Nga Tama Toa : The Price of Citizenship : C Company 28 Maori Battalion 1939-1945

Nga Tama Toa : The Price of Citizenship breaks new ground in telling the fascinating story of the Maori Battalion's war, with focus firmly on C Company, whose members were drawn from Tairawhiti, a region on the east coast of the North Island lying between Torere in the eastern Bay of Plenty and Muriwai to the south of Gisborne. The men of this district also served in other companies of the Maori Battalion; of its 3600 soldiers, a quarter were from Tairawhiti.

Personal recollections and eyewitness accounts, many anecdoctes and hundreds of photographs are woven through this history, from the inception of C Company in 1939 to the return of its last members in 1946.

Nga Tama Toa captures the special 'spirit' of the Maori Battalion, which became renowned for its courage and daring in battle, and provides a unique insight into the impact of the Second World War on the iwi of the Tairawhiti district. The book encompasses the region's war efforts overseas, at community level and in government.

Authentic voices, both of those who served and saw action and those who supported their efforts at home, are evident throughout. A times heart-rendering, at times heart-warming, this is an amazing story.

Featured in the 3 November New Zealand newsletter.
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