War hero and All Black buried at Purewa
Purewa Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 500 men and women who fought in wars spanning the 20th and 21st centuries.
These include the New Zealand Wars (formerly known as the Maori Wars) 1843-1872, The American Civil War 1861-1865, the South African War (formerly known as the Boer War) 1899-1902, WWI 1914-1918, WWII 1939-1945, the Korean War 1950-1953 and the Vietnam War 1955-1975. Other brave men and women saw action in Malaysia, East Timor and Afghanistan.
One of the little-known heroes of WWII was Walter Batty, who left New Zealand in 1940 for Egypt, where he was appointed Sergeant in the New Zealand Artillery 6 Field Regiment and then Warrant Officer 1st class.
In Libya in 1941 he singlehandedly disposed of and deterred nine Italian tanks firing on New Zealand troops. For his prompt and determined action he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) in 1942.
As well as his gallant war record, Walter Batty is also remembered for his physical skill on the rugby field. He had the honour and distinction of being the first Tongan All Black, representing Auckland from 1924-1932 when he played in 64 games.
In 1928 he played against New South Wales at Wellington, in 1930 against North Otago and Great Britain at Dunedin, Auckland and Wellington and in 1931, against Australia,
When the British team toured in 1930, Batty played in three of the four tests but was unavailable for the final match.
Batty was born in Tonga to an English father and a Tongan mother and moved to New Zealand as a child, living in Ponsonby with his Aunt Edith and attending Auckland Grammar School. He became a clerk and then an insurance agent and lived in Herne Bay for more than 50 years.
A new video about Batty’s life and war record is now available on the Purewa website www.purewa. co.nz