Story: Ngā pakanga ki tāwāhi – Māori and overseas wars

Māori War Effort Organisation recruiting conference, 1942

Māori War Effort Organisation recruiting conference, 1942

Officials are shown at a recruiting conference organised by the Māori War Effort Organisation (MWEO), in Auckland in September 1942. Paraire Paikea of Ngāti Whātua, the minister in charge of the Māori war effort, is fourth from left. He is talking to officers including Henry Te Reiwhati Vercoe (second from left) of Ngāti Pikiao, a veteran of the South African and First World wars. The MWEO was formed in June 1942. Its main function was recruitment, but it also dealt with Māori education, vocational training and manpower allocation. After Paikea's death in April 1943, the operations of the MWEO began to be scaled down. This followed concerns in the Native Department and some other government circles that the MWEO could encourage too much Māori autonomy.

Using this item

Auckland City Libraries - Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero, Sir George Grey Special Collections
Reference: AWNS-19420916-19-10

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Monty Soutar, 'Ngā pakanga ki tāwāhi – Māori and overseas wars - Second World War: the Māori war effort', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/36688/maori-war-effort-organisation-recruiting-conference-1942 (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Monty Soutar, published 20 Jun 2012, updated 1 May 2016