In remembrance of those who served: The contribution of Māori servicemen in the First World War

There are some great titles in our collection for those looking for reading material in remembrance of Māori who served in the First World War. Try one of the following:

He Rau Mahara

Published in 2017 by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the book is an acknowledgement of Ngāi Tahu servicemen who enlisted in the First World War. There is also a website of the same name, He Rau Mahara that contains images and memoirs of the Ngāi Tahu soldiers of the Great War, a timeline of World War One and a Roll of Honour.

Te Hokowhitu A Tu : the Maori Pioneer Battalion in the First World War / Christopher Pugsley

Written by historian Christopher Pugsley, this book tells the story of the first Māori contingent, Te Hokowhitu a Tu, which sailed in 1915. It was followed by the New Zealand Pioneer Battalion, formed as a unit of the New Zealand Division on 20 February 1916 in Egypt following the evacuation of New Zealanders from Gallipoli in December 1915. In 1917, The New Zealand (Māori) Pioneer Battalion was formed as a Māori Unit on 1 September 1917. Over 2,200 men served in the battalion from Gallipoli, to France and Flanders.

Maori in the Great War

A reprint of the James Cowan text first published in 1926, discusses the major Māori contribution in World War.

See our First World War guides for more titles, in particular:

New Zealanders in the First World War – Māori and Pacific Island Soldiers

Or try our Māori contribution to WWI and WWII reading list.