KEY POINTS:
Te Rau Aroha was more than just a supply truck to the soldiers of the Maori Battalion.
It followed them into battle, once charging at the enemy at El Aghiela, east of Tripoli, while the soldiers ran alongside, bayonets at the ready.
This year, the truck spent Anzac Day at Omaio Marae, east of Whakatane. The Waiouru Museum lent it to the marae to provide a link with men from the small coastal settlement who served in the 28th Maori Battalion.
Marae spokeswoman Marcia Insley said the loan of Te Rau Aroha had brought a lot of happiness to local people, particularly the widows and families of battalion soldiers.
"This taonga [treasure] is very special to us at Omaio," she said.
Thousands of men from the local iwi, Te Whanau a Apanui, served in the battalion's C Company in World War II. More than half were killed in action and only four still survive, the youngest 85.
All were at the marae at 10am yesterday, when Te Rau Aroha was welcomed in a special ceremony.
"It was the centrepiece of the powhiri," kaumatua Aubrey Tawhai said. "It was awesome."
The Maori Battalion members were unable to speak to the Herald over the phone, but Mr Tawhai said they thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony and spent the afternoon sharing stories about the truck.
"It was quite touching. People remembered where it had been and who it had been associated with."
Te Rau Aroha was a gift to the Maori Battalion from Native Schools of New Zealand children.
A Waiouru Museum curator told the crowd assembled at the marae the history of the truck, saying the children raised the £850 needed to buy it by growing vegetables for sale, doing concerts and raiding their moneyboxes.
They managed to collect £1000.
The truck was shipped to the Middle East in late 1941, a message on the door reading: "Presented to the Maori Battalion as a token of love ... "
Throughout the North African and Italian campaigns, Te Rau Aroha was driven by Charlie Bennet MBE, a Pakeha serviceman who the soldiers called "Charlie YM" (short for YMCA).
Charlie YM became legendary for taking the canteen truck into battle, ensuring the soldiers were well supplied with chocolates, soap, razorblades, books and tinned seafood. He also endeared himself to the men by extending credit between paydays.
Te Rau Aroha survived several assaults and still bears battle scars, including patched shrapnel gashes suffered when a German bomb landed metres from it at El Alamein.
At El Aghiela, an English officer was reportedly unable to believe his eyes when he saw the fierce men of the Maori Battalion racing down a hill, a YMCA truck in their midst.
C Company veterans at Omaio recalled that soldiers had refused to board their ship home until Te Rau Aroha was loaded on board.
