WEEK-END DIARY
Trip half way round World to see Maori Celebrations.

A Devon Sgt was among the four luck British Soldiers who recently flew to New Zealand as guests at a special event to mark the Centenary of the Maori Wars.

He is Sgt Michael Mitchell of Morchard Bishop. His three companions Bdr Livesey, Gnrs Weaver & Barnes and himself are serving with the 94 (NZ) Battery Royal Artillery stationed at Llanion Barracks Pembroke Dock with 42 Regiment Royal Artillery.
The battery distinguished itself by winning two Victoria Crosses in a famous Battle against the Maoris at Rangiriri.

The lucky four flew from Lyneham Wiltshire to Williams-town Australia but were delayed. Never the less they were in time to see the parade from the small riverside township of rangiriri to the nearby redoubt where the battle took place.

Gunners of the 16th Field regiment Royal New Zealand Artillery hosts to the four Soldiers from the U.K and a small Naval detachment took part.
Also taking part were members of the Waikato Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps dressed in perion costumes.
At the cemetery where those killed in the Battle are buried, a joint Maori-European memorial service took place.

The remainder of the programme included a landing from Maori War Canoes and a Maori concert from a barge moored at the river bank. A raft race was from the up river town of Ngaruawahia finished at Rangiriri and a tug of war was held between Maori and European teams.

The Four men from the "Kiwi" Battery were able to enjoy the pageantry and have seen some of the sights of new Zealand which they will be able to describe to British Gunners at home.

ARTILLERY GROUP NEAR !AWOL"

Four English Artillery men arrived in Aukland last night only hours before they could have been classed as "Absent Without Leave " from a military parade.

But it was not their fault ! They had run out of Air Force lifts and spent the past 12 days in Australia.
The soldiers are members of the 94th New Zealand Battery of 42nd Regiment Roayl Artillery. They are to represent the \battery in ceromonies commemorating the Battle of rangiriri today.
They were dressed in civies but an unexpected touch was their ties !
figures of kiwis on a brown background.

Sgt Mitchell said the ties were bought with Battery funds and distributed about four or five years ago.
He also explained their late arrival, they left england for australia on November 8th and reached sydney 12 days ago, hitch hiking rides on two Roayl Air Force aircraft.
In sydney they found there were no service flights scheduled to mahke the Tasman crossing so they were forced to to remain there. They spent their time hitch-hiking rides about the country and even visited the Gold Coast.

Yesterday the Army stepped in and the four men were alloted setas on the nregular Tasman Airways flight to Aukland. They will be here for about two weeks. The battery includes New Zealand in its title because of it won two Victoria Crosses at the battle of Rangiriri.