A veteran of the Maori Battalion has visited a set of works at Auckland Art Gallery sent all the way from Italy to recognise the sacrifice of soldiers such as him.
The Renaissance exhibition is made up of artworks sent by an old Italian family who wanted to recognise the role the Maori Battalion played saving them while stationed there during the Second World War.
But despite the challenges, Maori Battalion veteran Robert Gillies also enjoyed the culture Italy offered.
"We used to visit the museums when we went on leave and the people were good to us," Robert says.
"We talked the language pretty well, pretty similar to ours, it's quite easy for us. Even invited us into their houses."
In September countesses from the Corsini family opened the exhibition of handpicked Renaissance treasures
"We owe it to the 28th Maori Battalion that came to Qiante, fought for our freedom, died for our freedom," art patron Contessa Elisabetta Minutoli says.
Many were hidden during the war but eventually uncovered by a German soldier who took to one with bullets.
"It's so important for the story of art because what Maori battalion and the Australians and everyone else who fought right up through Italy, they all played a part in saving the art of Italy," exhibition curator Mary Kisler says.
There were also children of those soldiers coming along to the exhibition to support Robert, one recalling the love her father had for that country.
"We grew up hearing our dad singing bona note mi amore and O Sole Mio. My dad went over to Italy as a Maori and he came back an Italian," Laurie Morrison says.
"My dad always told me of course he shot Hitler, and we believed him."
The Maori Battalion suffered huge losses during the Italian campaign.
At Casino Companies A and B were hit the hardest - 128 of 200 were killed wounded or captured and those are losses that Robert Gilles remembers well.
"It was a disaster," Mr Gilles says.
"When the boys got on the banks the mines went up then the flares came up it was like daylight and they just mowed them down."
Today was about remembering those old mates.
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