Robert Norton

My mothers father was Alfred Edwin Taranui(Eddy)Kingi who was a Sgt in B Company,39085. He went overseas with many of his Ngati Pikiao kin and was lucky enough to return albeit wounded in 1943. His younger brother Noel Eru Kingi followed with a later contingent,but was killed in action in the Western Desert,5 July 1942,aged 21 and is buried at El Alamein.Some of his first cousins also went overseas including my other koro Tutewehiwehi Kingi and his older brother Hori as well as Tauhu Kingi Ransfield,who was killed on Christmas Day in the Italian campaign.Some other members of our whanau who served included my grandmothers brother Percy(Laddie)Farrell and her cousin Puhi Patara(Ngati Uenukukopako) and three uncles on my Dads side,Harry Shaw,John Black and Stewart Black (Tai Paraki) from Whakatohea and Tuhoe To me the 28 Maori Battalion,and also the Pioneer Maori Battalion before them,are a monumental source of pride,strength,inspiration and courage who deservedly earned their place in history.