Benedict Biddle - New Zealand Land Wars

New Zealand Land Wars

As a 21-year-old, Biddle enlisted in the New Zealand Colonial Forces as a constable in the 1st Division of the Armed Constabulary (Military Police). He soon saw action and was involved in a number of notable conflicts.

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 3 December 1868, Te Kooti and his followers withdrew to an ancient Māori pā, named Ngatapa, northwest of Gisborne, where they made a stand against the colonial forces and the kupapa, (colonial-aligned Māori). 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 5 December an attempt to storm the pā 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 24 December Colonel Whitmore set out from Patutahi with a stronger and better prepared force of men, including the Armed Constabulary. By 31 December Whitmore's men had gained a position on the same ridge as the pā and two days later, began their assault upon Ngatapa. The colonial forces and the kupapa attempted to take the pā but Te Kooti's men succeeded in slowing them down and Whitmore ordered an artillery bombardment on the pā. The colonial and kupapa forces had only enough men to surround three of the four sides of the pā, 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.

In the late hours of 4 January and early hours of 5 January, Te Kooti and a large number of his party escaped by tying blankets and flax ropes together and letting themselves down the unguarded section of cliff. After the pā 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.

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).