Te Rau Aroha: The Mobile Canteen That Became a Legend

This year’s Te Rau Aroha Canteen Truck tin features one of the most remarkable stories of the Second World War — and we wanted to share the full story behind it.

A Gift from the Children

Te Rau Aroha was a mobile canteen truck gifted to the 28th Maori Battalion by the children of New Zealand’s Native Schools. An inscription on the side, written in both English and te reo Maori, reads: “Presented to the Maori Battalion as a token of love from the children of the native schools of New Zealand.”

The truck was hoisted aboard a troop ship and left New Zealand for the Middle East in late 1941.

More Than a Canteen

To the soldiers of the 28th Maori Battalion, Te Rau Aroha was far more than a place to get a cup of tea. They protected it, they showed concern for its safety when it was overdue, and they sought it out in the night just to satisfy themselves it was still there in the convoy. It represented everything they held dear about home.

Te Rau Aroha and its driver Charlie Bennett — known affectionately as “Charlie Y.M.” — followed the Maori Battalion wherever they went. Charlie was known for extending credit between paydays and for his bravery in following the men right into battle.

Surviving the War

During a Stuka dive-bomber attack, a bomb landed just metres away. Shrapnel sprayed the sides and punctured a tyre. The men were as concerned for Te Rau Aroha as for their wounded — the convoy waited until the tyre had been changed before moving on.

By the time the war ended in 1945, Te Rau Aroha had served across North Africa and Italy, surviving at the front of two major campaigns. The battle damage is still visible on the truck’s panels today.

The Only Vehicle to Come Home

Te Rau Aroha holds a unique honour: it is the only vehicle from the Second Division of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to be repatriated back to New Zealand. Today, it stands in the National Army Museum Te Mata Toa in Waiouru — a tribute to the courage and spirit of the Maori Battalion.

We’re proud to feature this story on our 2025 tin. The tins are available at New World, Pak’nSave, Four Square, Woolworths, and The Warehouse.

Featured: Te Rau Aroha — The Mobile Canteen, the truck gifted to the 28th Maori Battalion. Now held at the National Army Museum Te Mata Toa.