464:"During another determined counter-attack by the enemy, part of his line broke. Yelling orders and encouragement, he rallied his men and led them in a fierce onslaught back into their old positions. All through the night, between attacks, he and his men were heavily harassed by machine-gun and mortar fire, but 2nd Lieutenant Ngarimu watched his line very carefully, cheering his men on and inspiring them by his personal conduct. Morning found him still in possession of the hill feature but only he and two unwounded other ranks remained. Reinforcements were sent up to him. In the morning the enemy again counter-attacked and it was during this attack that 2nd Lieutenant Ngarimu was killed. He was killed on his feet defiantly facing the enemy with his tommy-gun at his hip. As he fell he came to rest almost on top of those of the enemy who had fallen, the number of whom survived testified to his outstanding courage and fortitude.
455:"During the action at the Tebaga Gap on 26 March 1943, 2nd Lieutenant Ngarimu commanded a platoon in an attack upon the vital hill feature, Point 209. He was given the task of attacking and capturing an under-feature forward of Point 209 itself and held in considerable strength by the enemy. He led his men with great determination straight up the face of the hill, undeterred by the intense mortar and machine-gun fire, which caused considerable casualties. Displaying courage and leadership of the highest order, he was himself first on the hill crest, personally annihilating at least two enemy machine-gun posts. In the face of such a determined attack the remainder of the enemy fled, but further advance was impossible as the reverse slope was swept by machine-gun fire from Point 209 itself.
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461:"Darkness found this officer and his depleted platoon lying on the rock face of the forward slope of the hill feature, with the enemy in a similar position on the reverse slope about twenty yards distant. Throughout the night the enemy repeatedly launched fierce attacks in an attempt to dislodge 2nd Lieutenant Ngarimu and his men, but each counter-attack was beaten off by 2nd Lieutenant Ngarimu's inspired leadership. During one of these counter-attacks the enemy, using hand grenades, succeeded in piercing a certain part of the line. Without hesitation this officer rushed to the threatened area, and those of the enemy he did not kill he drove back with stones and with his tommy-gun.
458:"Under cover of a most intense mortar barrage the enemy counter-attacked, and 2nd Lieutenant Ngarimu ordered his men to stand to and engage the enemy man for man. This they did with such good effect that the attackers were virtually mown down, 2nd Lieutenant Ngarimu personally killing several. He was twice wounded, once by rifle fire in the shoulder and later by shrapnel in the leg, and though urged by both his company and battalion commanders to go out, he refused to do so, saying that he would stay a little while with his men. He stayed until he met his death the following morning.
415:. Ngarimu's company was allocated the objective of the capture of Point 209. On the afternoon of 26 March, he led his men up the slope and captured what was believed to be the top of Point 209, although it transpired to be a false summit and a feature lower on the slopes of Point 209. Fierce fighting transpired as the Germans attempted to drive Ngarimu's forces off the hill. Twice wounded, he and his men defended their position from several counter-attacks during the night. His position reinforced the following morning, he was killed during the next counter-attack.
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411:, which disrupted otherwise mountainous terrain. Several hills overlooked the gap, which itself was forced relatively easy, although several hills remained in German hands. One such hill was Point 209, held by the 2nd Battalion, 433 Panzer Grenadier Regiment of the
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in the
Tairawhiti Museum’s Price of Citizenship Gallery. He is commemorated by a scholarship promoting education of Māori, and also in the World War II Hall of Memories at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. There is also a plaque honouring him in
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The false summit remained in the hands of
Ngarimu's company, and the Germans still on Point 209 itself surrendered the same day once artillery support had been brought to bear on Point 209. Ngarimu is buried in
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at
Ruatoria on 6 October 1943 attended by government leaders, diplomatic representatives and local people. The first of only two Victoria Crosses awarded to Māori, it was displayed in
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in World War II, was
Ngarimu's cousin and served alongside him in the war. Ngarimu was initially educated at Whareponga Native School but when the family moved to Pōhatukura, near
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452:'"The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the posthumous award of the Victoria Cross to Second-Lieutenant Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu.
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in May 1940 where it formed part of the island's defence against a possible German invasion. The battalion eventually arrived in
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349:, becoming well regarded at rugby. After completing his fourth form year, he worked as a shepherd on his father's sheep farm.
