Summarised by Centrist
Sir Robert “Bom” Gillies, the last surviving soldier of the legendary 28th Māori Battalion, passed away peacefully Thursday afternoon in Rotorua at 99. Gillies joined the Battalion at just 17, after lying about his age to enlist.
During World War II, he fought in North Africa and Italy, including the brutal Battle of Monte Cassino, where he sustained injuries.
Reflecting on the cost of war, he often wondered, “Sometimes I wonder now what it was all for. We stopped the tyranny of Hitler at the time, I suppose. But I wonder if the world is really a better place for the cost of all our boys.”
In his later years, Gillies attended commemorations worldwide, representing the Māori Battalion. Nephew Hemi Rolleston described Gillies as a “real-day hero” who made immense sacrifices for his comrades and country.
Gillies was knighted in 2021, accepting the honour as a tribute to all 3600 men who served in the Battalion. “The true people who need this honour have all passed on,” he said at the time, noting he had initially turned down the knighthood.
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell honoured him, saying, “We saw him as a hero, but for Bom it was always about others.” Sir Wayne Shelford of the Returned and Services Association reflected on the national loss, calling Gillies “a true gentleman, a soldier, one of the bravest of us all.”
