Matarehua Wikiriwhi

I whānau mai i te 4 Apr 1918

Nama Hōia: WWII 39282 AWMM
WWII 1523 AWMM
Ingoa kārangaranga: Monty AWMM
Te Ope o Tū / te peka: Army AWMM
Te tūnga whakamutunga: Captain/Military AWMM
Pakanga: World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Mātātuhi

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Matarehua Wikiriwhi — Portrait, M. Wikiriwhi awarded the D.S.O. - This image may be subject to copyright

Whakaatu mai ngā āpure e wātea ana Hunaia ngā mātāwai kōrero

Ngā pakanga me ngā whawhai

Pakanga: World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
Kauhanga riri: Tunisia AWMM
Te Ope o Tū / te peka: Army AWMM
Nama Hōia: WWII 39282 AWMM
WWII 1523 AWMM
Urunga ki te ope taua: 28 (Maori) Battalion, B Company AWMM
Whakapikinga / Tukunga / Whakawhitinga: —

Ngā tohu taumata rau ope taua

Mētara me ngā Tohu: Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
During the attack on Casino railway station on 17 February 1944, Capt. Wikiriwhi commanded the forward company which attained it's objective after particularly fierce fighting and against stiff opposition. Capt. Wikiriwhi was wounded during the attack but insisted on carrying on and only his magnificent handling of the company enabled it to overcome the enemy resistance. He personally led the attack on on several enemy strongpoints and despite heavy casualties among his men he was able, by his own example, his fortitude, coolness and disregard of personal safety, to lead his men to victory. At one stage it seemed that the opposition would prove too strong but Capt. Wikiriwhi quickly appreciated the position and turned the tide by superb tactical handling. He was wounded a second time during this action but refused to allow his men to carry him out owing to the danger to to which they would thereby be exposed. (London Gazette 20/7/1944 (I)) AWMM
Military Cross (MC) AWMM
20 Jul 1944 AWMM
In the attack on Takrouna village on the night 19/20 April 1943 Lt. Wikiriwhi, intelligence Officer of his unit was personally responsible for the reorganisation of his battalion during an extremely difficult period of the attack. In the course of the attack his unit suffered heavy casualties including his Commanding Officer, Adjutant and the whole of the officers of the two forward companies. Undaunted however, Lt. Wikiriwhi, with a quick grasp of the situation, pushed on with the attack and with cool deliberation, courage, determination and with complete disregard for his own personal safety and despite fierce enemy shell, mortar and machine-gun fire he set about the further task of reorganising the companies, establishing and consolidating them in fixed positions and establishing Battalion Headquarters. First light on 20 April 1943 found the battalion in a difficult situation. There was no communication with Brigade Headquarters, all Company Commanders had been wounded and evacuated and the hard fighting during the night had caused considerable disorganisation. The area had been subjected to heavy mortar and artillery fire. Lt. Wikiriwhi assumed command of the battalion, completed the reorganisation of the companies, and consolidated the ground won. Until relieved at 1400 hours he carried out the triple role of Commanding Officer, Adjutant and Intelligence Officer. Throughout the entire action Lt. Wikiriwhi displayed coolness under fire, and the firmness, initiative and judgement of an experienced soldier. His continual cheerfulness, calm and complete disregard of enemy fire inspired his unit during a very difficult and dangerous period. Only when satisfied that the situation was stabilized and a senior officer available to take over from him did he relax his efforts. He then reported personally to Brigade Headquarters. (London Gazette 22/7/1943 (I)) AWMM
1939-1945 Star AWMM
Africa Star (8th Army clasp) AWMM
Italy Star AWMM
Defence Medal AWMM
War Medal 1939-1945 with oak leaf AWMM
New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM
Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM

Te Whakangungu me te Urunga atu

Whakangungu ope taua: —
Branch Trade Proficiency: —
Te urunga: WW2 Musterer/Civilian AWMM
Pakeke i te whakaurunga: —
Mahi i mua i te ekenga waka: —

Te maha o ngā ekenga waka

Taipitopito ekenga waka: WW2 Private AWMM 28 (Maori) Battalion, Headquarters AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Second Echelon AWMM

Whakapapa hauora

Tuhinga hauora: Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
Wounded four times AWMM

Te tūnga whakamutunga e mōhiotia ana

Te tūnga whakamutunga: Captain/Military AWMM
Te tūnga whakamutunga: —

Kōrero taurongo

Capt M. Wikiriwhi, DSO, MC, m.i.d.; Pukekohe; born Rotorua, 4 Apr 1918; shepherd; twice wounded. (Source: Cody, J.F. 28 Maori Battalion. p.47.)

'The problem for the Divisional Commander to decide was whether to continue the smoke or revert to shelling. It was decided that smoke was more likely to keep down casualties and every available weapon that had smoke shells was ordered to use them. Smoke was, in fact, a two-edged weapon, as the murk enabled the enemy to get in so close that the guns could not fire on them for fear of dropping their shells among the Maoris.
Infantry the Maoris could deal with while their ammunition lasted, but when two tanks overran sections of 10 and 12 Platoons Captain Wikiriwhi ordered a withdrawal.
When tank attack came in I was with remnants of my Coy HQ right in the station, i.e. 1st objective. The forward sections must have been overrun by then. They were not more than 5ox [yards] from us and opened up with 75 mm and MG. That was when I gave the order to withdraw.
More men were hit returning to the start line. Wikiriwhi stopped to rally some who had taken cover from the firing and was seriously wounded. Lieutenant Takurua and two others dragged him to the shelter of the railway embankment and used his pistol lanyard as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. He ordered them to leave him there and get back while they might. Takurua was killed a few minutes later. Those who did get safely back were a pitiful remnant of the two hundred who had gone into the attack—26 Arawas and 40 Ngapuhi. A few more straggled in during the night.
In high places another method of reducing Cassino was being worked out, for the Indian effort had also failed and the beach-head at Anzio was not secure. Back with the rest of the battalion, the Maori survivors of the attack on the railway station were sleeping the sleep of soldiers after a hard battle. Private Maihi, with two holes drilled through him, reported back at midday, and some hours later Captain Wikiriwhi crawled in to 24 Battalion's FDLs.
By a fortunate coincidence he had been left in such a position that a piece of board and a discarded gas cape were within his reach. He split the board with an Italian stiletto he had carried since the days in the desert and fashioned a pair of splints to hold a leg shattered with machine-gun bullets so that it was possible to move. When it was dark he crawled up on to the railway line and, using the sleepers as levers, hauled himself back to safety. An MC was added to his Takrouna DSO.' (Source: Cody, J.F. 28 Maori Battalion. p. 362.) AWMM

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Matarehua Wikiriwhi

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