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Rene Shadbolt

René Shadbolt led the only New Zealand contingent to the Spanish Civil War. She and fellow nurse, Isobel Dodds, cared for wounded soldiers, particularly those from the International Brigades, from July 1937 to November 1938.

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Today in History

13 February

1869 Killings at Pukearuhe

The Pukearuhe redoubt was 50km northeast of New Plymouth. Its military settlers protected the only route north to Mokau and had also cleared bush for farms. This outpost was isolated and vulnerable, but as the fighting in Taranaki was coming to a close there appeared to be no great concerns for the safety of its inhabitants.

On Saturday 13 February, a Ngati Maniapoto war party led by Wetere Te Rerenga shattered this illusion of safety when they attacked Pukearuhe. Two soldiers were killed on the beach nearby. At the redoubt itself Lieutenant Gascoigne was killed along with his wife and three children.

In the early evening the Wesleyan missionary John Whiteley approached Pukearuhe on horseback, during one of his regular visits to the outlying military settlements in Taranaki. He was seen by Te Rerenga's war party, who shouted at him to go back. According to some accounts Whiteley refused, claiming that his place 'was here for my children are doing evil'. A voice then called out, 'kahore e tangi nga tikaokao mate' (dead cocks do not crow). The first shot took out his horse. The coroner's report later stated that Whiteley was shot five times and received several tomahawk blows to his eyes.

Image: John Whiteley (DNZB)