Maori Poineer patch

[atillathenunns]

Iain, the photo of Tamihana is very important, as all of the 1st Contingent B Company photos I have show no badges being worn.
When I can get my computor to work properly I'll post some more photos.

The Rarotongan and Nuie guys all wore the red and black blazes, the Fijians wore a brass "Fiji" badge on the front of their Service Dress Cap.

[pukman]

Possibly Wi (Hoani W) Tamihana ,of Murawai ,Gisborne 16/535

[atillathenunns]

Iain, with 5 Tamihana's serving in the 1st Maori Contingent, (1 in A Coy and 4 in B Coy) I too think Wi Tamihana 16/535, who hailed from Muriwai and was wounded in action on the 3rd September 1915, is most likely to be the one in the photo.

To be honest I had hoped it was going to be Hoani Ngamu Tamihana 16/185, as this would have greatly narrowed the time frame of when and where the photograph was taken.

I'm still having comp probs (using my daughters Comp at the moment) but when i'm back up and running I will post some photos.

[atillathenunns]

What's so special about the photo of Wi Tamihana is that he is decked out in a full cap and collar set of Native Contingent badges (NZNC), as well as the red and black Maori Contingent blaze.



The majority of portrait photos that I have seen of men from the 1st Maori Contingent usually show no NZNC badges being worn as they were only issued a short time before they embarked. The photos that I have seen of 1st Maori Contingent men wearing NZNC badges, generally are only worn on the front of the pith as can be seen in the following photo, which is part of the same photo that Iain has used in post # 14.



As Wi Tamihana was a member of 'B' Company 1st Maori Contingent, I have provided the following photos of two more men from 'B' Company 1st Maori Contingent to use as a comparisson.
(Corporal Akuhata Paku, Service No. 16/28 and Private Herewini Aramakutu, Service No. 16/87)



My thinking is the photo of Tamihana was taken after the 1st Maori Contingent embarked, possibly Malta.
The Maori Contingent suffered 50% casualties so there's a very good chance more photos might turn up.

[atillathenunns]

For some of us brass and mothed cloth speculators, it is not enough merely to understand when and how long an item we have collected was in use, to satisfy my own cravings I need to know 'why' its particular design was chosen.

Unfortunately, when it comes down to the distinguishing 'red and black' blaze/patch of the Maori Contingent, history has been unkind as very little seems to have been written why the colours 'red and black' were chosen.

The following poster is the earliest publication that I know of cloth insignia and badges that were worn by the New Zealand military forces during WW1. It was commissioned by the Government Life Insurance Office and was 1st published around 1924. The artwork was done by Mr Douglas Moule of Victoria Australia, who also produced a poster of Australian WW1 cloth insignia.

Unfortunately the "Record of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (Insignia) in the Great War from the 4th Aug. 1914 to the 28th June 1919" DOES NOT include the distinguishing 'red and black' blaze/patch of the Maori Contingent.



On page 236 of Dave Corbetts badge book, Dave mentions.—

"The first pattern (NZNC) badge was worn from 1914 till February 1916 with a red and black backing."

Interestingly, Malcolm Thomas and Cliff Lord's book "NZ Army Distinguishing Patches 1911 - 1991" mentions the following on page 13.—

"Cloth Distinguishing Patches
In 1916 cloth distinguishing patches became an important part of the army uniform."

Unfortunately, Malcolm and Cliff's book does not provide an illustration of the Maori Contingents red and black blaze, but they do provide a fantastic parade photograph of the Maori Contingent and the following brief paragraph on page 14.—

"New Zealand Native Contingent
Photographs of this contingent parading before their departure on 14 February 1915 show a flash being worn on the left side of their Wolseley sun helments and a smaller version on the front of their Service Dress caps. It is believed the flash was black and red."

Sadly what has been missed by the authors of both the books mentioned, is that the Maori Contingents red and black blaze was New Zealands first cloth distinguishing patch to be adopted in WW1.

Also taking into account that the Maori Contingent were the first to place their red and black distinguishing patch on the left side of their sun helmets, they were probably the biggest inspiration for other New Zealand troops to sew strips of their felt hat puggarees on to the left hand side of their sun helmets so as to indicate their arm of service.

So why did the Maori Contingent adopt the Canterbury colours of red and black?

