George Asher
Born b. 1915
Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 26 July 2026 - https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/george-asher-asher
- Died 18 Feb 1944 - Service number
- 62846 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Second Lieutenant Gardiner, W. (2019). Ake ake kia kaha e! 28 (Maori) Battalion, B Company Gardiner, W. (2019). Ake ake kia kaha e!
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- George AWMM
- Surname
- Asher AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- 62846 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- Iwi Māori, Māori AWMM
- Tamaki Makaurau, Māori AWMM
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- —
- Date of birth
- b. 1915Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 26 July 2026 - https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/george-asher-asher
- Place of birth
- NZPublic - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 26 July 2026 - https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/george-asher-asher
- Birth notes
- Son of Ernest Kemp and Maisie B. ASHER, of Auckland,Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 26 July 2026 - https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/george-asher-asher
- Address before enlistment
- Unknown AWMM 95A Grafton Road, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- Mr M.E. Asher (father), Mt Eden, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 21 Jul 1943 AWMM Married AWMM
- 1941 George ASHER married Dorothy Agnes DANIELPublic - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 26 July 2026 - NZ BDM Marriage records
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- Italy AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- 62846 AWMM
- Military service
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
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Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW2 Unknown AWMM Student/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Vessel was Nieuw Amsterdam AWMM Lieutenant/Military AWMM 28 (Maori) Battalion, B Company AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Second Lieutenant Gardiner, W. (2019). Ake ake kia kaha e!
28 (Maori) Battalion, B Company Gardiner, W. (2019). Ake ake kia kaha e! - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- George Asher was the son of Ernest Kemp Asher and Maisie B. Asher, of Auckland; husband of Dorothy Agnes Asher, of Auckland.
Next of Kin differs, Mrs. D.A. Asher, 174 Khyber Pass Rd, Auckland (wife)
George Asher was killed in the attack on Monte Cassino in February 1944. On the night of 17/18 February the 28 Battalion was ready for the attack on the railway station. After a short prayer service conducted by Lieutenant Takurua of Ruatoki they made their way to the line, through heavy fields sown with mines. Mortar and heavy machine guns from the lower slopes of Cassino and the town began to exact a heavy toll on A and B Companies. Asher was one of the many casualties that day. Efforts were made to protect the positions of the Battalion from observation by the Germans using a smoke screen. A convoy of trucks drove to Naples 110 km away to bring the shells which were fired by 4 Field Artillery Regiment to create the smoke screen. The toll was 128 killed, wounded or captured.
The graphic account of the finding of George Asher's body is contained in The Story of the Maori Battalion by Wira Gardiner. Several weeks after the battle a reconnaissance party undertook a search of the area. The party was made up of Peta Awatere, Martin McCrae, Wi Huata and Norman Perry. They identified Asher 'by his distinctive swished-back hair. He had lost both legs in an explosion and had attempted to apply a tourniquet with a bit of wire tied around the top of one of his legs.' (p. 154) AWMM
About death
- Death
- 18 Feb 1944 AWMM
Age 29 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Cassino War Cemetery, Italy AWMM VI. K. 14 AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM
- Auckland Grammar School War Memorial, New Zealand AWMM
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- 28th Maori Battalion Website 1941-1945
http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/
Further Reference - Cody, J. (1956). 28 (Maori) Battalion. Wellington: Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital copy.
https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20210104000423/http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Maor.html
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2608033
Sources Used - Paterson, Lachy. (24 October 2020). The forgotten Maori Battalion. maorihomefront.nz
https://www.maorihomefront.nz/en/whanau-stories/the-forgotten-maori-battalion/
Further Reference
- 28th Maori Battalion Website 1941-1945
- References
- Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139.
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 12 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1943 to 31st December, 1943). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
WW2 12: WW2 8 - Gardiner, W. (2019). Ake ake kia kaha e! : Forever brave! : B Company 28 (Maori) Battalion, 1939-1945. Auckland : Bateman Books.
- Cody, J. (1956). 28 (Maori) Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- Ko te Reo Huringa Tau o te Ope Maori Tuarua, i noho ki Remuera, Ohaeawai, 1942-43: The Anniversary Magazine of the Second Maori Battalion, Remuera, Ohaeawai 1942-1943. Patrick Smyth Papers, MS-2002-147, Auckland War Memorial Museum.
- Nominal Roll of Members of the 2nd Maori Battalion, 26th January 1943. Part of the 2nd Maori Battalion Anniversary Magazine. (MS-2002-147). Auckland War Memorial Museum.
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