Sir Robert “Bom” Nairn Gillies: 28th Māori Battalion’s Last Guard

Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Kahungunu

b.14 February 1925 – d.7 November 2024

Sir Robert Gillies KNZM, affectionately known as Tā Rāpata “Bom” Gillies, was the last surviving member of B Company, 28th Māori Battalion, who served in the infantry during World War Two. A revered Kaumātua and soldier, he remained a beacon to his people and a tireless advocate for peace.

Born in Hastings, Bom and his whānau moved to Te Papaiouru Marae in Ōhinemutu after surviving the 1931 Napier earthquake, returning to his mother’s people when he was just six years old. Bom attended St Mary’s of the Cross on Seddon Street, before transferring to Rotorua Primary and later Rotorua High School. These early years spent at the pā shaped his values and reinforced his sense of dedication and service to his people.

On 1 September 1939, war was declared! The recruitment office in Rotorua stood where Pak’n Save supermarket is today. Just 17 years old, Bom attempted to enlist three times, giving a false birth date before finally succeeding on his third try. After training in Egypt, he fought in North Africa and through the Battalion’s Italian campaigns, including the brutal Battle of Monte Cassino.

Bom returned home in 1946, where he started a family and found work building rehabilitation houses for returned servicemen who had won ballots for land at Galatea. Unfortunately, Māori servicemen were not treated as well upon their return, and in his later years, Bom was committed to seeing the sacrifices of his fellow Māori Battalion members fully acknowledged.

In 2019, the Italian nation, in appreciation of the sacrifice of the 28th Māori Battalion during the World War Two, made Robert Gillies a Cavaliere, which is the equivalent of a Knight in New Zealand honours. He accepted this honour, which was acknowledged by the Italian ambassador, on behalf of his mates in the battalion.

Sir Robert was knighted in 2022. A humble man, he accepted the honour “on behalf of all the boys, all my mates who served in the Māori Battalion.” Months before his passing at the age of 99, he returned to Monte Cassino to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the battle. His passing marked the end of an era, as the last of a generation who fought in World War Two. Hundreds of whānau and dignitaries travelled from across the motu (island) to pay their final tribute to a humble hero who became a national treasure.

In 2025, Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue paid tribute to the memory of ‘Koro Bom’ by winning Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga national kapa haka competition in his name. The victory served as a final honour for a man who gave so much to his whānau, his iwi, and his country.