I think those who have been students of the Maori Contingent / Maori Pioneer Battalion would all agree that red and black are two of the three primary/traditional Maori colours of red, white and black.

According to the traditionalists of Maori heritage, the red represents Te Whei Ao, the realm of coming into being. Red is Papatuanuku, the Earth Mother, the sustainer of all living things. (It also represents the blood that was spilt). The white represents Te Ao Marama, the realm of being and light. It symbolises the physical world, purity, harmony, enlightenment and balance. The black represents Te Korekore, the realm of potential being - it symbolises the long darkness from which the earth emerged, as well as signifying Rangi - the heavens, a male, formless, floating, passive force.

The answer to why just the red and black were chosen as the Maori Contingents colours seems obvious to me, but understanding what the two colours symbolised back in 1914 is not so simple.

Back in 1914 using the red, white and black traditional Maori colours was not an option, as red, white and black were the national colours of Germany.

My own interpretation of the colours red and black worn by the Maori Contingent, is that red represented the chiefs (Ariki) of their tribes and that the black represented the people of their tribes (Iwi), who had sent them as toa (warriors) to go forth and uphold the mana (prestige) of their Kingi Hori te Tuarima (King George V.)

The following is photograph is of a trench-digging competition between the Maori Contingent and British reinforcements at Malta, just before going on to Gallipoli in 1915, the Maori Contingent easily beat the British.
In the centre wearing the hat is Doctor Peter H. Buck D.S.O., Captain Roger Dansey is in front, Captain Hiroti and Lieutenant Tikao are both on the right.



In the background of the photo above, we have this checky looking chap wearing the NZNC badge on the front of his sun helmet and the red and black blaze on the side.



The following photo is of 2nd Lieutenant Henare Mokena Kohere, Service No. 16/1018, A Company, 2nd Maori Contingent, Embarked 18th September 1915.
After the evacuation of Gallipolli, the New Zealand Division was moved to France, and Second Lieutenant Kohere and his Ngati Porou men were engaged in the Somme offensive. He was hit by a German shell, and died from the wounds on the 16th September 1916. At his dying request, his cousin, Pekama Kaa, was put in charge of his platoon.

[atillathenunns]

The following photo shows men of the 1st Maori Contingent aboard HMNZT 20 (Warrimoo) and was most likely taken on the 14th February 1915.

The men are wearing khaki drill jackets and Foreign Service helmets. As can be seen the red and black blaze is worn in the shape of a rectangle covering the whole width of the puggaree, and the NZNC badges are only being worn on the helmets (No collar badges!)

Although I do not have any proof, I am pretty sure Hill & Sons of Wellington manufactured the 1st Contingents helmets.





The following photo shows the NZ Maori Contingent badge (Provided by Wayne Ihaka) that was worn by the Maori Contingents until the introduction of the NZ Pioneers badge.
(Dr Maui Pomare who was the Chairman of the Maori Recruiting Board designed the NZNC badge)

[pukman]

So where does the slightly different crown version of the NZNC badge,sometimes described as the ''splayed crown '' ,badge fit in.Different manufacturer?

[atillathenunns]

When it comes to red and black distinguishing patches worn on the Service Dress caps of the men of the 1st Maori Contingent, I have seen very little evidence other than the photo of Tamihana that Iain has played in post # 13, and I have reproduced in post #19.

My lack of evidence can mostly be attributed to that 95% of the portrait photos of 1st Maori Contingent men I have seen, they are not wearing hats. (as shown in post #19)

The very few photographs of 1st Maori Contingent men (excluding officers) that 'I have seen' wearing Service Dress caps and Lemonsqueezers, have all been void of any insignia, such as can be seen in the following photo of Lance Corporal Richard Manuel, Service No. 16/340, A Company, 1st Maori Contingent.



As I have personally only seen photographs of a small percentage of the 518 men who embarked with the 1st Maori Contingent, my suggestion that they may not have worn insignia on their SD caps, should be considered speculative at best, and I am only too happy to be corrected on production of a photograph that can prove that they did wear them prior to embarkation.
(I have photographs of 1st Maori Contingent officers wearing NZNC badges on their SD caps, but none appear to be wearing the red and black distinguishing patch)

Interestingly, only 312 men embarked with the 2nd Maori Contingent, but I have plenty of evidence of them and following reinforcement drafts wearing distinguishing patches on their SD caps.

