William Heremaia

Forenames

William AWMM

Surname

Heremaia AWMM

Service number

25873 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe

Iwi Māori, Māori AWMM

Address before enlistment

• Unknown AWMM Kaikohe, New Zealand AWMM
• Jayforce Unknown AWMM Kaikohe, New Zealand AWMM

Next of kin

• Mrs F. Tane (sister), Kaikohe, New Zealand AWMM
• Jayforce Mrs F. Tane (sister), Kaikohe, New Zealand AWMM

Relationship status

• Unknown AWMM Single AWMM
• Unknown AWMM Single/Jayforce AWMM

War

• World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
• Jayforce, 1945-1948 AWMM

Armed force / branch

Army AWMM

Service number

25873 AWMM

Military service

28 (Maori) Battalion, A Company AWMM

Enlistment

• WW2 Unknown AWMM Labourer/Civilian AWMM
• Jayforce Unknown AWMM Labourer/Civilian AWMM

Embarkation details

• WW2 Private AWMM 28 (Maori) Battalion, A Company AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
• Jayforce Trooper AWMM 28 (Maori) Battalion, A Company AWMM British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) Japan AWMM
  2nd Embarkation AWMM

Capture details

• WW2 POW - Greece AWMM
• WW2 POW - Stalag XVIII-A, Wolfsberg, Austria AWMM

Last rank

Trooper AWMM
28 (Maori) Battalion, A Company AWMM

Death

24 Sept 1994 AWMM
Age  78 AWMM

Cemetery

Waikaraka Cemetery, 1 Alfred Street, Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM Area 1 Block, Row H, Lot No 23 AWMM

Related objects

External links

• Cemetery Records. Auckland, Hillsborough, Onetangi, Waiheke, Otahuhu Public, Waikaraka and others.
  https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/en/cemeteries/find-burial-cremation.html
  Sources Used
• Great Britain Army. (1945). Germany and German occupied territories : imperial prisoners of war alphabetical list : section 4. London, U.K.: Government Printer. Zenodo Record.
  https://zenodo.org/records/3955186
  Further Reference
• 28th Maori Battalion Website 1941-1945
  https://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
• J Force Wikipedia Page
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J_Force
  Further Reference
• Romano, G. (2021, March 4). Jayforce: 75 years on. Auckland War Memorial Museum – Tāmaki Paenga Hira.
  https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/features/jayforce
  Further Reference
• J Force - Greetings from Māori band members (9745). A greeting recorded by this man in Japan in 1947 can be heard on Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision's website.
  https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/search-use-collection/search/9745
  Further Reference
• Johnston, S. (2025, August 11). Voices of J Force: Recordings of New Zealanders in post-war Japan. Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.
  https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/explore-stories/stories/new-zealand-history/voices-of-j-force-recordings-of-new-zealanders-in-post-war-japan/
  Further Reference

References

• Cody, J. (1956). 28 (Maori) Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
• Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 3 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1940 to 31st March, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  WW2 3: WW2 211
• Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1950). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 16 (Embarkations from 1st January, 1946 to 30th June, 1948). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  WW2 16: WW2 58
• List of 2NZEF Prisoners of War. 1941-1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 2009/8.
• Great Britain Army. (1945). Germany and German occupied territories : imperial prisoners of war alphabetical list : section 4. London, U.K.: Government Printer.
• Brocklebank, L.W. (1997). Jayforce : New Zealand and the military occupation of Japan, 1945-48. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford University Press.
• Nominal Roll of NZ Escapees and Evaders - 1 New Zealand Interrogation Section Book 2, Archives New Zealand, Wellington, AAAA 7393 (R25405145)
• Mason, W.W. (1954) Prisoners of war. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
• Parr, A. (2012). The occupiers : New Zealand veterans remember post-war Japan. Auckland, N.Z. : Penguin.
• McClymont, W. (1959). To Greece. