Military Service Act, 1916.AWMM: EPH-PW-1-101

War chronicle · Ākuhata · Wellington, New Zealand

Te māperetanga


Mā te māpere ka tohua te tāne o Niu Tīreni mō te mahi hōia – e kīia ana ko te 'māpere o te mate'.

Kei te kimi hōia hou te ope taua – kia tere tonu. Mai i te tau 1915, he ruarua ngā tāne e rēhita noa ana hei hōia. Nā ngā mate nui ki Karipori kua piki ake te nui o ngā hōia e kimihia ana mai i te 800 ki te 2000 i ia rua marama. Kotahi anake te ara e ea ai taua nui: ko te māperetanga.

Ka whakamanahia te Ture Ope Taua i te 1 o Ākuhata, nā, i te 23 o Noema, 1300 ngā tāne mai i te rēhita, i tohua i te māperetanga tuatahi. Mā te putanga o te māpere ka kōwhiria ngā tāne, arā, e kīia ana, ko te 'māpere o te mate'. E rua ngā māpere ka tangohia atu i ngā kāho rākau iti. Ko tā te māpere tuatahi he tohu i tētahi pouaka kei reira te kāri e tohua ana e te māpere tuarua. Ka whai noa te āpiha taua i te tohutohu o ia māpere. Kei runga i te kāri ngā kōrero mō tētahi tāne. Ko ia te mea ka haere ki te pakanga.

I ia marama, mō te roanga o te wā o te pakanga, ka māharahara nui e hia mano nei ngā tāne, mai i te 20–45 tau te pakeke, ki te rongo mēnā kua māperetia rātou e te mate.