The majority of photos that I have seen show the red and black distinguishing patch was usually worn in a diamond shape on the front of Service Dress cap with the red (Ariki) to the top, and the black (Iwi) to the bottom.

The following photograph of Quartermaster McNicol and accompanying illustration show how the distinguishing patch was worn on the Service Dress cap.
Quartermaster Sergeant Duncan Bannatyne McNicol, Service No. 16/809, embarked with the 2nd Maori Contingent on the 18th September 1915.(Died of wounds Belgium 4th August 1917)





The following photograph is believed to be Private Rangi Horawera Ruru, Service No. 16/1015, 3rd Maori Contingent, A Company.
Although not as common, Private Ruru and the accompanying illustration show how the distinguishing patch was sometimes worn.

[atillathenunns]

The following photo is just as unique and important as the one that Iain has posted of Tamihana, as it shows Private Skelton not only wearing a red and black distinguishing blaze on his Service Dress cap, he is also wearing two red and black distinguishing blaze's as collar badges.

Private Harold George Nepia Skelton, Service No. 16/869, embarked with the 2nd Maori Contingent on the 18th September 1915.(Died of wounds Belgium 8 August 1917)

[atillathenunns]

Originally Posted by pukman

So where does the slightly different crown version of the NZNC badge,sometimes described as the ''splayed crown '' ,badge fit in.Different manufacturer?

Iain, I would really need to see the back of your badge before commenting but IMO its either a patriotic badge or a reinforcement badge. (I'm not expecting it is a repro, but you never know)

The way I see it is the men of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Maori Contingents were each supplied at least one badge.

Mrs Pomare and the wives of other Native members of Parliament and Lady Liverpool formed the Maori Soldiers Fund Committee (Held its monthly meeting in the Parliamentary Buildings)
The Maori Soldiers Fund Committee also purchased badges. Members of the committee presented these badges to relations and friends of the Maori Expeditionary Force.

To make things a bit more complicated, members of 4th and 5th Maori reinforcements are also pictured wearing NZNC badges, which means that they were obtainable as reinforcements badges.

[atillathenunns]

Just while I am on the subject of the Maori Soldiers Fund Committee. In July 1917 the executive committee of the Lady Liverpool's and Mrs. Pomare's Maori Soldiers Fund held its monthly meeting, at the conclusion of business Lady Carroll, on behalf of the committee, presented Lady Liverpool with a Maori mat, and also a Maori contingent badge carried out in gold and set in diamonds.

Now that would be a real Holy Grail of a badge.

[pukman]

Brent,
I have no problems with putting these badges up for closer scrutiny.All I can add is the middle badge (which is relugged ) and one other was sold to me by a reputable guy,'' as Galliopoli worn''.All three had years of grime/verdigris on them ,so if they are copies,they are not from modern times.

I see Geoff Oldham has one similar pictured ,4/282 , although mine have the larger lettering.

cheers Iain

[fougasse1940]

Originally Posted by pukman

So where does the slightly different crown version of the NZNC badge,sometimes described as the ''splayed crown '' ,badge fit in.Different manufacturer?

Not sure if this is relevant, but this type of crown, when seen on British badges, is an Imperial Crown from the Victorian era. See for instance the Victorian Highland Light Infantry or East Surrey cap badges.

Rgds,

Thomas.

[atillathenunns]

Originally Posted by pukman

Brent,
I have no problems with putting these badges up for closer scrutiny.All I can add is the middle badge (which is relugged ) and one other was sold to me by a reputable guy,'' as Galliopoli worn''.All three had years of grime/verdigris on them ,so if they are copies,they are not from modern times.

I see Geoff Oldham has one similar pictured ,4/282 , although mine have the larger lettering.

cheers Iain

Iain, the three badges you have shown are IMO the most common of the NZNC variations. I am inclined to think they are reinforcement badges as they have lugs.

[Tinto]

Hi Brent and Iain,
Very interesting discussion and displays, thanks.
Here is a group for comparison. The top centre badge is brooched and has red and black material attached behind.
I have the "NZ" variations as well.
Cheers, Tinto