Benedict Biddle

Benedict 'Ben' Biddle N.Z.C. was one of New Zealand's last Māori Wars heroes; awarded the rare New Zealand Cross for his acts of bravery at Ngatapa Pa, Gisborne in January 1869. Only twenty-three of these medals were ever awarded, with Ben being amongst the first of the men to receive this award and would pass away as the last of the recipients of this honour.

Origins

Ben was born in Auckland, New Zealand; the son of an English regular soldier, Edward Biddle and his wife Anne Leach. The Biddles' were originally from Alveston, Gloucestershire, England before migrating to New Zealand in the 1850s.

Formative Years

Ben grew up on the Waitemata shores and took on work on the Captain Jones' Cutters as a youngster; where he would sail between Auckland and the Bay of Plenty. Following his work on the seas, Ben then worked on a cattle station where he broke in horses. (Evans 1998. p.13).

New Zealand Land (Māori) Wars

As a twenty-one year old, Ben would enlist into the New Zealand Colonial Forces as a Constable in the 1st Division, within the Armed Constabulary (Military Police). He would not wait long before seeing action and was involved in a number of conflicts of note.

According to Cowan (1935) 'He made a name in the Hauhau wars for his enterprise and disregard of danger. He was sometimes in trouble with military officers who had incurred his contempt by their ignorance of bush warfare or their excessive caution, but when men were needed for the fighting line the call was always for Biddle and men of his kind.' (p. 223).

Ngatapa

Following their defeat at Makaretu on December 3, 1868, Te Kooti and his followers withdrew to an ancient Maori pa, named "Ngatapa" (North-west of Gisborne) where they made a stand against the Colonial Forces and the Kupapa (Colonial aligned Maoris). Ngatapa was a single cone-shaped mountain and was around 2,000 feet high with two sharp cliffs to the sides and a narrow precipice to the rear of the mountain.

On December 5, an attempt to storm the pa was commanded by Major Wahawaha and Lieutenant Preece, but they were not successful owing to a lack of ammunition and the defection of a number of men.

On December 24, Colonel Whitmore set out from Patutahi with a stronger and better prepared force of men, including the Armed Constabulary. By December 31, Whitmore's men had gained a position on the same ridge as the pa and two days later, began their assault upon Ngatapa. The Colonial Forces and the Kupapa attempted to take the pa but Te Kooti's men succeeded in slowing them down and Whitmore ordered an artillery bombardment on the pa. The Colonial and Kupapa forces had only enough men to surround three of the four sides of the pa, but believed that this was adequate as the fourth side was a 200 foot cliff and that it was not possible for Te Kooti's forces to escape in that direction.

Ben Biddle's citation reads:

'For his gallant conduct at the siege of Ngatapa, in January, 1869. The rear of the enemy's position was assigned to the attack under Major Fraser, consisting of Nos 1 and 3 Armed Constabulary and Hotene's Ngatiporous. The extreme right, on a scarped stony ridge, was commanded from the enemy's rifle-pits and works, and lodgement was only effected by cutting out standing room with a pick axe. The enemy made several determined sorties against this point, and it became extremely difficult to maintain the position - which was essential to the success of the operations. A party of twelve Volunteers were at length placed there, and they succeeded, with some loss, in holding the position till the end of the siege, and in repelling several resolute attacks. One of the most conspicuous for his bravery was Constable Biddle.' (Bowen 1870:3).

In the late hours of January 4, and early hours of January 5, Te Kooti and a large number of his party escaped by tying blankets and flax ropes together and letting themselves down this unguarded section of cliff. After the pa was taken and a short pursuit was mounted; a number of Hauhau were stripped, shot and thrown from the cliffs atop Ngatapa. Te Kooti had escaped and would go on to cause more havoc for the Colonial Forces - the pursuit would continue... Mohaka

Tauranga Ika

Otauhu

Whilst serving in the NZ Land Wars, Ben married a Maori woman by the name of Mauri Poiakino (Pakohai) who was of both Tuhoe and Ngati Pahauwera origins. Mauri accompanied Ben on a number of his military missions, acting as both a guide and cook.

Post War

Following the New Zealand Land (Maori) Wars, Ben and Mauri would go on to have a large family and lived in Wainui in the Bay of Plenty. This move to Wainui could in itself be viewed as being a little strange; as Ben's arch nemesis, Te Kooti (Siege of Ngatapa) not only resided here, but he built his marae at this location.

It was however, ironic, that one of Ben's sons, Robert 'Rapata' Biddle, would go on to become a Minister and the Secretary within the Ringatu Church (set up by Te Kooti). Robert also holds the distinction of devising the Ringatu Crest or logo in 1926. (Binney, 1995:421).

Although Ben found himself at odds with some of his superior officers and would face a court martial on one occasion; he would get his own back, when he named his most troublesome bullock "Lambert" after his equally troublesome former officer (Colonel Lambert). (Cowan 1935:224).

References

* Evans et al. 1998. "The Biddles: A Bicultural Family of Aotearoa/New Zealand." Auckland: Evagean Publishing.

* Cowan, J. 1935. "Hero Stories of New Zealand." Wellington: Harry Tombs Publishing. http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-CowHero-t1-body-d31.html

* Cowan, J. 1956. "The New Zealand Wars: A History of the Maori Campaigns and the Pioneering Period: Volume II: The Hauhau Wars, 1864–72." Wellington: R.E. Owen Publishing. http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-Cow02NewZ-c37.html

* Kerehona, B. 2007. (Draft). "Born for War: New Zealand's Military History - A Family Perspective (expected to be published in mid-late 2009).

* NGATAPA, SIEGE OF', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966. URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/1966/N/NgatapaSiegeOf/en

* Bowen, G.F. 1870. "Roll of the New Zealand Cross". Wellington: Alexander Turnbull Library.

* Binney, J. 1995. "Redemption Songs: A Life of Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki." Auckland: University Press.

*Gudgeon, T. W. 1887. "The Defenders of New Zealand: Being a short biography of colonists who distinguished themselves in upholding her Majesty's supremacy in these islands." Auckland: H. Brett Printer/Publisher.