Charles Moihi Te Arawaka Bennett
Born 27 Jul 1913 - Died 26 Nov 1998
- Service number
- WWII 6121 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Lieutenant Colonel/Military AWMM 28 (Maori) Battalion, B Company AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Charles Moihi Te Arawaka AWMM
- Surname
- Bennett AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWII 6121 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- Iwi Māori, Māori AWMM
- Te Arawa, Māori AWMM
- Ngāti Pikiao, Ngā Iwi o Te Arawa, Te Arawa, Waka o Ngā Iwi, Ngā Iwi, Māori AWMM
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 27 Jul 1913 AWMM
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- Son of Frederick Augustus & Arihia BENNETTPublic - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 26 July 2026 - NZ BDM Birth records
- Address before enlistment
- Pre 1939 AWMM 16 Hawkestone Street, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- Next of kin
- Bishop Bennett (father), Box 300, Hastings, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Single AWMM
- 1947 Charles Moihi BENNETT married Elizabeth May RICHARDSONPublic - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 26 July 2026 - NZ BDM Marriage records
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWII 6121 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Knight Bachelor AWMM
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
DSO: NZ Gazette, 21 September 1944. Citation: "In the attack on the Roman Wall position on 26 March 1943, Lt Col Bennett's Battalion became directly engaged with a German battalion holding Pt 209. A desperate struggle ensued between the two units which continued unceasingly for two hours and ended with the surrender of the enemy remnants to a final attack launched by Lt Col Bennett with a fine exhibition of will power and skill. Throughout this very severe action he displayed initiative and determination of a high order and qualities of leadership and courage which were an inspiration to his battalion." AWMM - 1939-1945 Star AWMM
- Africa Star (8th Army clasp) AWMM
- Defence Medal AWMM
- War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM
- New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW2 1939 AWMM public servant AWMM
- WW2 Radio announcer/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Private AWMM 28 (Maori) Battalion, B Company AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Second Echelon AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
Wounded severely 29 April 1943. AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Lieutenant Colonel/Military AWMM
28 (Maori) Battalion, B Company AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Charles Moihi Bennett was the second eldest of 18 children of the Rt Rev. Fred Bennett. Mr Bennett was the first Maori Bishop of Aotearoa. His mother (the bishop's first wife) was Arihi Rangihoue Hamana. His great-grandfather was an Anglo-Irish colonial administrator and his great-grandmother a Maori chieftainess. Before the outbreak of World War 2 he worked as a teacher and radio announcer. In 1947 he married Elizabeth Stewart and they had two children, Piri and John. He was knighted in 1975 for services to the public, especially the Maori people.
Commissioner in Malaya, 1959-63.
President of NZ Labour Party, 1972-76.
Waiata written by Tau Henare:
Kua hinga te totara o te wao nui a Tane
Te rata whakaruruhau
Te toka tu moana akinga tai
Te akinga ngaru
Te murau o te tini te wenerau a te mano
Haere e te uri o Tumatauenga, haere te rangatira o te Hokowhitu a Tu
Kua tuhia koe ki te ngakau e kore e warewaretia
The giant totara has fallen in the great forest of Tane
The great sheltering rata tree is no more
The rock that stands against the surging tide
The rock that stands steadfast against the crashing waves
Respected by the multitude and envied by the thousands
Farewell favourite son of Tumatauenga, the god of war, the famed leader of the 28 (Maori) Battalion
Your memory is imprinted in the hearts of every Maori
Sound Archives Recording available. A recording made on HMS Maori DAT 121 Tk32. AWMM
About death
- Death
- 26 Nov 1998 AWMM
Age 85 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
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- Cause of death
- —
- Death notes
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- Cemetery
- Kauae Cemetery, Ngongotaha, Rotorua, New Zealand AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
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Sources
- External links
- 28th Maori Battalion Website 1941-1945
http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/
Further Reference - Essay, Dictionary of New Zealand Biography.
http://dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=5B23
Further Reference - Cody, J.F. (1956). 28 (Maori) Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: War History Branch, Dept. of Internal Affairs.
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Maor.html
Further Reference - Wikidata Entity
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5081006
Further Reference - Cody, J. (1956). 28 (Maori) Battalion. Wellington: Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital copy.
https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20210104000423/http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Maor.html
Further Reference
- 28th Maori Battalion Website 1941-1945
- References
- Polaschek, A. (1983). The Complete New Zealand Distinguished Conduct Medal. Christchurch, N.Z.: Medals Research.
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 2 (Embarkations to 30th June, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
WW2 2: WW2 17 - The New Zealand Herald
Article. (1998, November 27). New Zealand Herald. - Gardiner, W. (2019). Ake ake kia kaha e! : Forever brave! : B Company 28 (Maori) Battalion, 1939-1945. Auckland : Bateman Books.
- Cody, J. (1956). 28 (Maori) Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
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