Tribute to Ta Robert Gillies

At the grand old age of 99, Ta Robert "Bom" Gillies passed was laid to rest on Tuesday in Rotorua. He was the last of the more than three-thousand-five-hundred men who served in the battalion of whom hundreds were killed and many more were wounded. The 28th Maori Battalion returned to Aotearoa in January 1946 where they were welcomed home in Poneke, Wellington. Just before they dispersed their commander, Lieutenant-Colonel James Henare, said these words: "Go back to our mountains, go back to our people, go back to our marae. But this is my last command to you all - stand as Maori, stand as Maori, stand as Maori." And stand we did, as this week thousands of people from across the motu attended the tangi of Ta Bom Gillies. Among them was New Zealand Army Major Tony Brooking who's two grandfathers served in the 28th Maori Battalion.