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Category: Badges

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New Zealand's Maori Unit Badges 
One of the NZ Maori Pioneers collars has the necklace removed. Apparently A Company (Northern Maori) never wore ornaments into battle so they removed the necklaces on their badges. 

Photo by Shaun Aumua

NZ WW1 Maori/Pioneer Batt Collar BadgeNZ WW1 Maori/Pioneer Batt Collar Badge

  • 1914 saw the formation of the Maori Companies (see badges below). They sailed in 1915 in time to take part in the Gallipoli Campaign.

  • Reformed as the Maori Pioneer Battalion (see badge left & collar badge above) they were sent to France.

Above: Probably reproduction.

NZ WW1 Maori/Pioneer Battalion Collar Badge

New Zealand Native Corps (Maori Battalion) NZNC

Variations of the  NZ Native Corps & Maori Battalion badges.

Images by Shaun Aumua

  • Maori Battalion
  • A Company (above left) 
    • with small NZNC and Imperial Crown
  • B Company (above centre) 
    • with larger NZNC and King's Crown.
  • Smaller round version (above right) of the badge used for a short time between the A & B company design and 
  • the later NZ design (left) of Sep 1917 to disbandment in April 1919.

Cook Islands Company

RARE WW1 Cook Islands Company Cap Badge
  • The Cook Islands Company was formed from pacific Islanders who had enlisted in the Maori Pioneer Battalion. 
  • 461 Rarotongans sailed for Palestine in February 1916
  • This information is provided as a guide only. No commercial decision should be based on it.

    • Some details from Badges & Insignia of the New Zealand Army by Geoffrey P Oldham. I recommend any collector uses his publication ISBN 0-473-04378-5

    • I do not buy, sell, trade or provide valuations. Any advice I gave may be commercially worthless.

 

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Digger History:  an unofficial history of the Australian & New Zealand Armed Forces