Rangi Royal
Te Rangiātaahua Kiniwē Royal OBE MC (1896–1965) was a notable New Zealand tribal leader, land officer, Māori welfare officer, soldier, and sportsman. Of Māori descent, he identified with the Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Tamaterā iwi. He was born in , Manawatū, New Zealand, in 1896.
During the Battle of Crete, leading two companies of the Māori Battalion, he overran the advance of the I Battalion, 141st Gebirgsjäger Regiment allowing the 5th New Zealand Brigade to escape. Once everyone was safe, he led a retreat 24 miles (39 km), allowing only two men to be killed, and eight wounded, all of whom were recovered.[1]
In the 1964 New Year Honours, Royal was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the Māori people.[2]
References[]
- ^ Saunders 1959, p. 55.
- ^ "No. 43202". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 1 January 1964. p. 40.
Further reading[]
- Saunders, Hilary St. George (1959) [1949]. The Green Beret: The Commandos at War. Four Square Books. London: Landsborough Publications. OCLC 503725176.
 | This biographical article related to the military of New Zealand is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
 | This New Zealand biographical article relating to sports is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
 | This biographical article relating to a Māori person is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
- 1896 births
- 1965 deaths
- New Zealand Māori sportspeople
- New Zealand Army personnel
- Ngāti Raukawa
- Ngāti Tamaterā
- New Zealand Māori public servants
- New Zealand Māori soldiers
- People educated at Thames High School
- New Zealand recipients of the Military Cross
- New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- New Zealand military personnel of World War II
- New Zealand military personnel stubs
- New Zealand sportspeople stubs
- Māori biography stubs