 The 28th ( Māori ) Battalion , more commonly known as the Māori Battalion , was an infantry battalion of the New Zealand Army that served during the Second World War . It was formed following pressure on the Labour government by some Māori Members of Parliament ( MPs ) and Māori organisations throughout the country which wanted a full Māori unit to be raised for service overseas . The Māori Battalion followed in the footsteps of the Māori Pioneer Battalion that served during the First World War with success , and was wanted by Māori to raise their profile , and to serve alongside their Pākehā compatriots as subjects of the British Empire . It also gave a generation of people with a well @-@ noted military ancestry a chance to test their own warrior skills . 
