E koro, e tangi ana te iwi katoa e te rongo kua riro koe ki te pō. 

Ko te ika a whiro o te tira mataara o Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū. Kua takahia e koutou ngā paewhenua o Tāwāhi, kua takahia hokia ngā paemahara o te iwi. Ka tangi te ao, ka kata te pō.

The death of Tā Robert Nairn (‘Bom’) Gillies, aged 99, the last survivor of the 3600 men who served with the famed 28th New Zealand (Māori) Battalion during the Second World War, is a poignant moment in the history of Aotearoa New Zealand. While Bom’s passing removes a living link to the Battalion’s service, he and other veterans have done much in recent decades to ensure that the memory and legacy of the Battalion will live on forever. 

Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage is humbled to have had a role in preserving and honouring this history through its 28th Maori Battalion website and oversight of the writing and publication of Monty Soutar’s Nga Tama Toa history of C Company (2008) and Tā Wira Gardiner’s Ake Ake Kia Kaha E! history of B Company (2019). The Ministry’s Pou Arataki Hītori Chief Historian Neill Atkinson remembers with gratitude the role Bom played in the selection of Tā Wira as historian for B Company in 2015 and his ongoing support for that project. 

28th Māori Battalion website

Bom was reluctant to be singled out for recognition in his later years, only agreeing to accept honours and attend commemorative events on behalf of his departed comrades. He never sought a role as spokesperson for the Battalion’s legacy, but when called upon he took it up with grace and humility, always emphasising the importance of peace and his commitment to Māoritanga.