The Recruitment of Maori Soldiers, 1914-18^*

* Acknowledgement of financial help in this research is made with gratitude to the Nuffield Foundation and the the University Grants Committee. My other major debt is to Miss Judith Hornabrook and Miss Rosemary Collier, both of the National Archives. This work could not have been done without their help over many months. The Chief Archivist, Mr John Pascoe, helped me to gain access to Defence confidential files which are not generally available to researchers.I owe much to conversation with Mr Graham Butterworth, and one section of this article rests entirely on sources to which he directed me. Mr. K. Dewes was also generous with material and knowledge. The official files used are in the custody of the National Archives.The extensive personal correspondence between Allen and Godley is in the care of the HistoricalSection of the Internal Affairs Department. I t is identifiable here as having no file number assigned. Mr. I. McL. Wardsfirst introduced me to it.I have abbreviated in the notes some titles to which frequent reference is made. I hope the Chief of the General Staff, the Adjutant General, the Director of Personal Services, the Director of Recruiting, the Secretary of the Recruiting Board and the Officer Commanding the Auckland Military District remain recognisable.

Abstract

The purpose of this article is not to retell the history of the Maori Contingent abroad but to examine more fully than has been done hitherto the problems involved in the recruiting of its members. It should be stressed at the outset that the story is told almost entirely as it seemed to the Defence Department. It has, obviously, another side almost inaccessible to the present author, who does not read Maori and is not competent to collect and interpret Maori oral tradition. It seems clear that papers of some Maori protagonists discussed below still exist, and in particular that Te Puea’s diary would be as valuable as it is closely guarded. Full use of Maori written and oral sources would certainly add to and modify what follows, throwing more light on the motives of those who assisted or resisted the efforts of the Army.

Notes

* Acknowledgement of financial help in this research is made with gratitude to the Nuffield Foundation and the the University Grants Committee. My other major debt is to Miss Judith Hornabrook and Miss Rosemary Collier, both of the National Archives. This work could not have been done without their help over many months. The Chief Archivist, Mr John Pascoe, helped me to gain access to Defence confidential files which are not generally available to researchers.I owe much to conversation with Mr Graham Butterworth, and one section of this article rests entirely on sources to which he directed me. Mr. K. Dewes was also generous with material and knowledge. The official files used are in the custody of the National Archives.The extensive personal correspondence between Allen and Godley is in the care of the HistoricalSection of the Internal Affairs Department. I t is identifiable here as having no file number assigned. Mr. I. McL. Wardsfirst introduced me to it.I have abbreviated in the notes some titles to which frequent reference is made. I hope the Chief of the General Staff, the Adjutant General, the Director of Personal Services, the Director of Recruiting, the Secretary of the Recruiting Board and the Officer Commanding the Auckland Military District remain recognisable.