2nd Lieutenant Albert Bennett (Te Arawa) introduces the Battalion singing a song of derision, Hītara waha huka, ūpoko māro (Hitler, foaming mouthed and hard-headed). The Māori words by Tuini Ngawai are set to the popular shearing song Click go the shears. The final line of the words proclaim 'kari ana te kauae, o te parari nei a Hītara e' ('let's punch the jaw of this bloody bugger Hitler!'). It was first publicly performed by massed Ngāti Porou school children at the Ngārimu VC hui in Ruatōria in 1943.
Reference:
Track eleven from Ake, Ake Kia Kaha E! Songs of the 28 (Māori) Battalion
Sound file from Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright.
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