Māori Battalion War Medals

Members of the New Zealand Defence Force, Navy and Koro Bom Gillies are welcomed onto Pakipaki Marae by the Haukainga at the first ceremony to present whānau with the medals of their tūpuna, held in early 2021. credit: Paul Taylor.

Te Mata Law has been on a crusade to ensure descendants of soldiers of the 28th (Māori) Battalion are issued with the medals that their tīpuna earned overseas.  The journey is a personal one for David Stone who wondered why his Great Uncle Turi Dooley Swann who was killed at the battle of Faenza (Italy), was never issued with his medals.

David realised that statistically, Dooley could not be the only C Company soldier who never received his medals and undertook research concerning the same.  That research revealed he wasn’t the only one, with research showing on average, 15% of soldiers from Paki Paki (Hastings), Opotiki and Motukaraka had not been issued with their medals. 

 Te Mata Law then went through every village of C Company (Wairoa to Opotiki) or 900 files and found a total of 134 solders who never got their medals.  David then went to Gisborne and other places and got the families of those soldiers to fill out the paper work to allow them to receive the medals.  One particular highlight was having 3 wives of these Rangatira come forward and receive their late husband’s medals. 

There were 3 ceremonies held in Paki Paki, C Company Memorial House in Gisborne and Horowhenua College were senior officers from the New Zealand Defence Force presented medals. 

To see the list of soldiers who did not receive medals from C Company, including soldiers who still have unclaimed medals, click here.

Please contact us if you recognise anyone with unclaimed medals on this list.

Miha Karikari being presented by the New Zealand Defence Force and Hon Meka Whaitiri with the medals of Mihere Karikari (pictured in the portrait) credit: Paul Taylor.

Members of the New Zealand Defence Force, Navy and Lawyer David Stone at the Pakipaki medal ceremony. credit: Paul Taylor.

Last surviving member of the 28th Māori battalion Koro Bom Gillies with Hon Meka Whaitiri the Minister for Veterans at the second Medals ceremony held in Gisborne at the C Company Māori Battalion Memorial House.

New Zealand Defence Force being welcomed at the second Medals ceremony in Gisborne held at the C Company Māori Battalion Memorial House.