Post #315599 by tikipedia on Thu, Jun 28, 2007 8:40 PM

I've been reading Robert K. Massie book Castles of Steel, about naval warfare during World War One.

Massie relates an interesting story during the Battle of Jutland of 1916, involving the battle cruiser HMS New Zealand. (for the super curious, it is on pg. 586 of the hardback version)

"... ([HMS) New Zealand's (captain), John Green had a green stone tiki pendant around his neck, and his waist was wrapped in a black-and-white flax Maori kilt called a pui-pui, both gifts presented to the ship by a tribal chief during the battle cruiser's visit to the Dominion in 1913. Along with the gifts came the chief's request that they be worn by the captain whenever New Zealand went into action; if this ritual was faithfully observed, he promised, the battle cruiser would not be seriously harmed. On this day, the news that the captain was wearing his necklace and his kilt spread reassurance among the crew. And when the Battle of Jutland was over, New Zealand, hit only once by a heavy shell, was the only one of (Admrial) Beatty's six battle cruisers to suffer no significant damage and escape all casualties."

The Royal New Zealand Navy website has several photographs of what appears to be the original pui-pui and tiki pendant from the New Zealand.

The pendant(?) worn by Captain Green

Chief of the New Zealand Navy and a NZ cultural group examining the pui-pui from HMS New Zealand

Another view of the pui-pui

HMS New Zealand

The Tikipedia
www.tikipedia.com

[ Edited by: tikipedia 2007-06-29 09:12 ]