Reverend Wharetini's letter to his wife

Chaplain Captain Wharetini of Te-Aitanga-a-Hauiti writes to his wife from the desert, 5 August 1942. Chaplain Captain Wharetini reached the Battalion three weeks before his birthday.  His three sons were already serving in Egypt.

My dearest Wife,

I received your cablegram in the Desert here, in the front line, where I have been for one month with the boys, Harawira going back to base to rest and to be with the reinforcements.  I was there for one month before coming here.  This is my ninth letter to you and I do hope that my letters are finding their way home to you all.  I am well and fit, tough I have thinned down a bit and getting used to the desert life, to the flies, to the sound of guns, to being bombed and shelled, having lucky escapes twice.

I was with Colonel T. Love when he was seriously wounded and died on the way back to hospital.  Very sad indeed.  He had just received his promotion to the position as C.O to the Maori Bn, and we were only three days together when he was wounded.  It was a big blow to the boys, being the first Maori to be appointed Colonel, and a very good man.  We were getting on well together.  Major Baker was appointed in his place.

We have had suite a number of casualties since I came up and you will find them all in the papers.  Bill was seriously wounded about the same time as the C.O.  He was wounded by shrapnel in the back and taken to hospital.  We got word back that he was on the serous list.  I went back to see him and it was a full two days journey on my truck with my driver and batman and Capt. Rangi Logan, Pura Logan's son, who was his officer in their Company.  We finally found him a lot better and his name taken off the seriously wounded list.  It was a great relief to us all and will be to yourself and the girls and people.  Numia is here and kei mua atu na nga parepare o mua, kei reira a Nohokau, a Wharepapa, nga Tahae e rua, no Ruatahuna etahi, no Whakatane hoki etahi, ko a Turuhira e rua, e rua a Mohi raua ko to taina.  Claude was wounded about two weeks ago, but better now.  One shell wounded him and Billy Harawira, Fred Harawira's brother.  Charlie Bluett, Wharewera and Himi are here with us and all well so far.  Kei te tu te whawhai i naianei, kaore he nekeneke, heoi ano he pupuri i te raina kia mau.  Ko nga pu nunui anake me runga i te rangi te mahi ana i tana mahi, ara nga mea rere takiwa.  I nga rangi katoa he takataka tonu iho te mahi a te mea rere takiwa, kei runga i a matau e whawhai ana.  I nanahi nei ka taka iho kotahi no matou, i ora te tangata o runga, kotahi te Tiamana i oma.  Ina tonu nei na, i au e tuhi atu nei kei te whawhai a runga i te rangi, kaore he mea i taka iho, ko te Tiamani i oma.  Akuanei kia ahiahi ka timata ano, kei raro nei nga Maori e whakahauhau atu ana.

Ko Re kei te puni tonu, kaore e tukuna mai e nga apiha.  He nui tonu nga tamariki kei reira, tetahi rima rau.  Engari a Tu kei konei kua pai, kua taunga.  Ka tangihia e Re te haramaitanga o Wharepapa me i te puritanga atu a nga Apiha i a ia.  Kaore i whakaaetia, he nui rawa matau ko aku tamariki ki mua nei.  Koa tonu au, tika tonu te whakaaro o nga upoko, ko te ture tonu tera.  Ka nui te ora o Numia me te pai, me te marama me te mauri tau.

I tera Ratapu huri katoa i au te haere te raina o mua i te ahiahi po ki te karakia haere i nga kamupene katoa.  Ka mutu ano te taima tika mo aku karakia i a ratau katoa.  E wha aku karakia i taua po.  I te ata po, 6.30., e waru tekau ma rua matau i te tango hapa.  E paku nei nga pununui i o matau taha me nga mata o nga pununui a te Tiamana e tau mai ana i ko atu ia matau, ko matau i te tango e karakia ana; he hanga aroha.  He hanga paepae noa te roimata i a matau katoa.  He hanga wiriwiri noa te waha ki te karakia, i nga whakaaro e amiki ana, e haehae ana i roto i a matau ko taku whanau.  Ko nga tinana kei konei, ko nga mahara kei te kainga na, Ka tino kaha te koingo atu o te whanau nei ki te hoki atu ki te kainga na, mai i nga apiha tae noa ki nga tamariki.  Koia tenei te wairua kei roto i a ratou katoa e kutukutu ahitia ana i te ao i te po, nga mea kei mua nei, nga mea kei te puni.  Ko te wairua tenei o roto rawa o te whanau nei.  Ehara i te mea he ngenge, he mataku, he kore toa ranei, kaore, engari ki ta ratau korero, ka wha enei a ratau pakanga e tu ana ki te riri me te tangohia haeretia ratau e te mate me nga mea kei te hoki atu, ka whakamorehu haere ratau.  Ka pau katoa atu nga tino kai-arahi i whakaaro nuitia e ratau kei te kainga na, ka panipani te ahua o nga morehu.  I tuhi atu ai au i enei korero kia mohio mai ai koutou.  Mau e tuhi atu ki te tatau papa, ki a Apirana.  Kaore enei korero e taea te waea atu i nga ture a te Pakeha. Ka tere tae atu pea tenei reta aku.  Kaore i tino pai te koraha nei ki te tuhi atu e korero atu i nga korero.  Rereke ano te tuhi reta atu o konei, heoi ano ko te whakaaro tuatahi tonu ki roto, kua tuhiatu.

Tena ra koe, e Ma, ko a taua tamariki, mokopuna hoki, koutou katoa e noho mai na i te kainga, nga hapu, nga rangatira, nga taokete, nga hoa, tena koutou katoa.  Kei te ora matau ko a tatau tamariki.  Ko te aroha nui kei roto i nga wa katoa...

Yours,

Dad

REFERENCE

Alexander Turnbull Library
Eric Ramsden Papers, MS-0196-275

 

Submitted by mbadmin on

Comments (0)