Charlie Mohi, Part 12 - Seeing his wife for the first time

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Te Tohara (Charlie) Mohi grew up in Pakipaki.  He embarked for war in 1941 and served with the Maori Bren-carrier platoon. 

In this final recording, Charlie recounts the first time he saw his wife and his warning to his comrades that they were to stay away from her. 

Charlie finishes his interview with an acknowledgement of his comrades who died in the war and those who returned who had also passed on.

Transcript

Taku taenga mai, i te po i tae mai e au, ka kite au i taku hoa wahine (kata).  Ka korero atu au ki aku hoa, “Ka kite koe tera – naku.  Kaua koutou, kaua koutou e whakatata atu ki tera, naku tera.”
“A, ko wai hoki te ingoa?”
“E, kare hoki e mohio, maku e kite e korero atu au.”
A, whakaaro pai tonu mai aku hoa kua waihongia taku, taua kotiro nei maku.  A, engari ko nga ahua i riro mai ki au, ei, ahua pai tonu.  Ka karanga atu au ki te kotiro, “Haere mai, kei te haere koe i taku kainga ki te kai.”
“Kare rawa atu, kare e mohio i a koe!”
“Kei te pai, haere koe ki te kainga ka mohio koe i a au.”

Mai ra ano ki tera wa ki tenei wa, ko taku hoa wahine tenei. Engari ko nga korero, ki au inaianei ko nga mea whakakatakata noa iho.  Kei reira ano nga mea kino, engari koira, ki oku whakaaro inaianei kua tapu.  Ki nga mate o aku hoa, ki a ratou ma i hingahinga mai i reira.  Ka hoki tonu nga whakaaro i etahi wa ki a ratou, engari ko nga mea ngahau kei te mau tonu.  Kei te mau tonu era, engari waihongia.  No reira, akuni pea me mutu nga korero o tenei.  Ko aku hoa, i hoki mai ai matou nga mea o Ngati Porou, te nuinga o ratou kua matemate katoa.  Katahi tonu i tera tau ra, etahi o ratou, koinei nga tino hoa i mohio ai au i te wa o te pakanga.  A, me waiho i reira, kia ora tatou. 

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.

Paton, Harold Gear, 1919-2010. Maori Battalion, with anti-tank gunners and a Bren carrier, on an Italian Road leading into Tripoli, during World War 2 - Photograph taken by H Paton. New Zealand. Department of Internal Affairs. War History Branch :Photographs relating to World War 1914-1918, World War 1939-1945, occupation of Japan, Korean War, and Malayan Emergency. Ref: DA-02871-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23069449
See the full photo here.

Submitter:
Submitted by mbadmin on

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