Sergeant R. Cullen, MM; Paeroa; born NZ 5 Jan 1920; carpenter; four times wounded. (Source: Cody, J.F. 28 Maori Battalion. p.436.)

'The changeover was completed with some care and in extreme silence for, according to the guides, ‘Jerry was very trigger happy and at the slightest sound they would know all about it.’ It was a matter of crawling to the most forward casas and, as the ground was very muddy, some of the Maoris soon got careless and began to walk. A stream of tracer about waist-high decided for them that perhaps crawling was the better method. In the morning the Maoris found themselves disposed around a road junction a little more than a mile from the outskirts of Faenza. Two roads and the railway line from Faenza met there and a third road went north-west to Celle village. Houses were scattered around the junction which, for tactical purposes, was christened ‘Ruatoria’.

C, A and B Companies in that order straddled the roads and railway into Faenza, with D Company in reserve. Enemy-occupied houses were only 150 yards away. The nearest, the Casa Celetta, was hedged in with tall olives and poplars so that only the roof could be seen.

It was decided to take a closer look at Casa Celetta that evening and Sergeant Cullen (8 Platoon) took out a fighting patrol of eleven other ranks with him.

They found that the place was a real hornets' nest. Three well-hidden tanks were behind the building. The patrol was detected and a battle royal ensued in the darkness while the patrol withdrew with four wounded. The medium and heavy mortars were turned on to the locality and the tanks were heard moving back towards Faenza, whereupon Cullen returned with his patrol and killed six Germans who were still in the house. The men were preparing to settle in the casa when tell-tale rumblings indicated that the tanks had returned. Shells belting into the house confirmed the indications and again the patrol withdrew, this time with four more wounded. Sergeant R. Cullen, MM; Paeroa; born NZ 5 Jan 1920; carpenter; four times wounded.; Italy II - The battalion was disposed in the vicinity of a road junction— which became known to the Maoris as ‘Ruatoria’—a little more than a mile from the outskirts of Faenza. Two roads and a railway led into the town and a third road north-westward to the hamlet of Celle. Houses occupied by the enemy were only 150 yards away. Sergeant Cullen took a patrol of 11 men of 8 Platoon to investigate one of these houses, and discovered ‘a real hornets' nest. Three well-hidden tanks were behind the building. The patrol was detected and a battle royal ensued in the darkness while the patrol withdrew with four wounded. The medium and heavy mortars were turned on to the locality and the tanks were heard moving back towards Faenza, whereupon Cullen returned with his patrol and killed six Germans who were still in the house.’ The Maoris were preparing to settle in when the tanks returned and shelled the house. Again the patrol withdrew, this time with four more wounded.' (Source: Cody, J.F. 28 Maori Battalion. p. 436.; Kay, R. Italy Volume II : From Cassino to Trieste. p. 305.) AWMM