Amine

Au e Ihu
Au e Ihu
Tirohia
Arohaina iho ra
Whakaaetia ake au
Ki tou uma piri ai

I te wa
E awhi ai
Enei ngaru kino nei
I te wa
E keri ai
Enei awha kaha mai
Amine

Lt Arapeta Awatere and Sgt Wanoa send greetings in Maori to the Maori Battalion.

Transcript

MC:  Lt Awatere to be followed by Sgt Wanoa will send greetings to the Maori Battalion at this moment.  Lt Awatere.

Lt Awatere:  E nga apiha, e nga tamariki hoia Maori o te roopu Maori e noho mai na i tawahi.  Tena koutou, tena koutou.  Tena koutou te ahuatanga o tatou matua i roto i tenei ahuatanga o te pakanga kua puea ake nei i roto i enei tau.  Heoi ano, he mihi atu, he maioha atu no te ngakau kia koutou e noho mai na i kona. Me te tangi atu hoki o nga pakeke i te kainga nei, o nga matua i te kainga nei, tae atu hoki i a matou.  A heoi, he tumanako ake kia tata te wa e kitekite ano ai tatou.   Kia ora hoki e Parekura Tureia, Kapene Scott, Te Ohaki Rire, a, Kingi Areta Keiha, a Waka Karaka me Hori Ormond – ara nga matua o nga tamariki o te rohe potae o te Tairawhiti. Kia ora koutou, ma te atua koutou e tiaki. 

Sgt Wanoa: Te roopu hoia Maori kua tae atu na ki rawahi, tena koutou, tena koutou.   Tena koutou nga maramara, o nga maramara o nga waka i kauria mai ra i te Moana nui a kiwa, ki tawhiti nui, ki tawhiti roa, ki tawhiti pamamao.   Tena koutou i a Kanara Whiti ma, mo te taha a tangata, i raro ano hoki i a Kahi Harawira mo te taha a wairua.  Heoi ra nga mihi kia koutou katoa.  Oti ra, ko te ra popototanga o aku korero, he mihi atu kia Kapene Scott, Parekura Tureia, i a Te Ohaki Rire, i a Waka Karaka, kia Henare Ngata, kia Kingi Areta Keiha, ara kia koutou ki nga matua o nga tamariki nei o te Tairawhiti.  Tena ano hoki koutou nga tamariki, nga toa, nga taitama tane o te Whanau a Apanui, Tuwhakairiora, Ngati Porou, Tu te Rangikatipu, Whanau a Rua, Hauiti, Rongowhakaata, Aitanga a Mahaki, Ngati Kahungunu.  Ma Ihowa koutou e manaaki e tiaki i nga wahi katoa e haere ai koutou i roto ano ki nga whakamatautauranga a te hoariri.  Kia ora

MC:  The two men who have just spoken are representatives of the East coast tribes, speaking, sending greetings, to their folks, to their members of their race across in England. 

Reinforcements of the Maori Battalion sing March to Victory in Maori.

Transcript

MC: The next item is the Battalion song, the Main Body sang it across in English now the reinforcements will reply in the same song only sung in Maori.

(The Reinforcements sing March toVictory)

Captain Chaplain Wiremu Netana Panapa was the Maori Battalion's chaplain here in New Zealand.  He sends his greetings and a challenge to the Maori Battalion soldiers serving overseas.

Transcript

MC: Captain Chaplain Panapa will now send greetings to Chaplain Harawira and also to the members of the Maori Battalion. 

Captain Panapa:  Tena koutou te ope tuatahi o tenei hokowhitu a Tu noho mai na i roto i te muri o te ahi a te tangata nei a Hitara Riu.  Kua himenetia atu e nga tamariki nei te himene kai ngakau a nga hoia o tera pakanga, ko Wepiha Wainohu ratou ko tana whanau.   Ka rapopoto katoa ai ki roto i nga kupu o taua himene a matou inoi, o matou whakaaro o te iwi nui o koutou whaea, kuia, matua, hoa tane, wahine, e noho atu nei i te wa kainga.  Mo tetahi kupu whakakaha atu i a koutou, kei te takatu te iwi kei te whiti ki nga toa.  Te aro mai o tena ko nga kupu tonu o te Maori Battalion ko nga kupu Maori e waiatatia e nga tamariki nei.  Kahore o koutou awangawanga mo nga tamariki e haere atu nei, maku noa e kii ake kei te haere atu te kirimi, ae te kirimi, o te iwi Maori, mo te whitika(?), mo nga mahi hoia, tae atu ana ki te whutupaoro.  I te hararei nei ka waimarie matou ki te Whangatauatia cup.  Kei te hari atu nga tamariki ki kona; here’s a challenge overseas – Maori Battalion versus First Maori Reinforcements.  Me mohio au ki te peti, me mutu noa iho.  Tena koutou ma te atua koutou e manaaki, mana koutou e tiaki. 

This recording is part of a broadcast to the members of Maori Battalion overseas.  Here, the Reinforcements of the sing the song Te Aroha.

Second Lieutenants' Whareaitu and Karaitiana send greetings to members of the Maori Battalion.

Transcript

MC:  Second Lt Whareaitu of the Te Arawa tribes and also Second Lt Karaitiana, Ngati Kahungunu, Hawkes Bay those tribes will now send greetings to the members of the Maori Battalion.

Second Lieutenant Whareaitu:  Nga iwi, nga iwi kua wehe atu nei i mua i a matou – tena ano koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou. 

Kahore nei ano nga korero kia koutou, nga mihi kia koutou kahore e pani. Ko te tumanako no te ngakau i te mea kua tae koutou ki mua i te aroaro o to koutou, ara, i to tatou tumuaki i a Kingi Hori.  Ka mutu nei nga mihi. Kei taku teina, e Whetu, tena koe, tena koe me ou tamariki e noho mai na i tena marae.  Kua poto taku taima me whakawhaiti nga korero inaianei.  Tiakina mai te kainga me nga tamariki.  Kei te ora nga tangata o te kainga.  Heoi ano nga mihi, kei te tatari i te wa e karangatia ai matou.  No reira, Te Arawa me nga iwi o te motu, noho mai ra i tena kainga, kia ora ano koutou katoa.

Second Lieutenant Karaitiana:  Colonel Dittmer and the officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the Maori Battalion who were my comrades in Trentham and in Palmerston North – tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou.

I bring greetings to you from Ngati Kahungunu and from those of us who still have to follow the trail that you have blazed.  We of the Maori Battalion who are still in Aotearoa here, we look to you as our goal, as the model that we must emulate and the star that shines over you is our guiding star.  We wish you the opportunities you desire but we hope that you will leave something for us to do when we arrive.  Until then – kia ora, kia ora koutou katoa. 

Reinforcements of the Maori Battalion perform a haka during this broadcast from New Zealand for members of the Maori Battalion who were overseas.