when Captain Rangi Royal gave the order to charge: He blew his whistle, and no bugger moved. It wasn’t until he blew it again and he [Royal] jumped up himself … Sam O’Brien from Te Puke got up with him and started to ‘mea’ with his rifle [demonstrates use of the rifle like a taiaha]. You wouldn’t think he was a soldier at all ... He had two left feet ... But oh, something must have stirred inside him, I suppose, when he got up and did this. Rangi just raised his staff and went like that [pointed his staff in the direction of the enemy] ‘Chaaarge!’ And there’s Sam doing like a wero next to him. And of course every body just got up and into it ... And boy, you get these Tuhoe fullas yelling in Maori not in English. Private Rangitepuru Waretini (Sonny Sewell), 28th (Maori) Battalion, in Monty Soutar, Nga tama toa: the price of citizenship, 2008, pp. 147–8 AKP

Kia Ora My name is Anaru Kepa Phillips, and this is my grandfather who son is Michael Te Ranapia O'brien who is my father. I didnt get to met my grandfather for he passed on before I was born however, only recently that I have been speaking to my father about my grandfather being part of the 28th Maaori Battalion that he shared alot about him and what he did overseas. when he returned he worked for the ministry of works in the Bay of Plenty. AKP