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From the Te Papa exhibition :Gallipoli:The Scale Of Our War
This was Private Rikihana Careek, 24 when he signed up with the Māori Contingent. On August 8th 1915 he was in a machine gun team covering the advance on Chunuk Bair. This is an excerpt from his diary
"Warden . . . was shot and fell back amongst us in a heap. He managed to say "Carry on boys', then died. . . Donald Ferris was shot through the head . .Private Hawkins . .shot through the wrist..I also did not reign long for I was shot through the body at the base of the neck".
After being shot he dragged himself 5 kilometres down to the beach and was eventually evacuated by hospital ship.He was one of only 134 Māori soldiers from the original 477-strong contingent who survived to be withdrawn from Gallipoli on 14 December 1915. He went on to serve on the Western Front and achieved the rank of Lieutenant.
You and the sculptor captured the emotion of the battle.
TicK
(Viewed Full Screen) ☂