Charlie Mohi, Part 3 - Arrival in Egypt

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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.  Charlie returned on furlough in 1945, see the photo here.

When Charlie arrived in Egypt on June 29th, 1941 he was admitted into hospital with a bout of pnuemonia.  Here he recounts his experience in the South African run hospital in Suez.

Transcript

Ta matou mahi. Engari to matou taenga atu ki Ihipa, e, ka pa ki au te pneumonia.  I te po tonu, e ta, i te ata tonu he hekeheke ana matou ka taenga atu e au te mau i aku peke i te taha, hinga tonu atu au, hemo tonu atu!  A ka maungia i au ki ro hohipera, i Sudan, a Suez.  Ka maungia au ki ro hohipera i reira, a, kua tangotango ke aku, aku tikiti, kare e mohio ke te iwi ra he aha he mangumangu, he aha ranei.  Engari he toru pea nga ra katahi ano ka oho, i te kaha o te mauiui.  Engari, taku ohotanga titiro atu au he Pakeha, he wahine Pakeha.  Ka korero mai ki au – “are you Maowri?”  Ka ruru atu taku mahunga, ka moe ano.  Engari taku ohotanga, i mutu atu taku mauiuitanga, e tama, i roto au i mea, I te hohipera o nga South Africans - te iwi kare nei pirangi  te mangumangu.  Aue, ka pau te wehi taua iwi ra.  Engari, hei aha maku.  Korero mai ki au, e karawhiungia atu te Maori.  Mohio tonu he ahua pai ke atu toku maramatanga toku mohiotanga i to ratou.  E toru wiki au e noho ana i reira, a ka hoki atu au ki to matou ope, i te, i reira e tereina ana i Maadi. 

Kua haere ke etahi o oku hoa ki te Battalion, e noho mai ana ratou, katahi tonu etahi o ratou hoki mai i mea i Greece, i Crete to ratou pana mai tanga e te Tiamana, whiua mai ratou i waho.  Hoki mai ratou, a, Kabrit pea te ingoa o taua kainga, kua wareware i au nga ingoa.  A, ka haere au ki reira, a ka kite au nga mea o te kainga, nga mea o te ope tuatahi, a taku tuakana.  E tama, to matou taenga ki reira, whakamahia matou. Ko matou noa iho nga mea mahi, ko nga Reinforcements, e tama!  Ko te mea, te ope tuatahi, e ta, kei ro moenga ke e noho ana.  A, mai i tera wa kare ano au e puta atu, e uru atu ki te mea, ki taku company.  Ko te C Company, i haere atu i te taha o te C Company i konei, a, noho tonu au ki C Company, a ka maungia au ki ro Headquarters Company i roto i nga Bren Carriers.  A, he rawe tera, kare hoki i haerere ma o waewae koe e mau, ma te motoka matou, ma te Bren Carrier ke koe e mau.  A noho tonu au i roto i te Bren Carrier a mutu noa atu i te whawhai.  A matou mahi oh well.

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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