Incredible images show Maori soldiers performing the haka during a ceremonial parade at a training camp in Egypt during a ceremonial parade in June 1941. The dance was performed to greet KIng George II and a royal entourage that included his wife, his cousin Prince Peter and Major General Freyberg. They arrived in the North Africa months after the battalion had escaped an invasion in Crete.
Known as the Maori war dance, hakas were used to intimidate the enemy by showing off the soldiers’ power. The dance could have been a substitute for fighting. These days, hakas are performed as a sign of respect at funerals and other celebrations, including sporting events.
In the case of these photos, the haka was performed as a way of honouring the king of Greece at the time. The soldiers in the photographs had only recently been recruited into the New Zealand army as part of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force.