Sir Robert “Bom” Gillies, the last surviving member of the 28th Māori Battalion, has been remembered as an “incredibly humble” man who “carried the spirits of all of his deceased comrades”.
Sir Bom’s death at age 99 was announced yesterday.
“There will be a huge loss across the world and Aotearoa as we farewell the last member of the 28 Māori Battalion,” family spokesperson Jeremy Tātere McLeod told Breakfast today.
“Last night was an intimate opportunity for the family to mourn a father, a grandfather and an uncle.
“Rotorua will be inundated with thousands of mourners over the next few days, so it was a nice opportunity for the whānau to have that time.”
The 99-year-old was the last surviving member of the 28 Māori Battalion. (Source: 1News)
Sir Bom was in a car accident recently, Tātere McLeod revealed. He believed Sir Bom “would’ve lived well into his hundreds” if not for that.
“Unfortunately, he had a car accident – because he was still very independent and driving – and the complications of that meant that his health declined,” Tātere McLeod said.
He said the whānau had “shared their father and grandfather with the world”.
“He’s carried the spirits of all of his deceased comrades,” Tātere McLeod said.
“He epitomised humility … despite the fact that he was soon to be a centenarian, he kept abreast of politics and everything across this country, and he was incredibly humble.
“He leaves a huge legacy and I believe the question that we need to ask ourselves is, what happens now to the 28 Māori Battalion, now that the last comrade has fallen?
“The day that they are forgotten and they stop being spoken about will be a huge travesty, and I think those are the questions we have to ask ourselves.
“How do we keep their memories alive?”
Tātere McLeod said Sir Bom was “sharp” and “jovial” right to the end.
“The response has been huge. The country mourns a great loss.”