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400:. Commissioned in April 1942, he served for a time as an intelligence officer before being given command of his own platoon.
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321:. He was one of ten children of Hāmuera Meketū Ngārimu, and his wife Maraea. The prominent tribal leader
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forces. He was the first Māori person to be awarded the VC while serving with New
Zealand forces. He was
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273:(VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to
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In the Face of the Enemy: The
Complete History of the Victoria Cross and New Zealand
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369:. The battalion, which embarked in May 1940 as part of the second echelon of the
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707:. Auckland, New Zealand: HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand).
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A portrait of Ngārimu by the official war artist for the 2NZEF,
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By March 1943, the campaign in Africa had moved to
Tunisia. The
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descent, Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngārimu was born on 7 April 1918 in
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after which he participated with the battalion during the
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New
Zealand World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross
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to join the first echelon, but instead was diverted to
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New
Zealand military personnel killed in World War II
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The Oxford
Companion to New Zealand Military History
616:(3): 12 – via National Library of New Zealand.
606:"70 Years Ago Today. The first Māori Victoria Cross"
442:The citation for Ngarimu's VC was published in the
774:New Zealand Troops who have won the Victoria Cross
729:. Auckland, New Zealand: Oxford University Press.
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670:"Cenotaph Record: Te Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu"
482:The medal was presented to his parents by the
852:Military personnel from the Gisborne District
628:"Second Lieutenant Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa-Ngarimu"
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365:on 11 February 1940, volunteering for the
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658:(Supplement). 1 June 1943. p. 2559.
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269:soldier and posthumous recipient of the
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388:Ngarimu served through the battles of
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265:(7 April 1918 – 27 March 1943) was a
630:. Commonwealth War Graves Commission
531:Dictionary of New Zealand Biography
363:2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force
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756:Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966)
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827:People from the Gisborne District
780: (archived October 26, 2009)
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536:Ministry for Culture and Heritage
41:Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu, c1940
812:20th-century New Zealand farmers
761:Second Lieutenant M.N.K. Ngarimu
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484:Governor General of New Zealand
16:Recipient of the Victoria Cross
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357:Following the outbreak of the
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526:"Ngarimu, Te Moananui-a-Kiwa"
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847:Burials at Sfax War Cemetery
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604:Soutar, Monty (March 2013).
580:Harper & Richardson 2007
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134:New Zealand Military Forces
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842:New Zealand Māori soldiers
832:New Zealand Army officers
807:New Zealand Māori farmers
782:(brief biography details)
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260:Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu
207:Operation Supercharge II
25:Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu
427:Victoria Cross citation
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398:North African Campaign
367:28th (Māori) Battalion
192:North African Campaign
162:28th (Māori) Battalion
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373:was destined for the
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413:164th Light Division
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767:exhibition at the
655:The London Gazette
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311:Te Whānau-ā-Apanui
714:978-1-86950-650-6
676:. Auckland Museum
488:Sir Cyril Newall
421:Sfax War Cemetery
319:East Coast region
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168:Battles/wars
75:(1943-03-27)
57:7 April 1918
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802:1943 deaths
797:1918 births
650:"No. 36040"
634:28 December
423:, Tunisia.
375:Middle East
307:Ngāti Porou
267:New Zealand
117:New Zealand
80:Mareth Line
64:New Zealand
791:Categories
693:References
541:19 October
448:and read:
409:Tebaga Gap
347:Hawkes Bay
315:Whareponga
297:Early life
106:Allegiance
84:Tebaga Gap
60:Whareponga
53:1918-04-07
478:The medal
242:Relations
680:12 April
496:Gisborne
467:—
335:Ruatoria
253:(cousin)
123:Service/
776:at the
754:in the
505:Dunedin
490:, at a
379:England
343:Poukawa
317:in the
285:during
275:British
213:†
143:1940-43
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390:Greece
248:(aunt)
232:Awards
209:
125:branch
94:Buried
752:Entry
511:Notes
394:Crete
383:Egypt
303:Māori
731:ISBN
709:ISBN
682:2020
636:2022
543:2014
392:and
309:and
277:and
158:Unit
148:Rank
70:Died
47:Born
763:in
503:in
492:hui
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301:A
263:VC
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51:(
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