page_title: Māori Battalion
section_title: Greece
hierarchical_section_title: Māori Battalion / History / Greece
caption_attribution_description: English: English translation based on French original }
context_page_description: The 28th Battalion, more commonly known as the Māori Battalion, was an infantry battalion of the New Zealand Army that served during the Second World War. It was formed following pressure on the Labour government by some Māori Members of Parliament and Māori organisations throughout the country which wanted a full Māori unit to be raised for service overseas. The Māori Battalion followed in the footsteps of the Māori Pioneer Battalion that served during the First World War with success, and was wanted by Māori to raise their profile, and to serve alongside their Pākehā compatriots as subjects of the British Empire. It also gave a generation of people with a well-noted military ancestry a chance to test their modern warrior skills.
  Raised in 1940 as part of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, the 28th Battalion was attached to the 2nd New Zealand Division as an extra battalion that was moved between the division's three infantry brigades. The battalion fought during the Greek, North African and Italian campaigns during which it earned a formidable reputation as a fighting force which has subsequently been acknowledged by both Allied and German commanders.
context_section_description: On 6 April the German invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia began. In order to help defend Greece, a composite force of three divisions of Australian, British and New Zealand troops were to be deployed, and were grouped together under the title of 'W' Force. However, by the time the invasion began only two of the three divisions had arrived, and the New Zealanders were consequently spread thin, holding a position to the north of Katerini, where they were tasked to defend the strategic Olympus Pass to the south. During this time, the 28th (Māori) Battalion was attached to the 5th Infantry Brigade, which was later grouped with other Australian and New Zealand units to form the Anzac Corps. Vastly outnumbered, within two days the situation for the Allies was not good as the Germans had broken through the defences along the Bulgarian border and the Yugoslav resistance had collapsed. As the situation worsened, orders came down from brigade headquarters that the passes would be held "to the last man and last round".
  On 9 April, the fall of Salonika precipitated the order for the battalion to withdraw from their positions at Katerini south to Olympus. As events unfolded elsewhere, the battalion remained in position, digging in and constructing defences until 12 April when they were ordered to withdraw behind the Mavroneri Gorge and reposition themselves on the western aspect. At this time the 5th Infantry Brigade's orders were changed from a holding action to a delay and withdrawal. It was in the Petra Pass, alongside the 22nd Battalion, that the 28th Battalion fought its first engagement of the war. In preparation for the coming attack, the Māori built their position, running out barbed and concertina wire and digging in while German bombers droned overhead. During the night they carried out patrols along the Mavroneri riverbed, but no contact was made. The following morning, the divisional cavalry, which had been carrying out a rearguard action, conducted a withdrawal through the battalion's position, making the Māori Battalion the most forward Allied unit. As German forces were halted at Platamon by the 21st Battalion, thrusts towards Larisa once again put the battalion's position in doubt and they were again ordered to withdraw. Meanwhile, the Anzac Corps decided to make its last stand 100 miles (160 km) south at Thermopylae.
  In the end the Māori remained in position until 17 April. Throughout the previous two days the battalion worked hard to repel repeated attempts by elements of the German 2nd Infantry Regiment to infiltrate their lines, before they finally received the order to fall back. With isolated platoons still in contact with the Germans and amidst high winds and a heavy downpour of rain, the New Zealanders had difficulty disengaging. Withdrawing over difficult terrain towards the pass, the manoeuvre continued into the night as the Germans continued to harass their rearguard units. The move was carried out with considerable urgency because the intention was to blow a bridge up just after the battalion had withdrawn across it in order to delay the German advance. In the end the battalion only just made it, for the engineers tasked with carrying out the demolition had received the order to complete their task and were about to detonate when the battalion arrived shortly after 3:00 am.
  After meeting motor transport, the battalion moved back to Ay Dhimitrios, which they began to prepare to defend in order to help seal off the exit of the Olympus pass. The withdrawal continued, though, and on 19 April the Māori Battalion was called upon to conduct a delaying action as the rest of the 5th Infantry Brigade pulled back through Larisa towards Lamia, 80 miles (130 km) south. Along roads packed with vehicles and civilian traffic they withdrew amidst considerable confusion. Upon arrival at Thermopylae the battalion had had just enough time to dig in before receiving the order that they were to move their position in order to make way for the 6th Infantry Brigade. They completed this move by 21 April, taking up the same positions
caption: Map depicting relative positions on 15 April 1941
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