B Company Research

Honouring Tūpuna
E ngā urī o Te Hokowhitu a Tū, e mihi kau ana ki a koutou katoa i runga i te āhuatanga o te wā, i runga i te arohanui ki ngā hoia o Kamupene B kua whetūrangihia.
Ka hoki maumahara tonu tātau ki Tā Robert ‘Bom’ Gillies. E Koro, ka tangihia tonutia koe e te tini, e te mano. Hoki pai atu koe ki ō hoa e tatari ana ki a koe. Whakawetohia te rama e Koro. Rātau ki a rātau, tātau ki a tātau, nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātau katoa.
Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa is currently closed for earthquake strengthening, but when it was open, the Museum had an exhibition dedicated to sharing the stories of B Company 28th Māori Battalion. Check out which locations in New Zealand made up the four different companies in the 28th Māori Battalion here
Whilst the Museum is closed, we are taking the opportunity to redevelop the B Company exhibition and are hoping to connect with descendants in order to strengthen the overall exhibition.
We are currently trying to gather photos of as many B Company soldiers as possible. While we already have many photos, we are still missing a huge number.
Read the media release here

Searching for Soldiers
If you have photos of any of B Company members, particularly in their uniform and at about the age when they were serving in B Company, we would love to hear from you.
Please complete this quick survey and we will be in contact with you.
If you are unsure if your tupuna was in B Company then check out the list below. Names are listed in alphabetical order by surname. Use {Ctrl F} and type in name for a quick search.
B Company 28th Māori Battalion – List of Soldiers
For any queries, please contact:
EVENTS & ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR
Canaan Tuhura
Email

Be part of the Legacy
E ngā uri o Te Hokowhitu a Tū, e mihi kau ana ki a koutou katoa i runga i te āhuatanga o te wā, i runga i te arohanui ki ngā hoia o Kamupene B kua whetūrangihia.
Nā Tā Robert ‘Bom’ Gillies i whakaweto te rama.
Rātau ki a rātau, tātau ki a tātau, nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātau katoa.
The B Company, 28th NZ (Māori) Battalion History Trust was established in 2014 to “protect, maintain and preserve the integrity, honour and mana of the company.” The Trust is a registered charitable organisation created to fund and manage the research and publication of the stories of B Company.
Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa is supporting the B Company 28th NZ (Māori) Battalion History Trust to reshape itself for the future. At their recent AGM, the current Trustees were keen to step down and enable a new generation of whānau to lead the Trust forward.
The new Trust will need waka/iwi representation from across the B Company rohe, including Mātaatua, Te Arawa, Tainui and Takitimu.
These are voluntary roles, and as a trustee, your responsibilities will include governance, administration, advocacy, fundraising and preserving the collective B Company memories, including taonga and stories.
If you are a descendant of a B Company soldier and would like to nominate yourself or another descendant to serve as a trustee, nominations are open now. To submit a nomination you will need:
- A personal profile of up to 200 words for the person being nominated
- An optional photo
- Endorsement from a Koeke/Kaumātua from your hapū/iwi to support the nomination
Complete your online nomination now!
Nominations close on Monday 21 July 2025
Kati rā i konei e te whānau, e mihi ake anō ki a koutou katoa i te tauwhirotanga o te wāhi ngaro. Koinei ngā kupu whakakapi e mea nei, ‘ka maumahara tonu tātau ki a rātau, ka maumahara tonu tātau ki a rātau’.
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātau katoa.