Wharetini Rangi writes to Ngata during the Battle of El Alamein

This letter was written during the Battle of El Alamein by Captain Chaplain Wharetini Rangi to Sir Apirana Ngata. Padre Rangi had returned to Base Camp in Egypt and was recovering from deafness after having been in the frontline for two months


Sir Apirana Ngata MP
Ruatoria
East Coast

Nov 25th 1942

W Rangi   C.F. 69291
28th Maori Btn,
Composite Training Depot
M.E.F.

 

Tena koe ara koutou katoa e noho mai na i te wa kainga i roto i te aroha, me te mamae mo nga aitua maha ote kainga na, me enei hoki kua hinga atu nei i roto i te mura o te ahi. Kei roto te aroha me te mamae i a matau katoa e peehi ana, e koingo atu ana ki te wa kainga. Ko te titiro ano ki nga tamariki e tawheta mai ra i runga o Ripia, a Kanara Love ratau ko ana tamariki, e tangihia mai ra e koutou katoa mai i te Tai-tokerau ki te Waipounamu. Ano ratau katoa mai Kirihi ki Kiriti ki Ihipa nei me era atu waahi. Tena koutou te Tairawhiti, kua tae mai a koutou kai ma matau. Nga tini poaka paua, parengo, me nga kao, me nga kaaho titi. Kia ora koutou katoa mo o koutou whakaaro mai kia matau. Ko te nuinga o nga tahua kai nei i haere ki mua ki te Btn, ko te toenga ki a matau me nga mea i nga hohipera. Naku i mau haere ki tena hohipera, ki tena hohipera kia kai te katoa. Ko Wanoa kua whaka-chaplain-ngia ki te Btn. Ko ahau kei te puni. Ko te Harawira kei te hohipera tonu. E rua aku marama i te Btn i Aramiena. I turi ko aku taringa ka whakahokia mai ki muri, kua pai inaianei tetahi, kei te ora te tinana. Ko Peneti raua ko Reta Keiha kei te whakahaere i te Btn ko te Omana raua ko Tiaki Rire me Ngarimu matau kei muri nei. Kanui te ora o nga morehu. Kua pai a Te Hati raua ko Te Waipaina kei te Hohipera, me te nuinga o ratou kei te taotu.

Our arohanui to you all at home, we send Xmas and New Years greetings to New Zealand, to our people, to our loved ones at home.

 

Translation

Sir Apirana Ngata MP
Ruatoria
East Coast

Nov 25th 1942

W Rangi   C.F. 69291
28th Maori Btn,
Composite Training Depot
M.E.F.

 

Greetings to you, indeed to you all at home in love, and with grief for the many who have passed away at home, as well as these who have fallen here in the heat of battle. Love and longing are within us and presses us, as we pine for home. We look again to the children, who lie in a heap (ie. buried) upon Libyan soil, Colonel Love and his boys, who you all weep for from the Northland to the South Island. Also, all of those [who died] from Greece to Crete and those other places. Greetings to you of the Tairawhiti, your food for us has arrived. The majority of these preserved foods went forward to the Battalion, the remainder to us and those in hospitals. I took it to each hospital so that all got to eat. Wanoa has been made chaplain to the Battalion. I am at base camp. Harawira is still in hospital. I was two months with the Battalion at Alamein.  When my ears were deafened I was brought back to the rear, one is fine now, and my health is good. Bennett and Reta Keiha are in charge of the Battalion. Ormond, Jack Reedy, Ngarimu and I are at base. The veterans are very well. Hati and Te Waipaina are in hospital, as well as the majority of those who are wounded.

Our love to you all at home, we send Xmas and New Years greetings to New Zealand, to our people, to our loved ones at home.

 

REFERENCE

Published with the permission of the Ngata family.
English translation by Monty Soutar

Alexander Turnbull Library
Ngata Family Papers, MS-Papers-6919-0788

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use.

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