The mokopuna of a Māori Battalion soldier says she is proud to be able to witness Te Hokowhitu a Tū – the New Zealand Maori Contingent and the New Zealand Maori (Pioneer) Battalion receive two new battle honours from Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro on behalf of King Charles.
This significant event will take place next Thursday at Burnham Military Camp, where eight additional battle honours will be emblazoned onto the new Regimental Colour of the 2nd/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (2/1 RNZIR).
Corporal Paddy Whare, the great-granddaughter of Private Te Iwi Ngaro Whare, who served with Te Hokowhitu a Tū – the New Zealand Maori Contingent and the New Zealand Maori (Pioneer) Battalion during World War I, will be present to honour her koro’s legacy.
Seven years ago, Whare discovered her koro’s military service while researching her whakapapa on the 28th’ (Maori) Battalion website.
“I looked at the 28th (Maori) Battalion website, typed in the name Whare and it returned with David George Whare, which is my father’s name, but he never served.
“I went back through my father’s whakapapa documents to read that my koro Te Iwi Ngaro Whare was also known as Dave.”
Her research was fruitful and found the long history of service her koro had left behind.
“The New Zealand Defence Force’s personnel, archives and medals team returned two regimental numbers with my koro’s name.”
Following her koro’s war achievements, she found he had died in 1957 at the age of 60, having lived in Tarukenga, near Rotorua, with his wife and family.
Whare said she would be proud to be standing on parade when Te Hokowhitu a Tū’s battle honours are paraded on 2/1 RNZIR’s Colours.
“It’s going to be pretty emotional seeing the new battle honours being marched onto the parade ground.”
Whare has also had other whānau members who have served in the New Zealand Army and hoped her koro would be proud to see them following in his footsteps.
Six of out of the eight battle honours have never previously been emblazoned on any New Zealand Army infantry colours and the new colours will replace the old colours presented to the battalion in 1980.
Colours continue to be paraded ceremonially to signify the spirit and identity of regiments and serve as the moral rallying point that records their history.
The new King’s and Regimental Colour of 2/1 RNZIR will be the first to be presented to the NZ Defence Force during the reign of King Charles, and the first presentation of colours to any New Zealand unit since 1997.