The
book contains over 400 pages, 250,000 words and 1,100 photographs,
including almost every one of the 945 men who served in C Company,
28 (Maori) Battalion. It makes a significant contribution to the
growing literature about New Zealand in the Second World War.
It offers a unique insight into the impact of that war on iwi
of the Tairawhiti district (Ngai Tai-ki-Torere, Whanau-a-Apanui,
Ngati Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki, Rongowhakaata & Ngai Tamanuhiri)
focusing on the region’s war effort overseas, at home and
in government. This region from Torere (Bay of Plenty) to Muriwai
(South of Gisborne) made up C Company.
Through
personal recollections, eyewitness accounts and anecdotes, interwoven
with official military reports, and highly illustrated with many
images previously unpublished, the book tells the story of C Company
and the Battalion’s war on many different levels. It also
captures the special ‘spirit’ of the Maori Battalion,
which became renowned not only for its dash and flair for the
unorthodox, but also for its contribution in manpower to the war
effort — of the 3,600 men who served in the Maori Battalion,
more than a quarter came from the Tairawhiti. The feisty, independent
and at times rebellious character of the men in this company is
apparent.
It’s an amazing story — at times heart rending, at
times heart warming — which allows the voices of those who
were there to be heard on almost every page. It is unique because
of the breadth and scale of the research undertaken and the long-term
commitment by the communities represented to the project.
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