item details
NameCap and collar badges, 16th (Waikato) Regiment
ProductionUnknown; manufacturer(s); circa 1916
Classificationinsignias, badges
Materialsbrass
DimensionsOverall: 175mm (width), 10mm (height), 74mm (depth)
Registration NumberGH021082
Overview
The 16th (Waikato) Regiment was formed in 1911 as a Volunteer infantry regiment in the Auckland Military District. The Regiment's insignia shows a Maori warrior’s raised arm grasping a taiaha (customary weapon) , symbolising the bravery of Maori warriors. The Crown represents loyalty to the monarch and the fern leaves symbolise New Zealand.
The Regiment's motto ‘Ka whawhai tonu ake ake’ ‘We will fight against you for ever’ – is the famous battle cry of Rewi Maniapoto, who fought British forces in the Waikato in 1864.