A ceremony to honour members of the Māori Battalion has been held in Gisborne today.
Special tribute was paid to 66 members of Company C at a medal ceremony this morning.
Life...of families...of history....of war ...of courage Whanau gathered to receive war medals of soldiers in the Māori Battalion's C Company for the first time in 75 years. Tairāwhiti - Autumn 2021
Posted by Maria Gobbie - Photography on Friday, 16 April 2021
Descendants of the Company C members were presented with the medals by the NZ Defence Force following a pōwhiri at C Company Memorial House at Kelvin Park.
Source / C Company Memorial House (Facebook)
The medals were owing to the men for their service but had not been formally presented to them after the war.
''They felt the medals needed to be presented face to face" rather than received in the post, researcher David Stone told RNZ. "Their position was do it right or we don't do it at all."
***HE PĀNUI - PRESENTATION OF MEDALS COMPANY C*** Ngā Tama Toa Trust invite all to attend the Presentation of Medals –...
Posted by Te Iwi o Ngai Tāmanuhiri on Wednesday, 17 March 2021
In late February, the families of four Hawke’s Bay Māori Battalion soldiers were given their original World War II medals at an emotional gathering at Houngarea Marae in Pakipaki.
Medals in the hands of whānau🎖 The families of four 28 Maori Battalion soldiers who fought in World War II have been...
Posted by NZ Defence Force on Sunday, 11 April 2021