E ngā mana, e nga reo, e ngā kārangaranga maha huri noa te Tairāwhiti, te motu anō hoki, anō ngā mihi i roto i ngā piki heketanga o te wā. Tihe mauri ora!
On behalf of Ngā Tama Toa Trust, I formally re-invite you to attend the Presentation of Medals – Te Hui Tuku Taonga – to families of C Company of the 28th Maori Battalion on Saturday 17th April 2021 in Gisborne, beginning 9am. The ceremony was originally scheduled for the 6th March but was postponed because of Covid-19 restrictions.
As per information previously communicated, this occasion is to mark the “repatriation” and presentation of medals to C Company soldiers who did not receive them after they returned from WW2. There were 134 soldiers in total, however, only up to 74 soldiers – or at least their families – will receive their medals, as these were the only families who came forward when the notification was initially publicized.
The work was done by David Stone – a lawyer who’s great-uncle was one of those soldiers who did not receive his medals. In pursuing the case for his great-uncle, it opened up a Pandora’s box of the many other soldiers who suffered the same predicament. The following attachment has a lot more detail about David and his work on this kaupapa.
Effort to give relatives of Māori Battalion vets the medals they never received | Stuff.co.nz
The programme is the same as that previously notified as follows:
Venue: C Company Memorial House and Kelvin Park. Pōwhiri to be held on back lawn on Kelvin Park.
- 9am – Pōwhiri to recipient whānau and dignatories.
- 10.00am – Medal Presentation Ceremony begins (MC NZ Army)
- 12.30pm – Photos etc
- 1pm – Lunch – take-away or dine-in hāngi packs.
- 2pm – Finish
Refreshments – tea/coffee/water and nibbles will be served throughout the ceremony.
Anyway, this email is to invite you to this occasion if you are available.
Noho ora mai i roto i ngā piki heketanga o te wā.
Naku anō
Walton Walker
Chairman – Ngā Taonga o Ngā Tama Toa Trust