Another interesting person that Wayne introduced me to at the badge meeting in December 2010, allowed me to take a copy of the following photograph of his father "Sergeant Poutawera Leonard Rahiri" Service No. 60610, who embarked with the Maori Contingent's 30th Reinforcements on the 13th June 1918.
Sergeant Rahiri is photographed wearing the distinctive Maori Contingent's 'reinforcement' badges that were made in Auckland by Watts Ltd.
Dave Corbetts book (The NZ badge bible - The Regimental Badges of New Zealand) unfortunately states that these so called "First pattern badge was worn by A Company only."
Sadly Dave was very wrong and the Watts made badges are in fact unofficial reinforcement badges that were only worn in New Zealand and on the transport ships.
The good news is that Sergeant Rahiri's son still has his dads red and black Maori Contingent patch, unfortunately I haven't got a photo of it, but hopefully Wayne might be able to sort that for us.
