Pages tagged with: maori pioneer battalion

Maori reactions to serving in the First World War largely reflected iwi experiences of British actions in the 19th century.

The New Zealand Pioneer Battalion arrived in France in April 1916. It was the first unit of the New Zealand Division to move on to the bloody battlefield of the Somme.

More than 90 years after the Battle of the Somme it is still possible to find the physical traces of the hundreds of thousands of men who fought and died there in 1916. In 2007 a French family unearthed the identity tag of New Zealand soldier Richard Kemp, and in 2008, the tag was returned home.

This slide show illustrates the vital role played by horses and mules on the Belgian battlefields. Hundreds of these animals were employed hauling field guns and delivering munitions, rations and other supplies to the front line, often in appalling conditions.

Badges of the Native Contingent and New Zealand (Maori) Pioneer Battalion

Members of the Native Contingent aboard ship before their departure in February 1915.

Further information about Maori in the First World War.