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medal, commemorative

On display
human history
  • Other Name

    New Zealand Memorial Cross (descriptive name)

    Private Tuhura Hami, 28 (Maori) Battalion (recipient name)

  • Description

    Memorial Cross, WW2

    Memorial Cross awarded to next-of-kin of Private Tuhura Hami, 28 (Maori) Battalion who died on active service 19th October 1941 in Greece.

    a Cross patonce in silver over a laurel wreath, at the end of the upright a crown; at the foot and at the end of either arm a fern leaf; in the centre the royal cipher “GRVI”.

    Medal originally issued with a purple ribbon

    missing parts: ribbon

    markings: medal named verso: 39616 / PTE. T. HAMI

    silver mark verso: R / STERLING

  • Place
  • Associated Place
  • Accession Number
    2013.31.1
  • Accession Date
    06 Sep 2013
  • Other Id

    16663 (Asset Register)

  • Department
  • Display Room
medal, commemorative, 2013.31.1, 16663, Photographed by:… … Read more

Images and documents

Images

Artefact

  • Display location

    Pou Maumahara drawer bank 9, drawer F, medal position 37

  • Credit Line
    Collection of Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira, 2013.31.1
  • Place
  • Date
    [1947]
  • Associated Notes

    Memorial Cross commemorating the death of 39616 Pte Tuhura Hami, 28 (Maori) Battalion

    Tuhura Hami, son of Mr and Mrs Whiti Hami of Te Karaka, East Coast, embarked with the 2nd Echelon. He was taken prisoner on Crete, and is known to have been taken into a POW Camp on 30th April 1941.

    According the records of the War Graves Commission he died in Greece on 19th October 1941, and he is commemorated at the Athens Memorial in Greece. The fact that he remained on Greece for six months suggests that he was wounded during the Battle of Crete and may have spent this time in hospital, instead of being shipped to a POW camp in Italy or Germany.

    Cenotaph biographical notes:

    The 'Review' of December 1945 states the following: "Information is desired concerning 39616 Pte. Tuhura Hami of Te Karaka. He was taken prisoner during the evacuation of Greece, and the latest received came from a 2nd NZEF officer who was prisoner of war, who stated that Pte. Hami was taken into prison camp on the 30th April 1941. Any returned P.O.W who has seen him or can give additional information is asked to communicate with the Secretary of the Wellington R.S.A, or his mother, Mrs Whiti Jones, Te Karaka."

  • Associated Event
    WW2; 1939-1945
    Battle of Crete; May 1941; Crete/Greece
  • Associated Person
  • Associated Place
  • Associated Date
    19 Oct 1941
  • Period
  • Signature/marks

    39616 / PTE. T. HAMI (medal inscription)

  • Media
  • Measurement Description
    medal width: 50mm
  • Measurement Reading

    32mm

    32mm

  • Subject Category
  • Classification
  • Last Update
    19 Mar 2024
The development of the Auckland War Memorial Museum online collection is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.

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