Porokoru Pohe is one of my koroua.
He was one of the forgotten heroes of the Second World War.
In 1941, Sir Apirana Ngata urged young Maori men to volunteer using the inspirational words, "We will lose some of the most promising of our young leaders but we will gain the respect of our Pakeha brothers."
And the Maori Battalion marched to victory!
But my koro didn't because he was born to fly: he enlisted in September 1939, two years before this oration.
He was the first Maori pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The first Maori flying instructor in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He was the first Maori to fly over Germany.
Recipient of several medals for his service including being Mentioned in Dispatches, posthumously.
A true descendant of Ngati Rangi, the people of the sky.
Born on the family farm in Taihape, educated at Te Aute College, from an early age he was fascinated by flying and said ...up there is the place to be, bulla up in the sky!
He did the usual Maori things: played rugby, strummed his guitar, helped his dad fence the paddocks in his holidays and spent long summer days splashing around in the river.
He returned to the family farm, joined the Territorials but, in September 1939, hearing on the radio "Attention, attention, early this morning the PM declared NZ had joined the war", nine days later Johnny enlisted at Wigram Airbase. His journey had begun.
He was welcomed to flying school and for the next six months learned to fly. He was told that "if you keep the nose up and it'll fly straight and true". And up and away he went. Easily understanding the dimensions of flying, fulfilling his dreams and accomplishing something that had never been done before: the first Maori to receive his wings with flying colours.
He was then shipped over to England and introduced to the other troops who would fight alongside him. His first mission was over Europe in a Whitley bomber in July 1941. What followed was him enduring 22 horrific missions flying bombers, targeting U boats, bombing Berlin and other German cities, through the equivalent of hell without receiving a scratch. Breaking the average life expectancy to last only six missions.
Promoted in late April 1942 to a pilot officer, his excitement grew, two days later he was part of the squadron to bomb Hanover in Germany, but he never returned. His plane was shot down, he was floating in the North Sea for 48 hours before being captured by the Germans.
On October 6th 1943 he was sent to Stalag Luft III, an air force prisoner of war camp in Sagan, about 200km south-east of Berlin.
His family received notification that he had been taken as a prisoner of war but believed he would survive and come home.
Prisoners in this camp survived on Red Cross parcels and food from home. Johnny was disappointed that his career had ended this way. In his letters home, he used Maori words to reveal what life was like. To contradict the "official" tito, that it was like a holiday camp with lots of activities to keep the POWs happy.
He was to remain here for about six months. The men had a belief that it was the duty of every soldier to escape and rejoin the fight. Because of his background on the farm, Johnny had many skills to offer: a strong work ethic and his bravery as a pilot, so he was instantly recruited into the select group ESCAPE 200.
This was the Great Escape: three tunnels, Tom, Dick and Harry, were dug under the huts and the road. Over 100m of dirt had to be removed. A rail system was built to do this and men carried the dirt on to the parade ground in their trouser legs and the other men spread it over the ground. It was a dangerous job, they were excavating 10m below the ground and often the tunnel would collapse.
But the group persevered. Tom and Dick were used as decoys and it was planned they would be discovered. In preparation civilian clothes were tailored, false travel documents were printed and rations packed. Johnny was rewarded for his work in digging the tunnels so would escape through Harry. He sent a letter home saying, "I am fairly convinced I will be home for Christmas."
The escape was planned for March 24th. Things went wrong right from the start. There was no light in the tunnel - a raid on Berlin had cut all electricity.
So they crawled in total darkness out the end, only to find the escape hatch was frozen solid; then when they finally got out, the tunnel was 3m short of the fence.
However, 76 of the men were free.
Johnny and an Australian headed for the Balkan border.
Then began the largest manhunt ever - Hitler ordered 100,000 German soldiers and Gestapo to hunt them down.
Johnny and several others were captured and driven out to the countryside to be executed. They were blindfolded but Johnny removed his blindfold and the others followed suit, to show their bravery to look at their executioners in the eyes.
Porokoru John Pohe was a true warrior never afraid to face his death!
As I found out more of this "forgotten hero" I was inspired to uphold the mana of my tipuna. As echoed in the words of the Maori Battalion:
Take the honour of the people with you
We will march, march, march to the enemy
And we'll fight right to the end.
For God! For King! And for Country!
AU - E! Ake, ake, kia kaha e!
To stand up proudly, as a Maori role model and be counted to earn the respect and honour as a valued member of society today, and to remind others of the bravery of the forgotten Maori warriors who lost their lives only to be buried overseas in some distant field. Their remains, like Johnny's, marked only by Crosses of Sacrifice, unnamed gravestones and memorials such as those in the forest in Poland commemorating the 50 escapees who were shot by the Gestapo!
So on this coming Anzac Day, remember the brave warriors who died fighting for their pride.
But most of all FIGHTING for you and New Zealand's freedom.
Let the actions of those brave soldiers, and all those who have gone before, inspire you to begin your journey, to stand proud, to establish the mana for you and your whanau.
"Remember the leaders of the past,
Remember the sacrifices they made.
Remember them. ...
Remember within every person is a great warrior.
Nurture and care for that warrior within you and you will grow and you will blossom."
