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National

Armistice Day - We remember Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū

Today Aotearoa commemorates a peace agreement that ended the First World War against Germany and their allies over 100 years ago. It is estimated that 16 million people both military and civilians died, making this war one of the deadliest conflicts of the human race. We take a glimpse back at Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū's sacrifice and contribution.

New Zealand's most significant contribution to the WW1 campaign happened on the Western Front, in the French town of Le Quesnoy (pronounced Luh-Ken-wah) where the Hokowhitu-a-Tū helped push the Germans back over the border.

After the signing of the Armistice, the Māori Pioneer Battalion marched towards the German border only to be stopped by the British High Command, who said "Native Troops" would not be used to garrison Germany. Māori were insulted, that they weren't allowed to finish the job.

Major Te Rangihīroa Peter Buck (Ngāti Mutunga) describes the disappointment of how the Māori troops were treated in a letter.

Photocredit Auckland Museum

More than 2,200 soldiers served in the Hokowhitu-a-Tū , 336 died and 734 were wounded.

Germany had to pay $132 billion gold marks for causing WW1, this debt and the effect it had on Germany would be one of the main causes of WW2.

Remembering their tipuna koroua who went to war 
100th anniversary of Armistice Day 
Armistice Day commemoration remembers Tūhoe troops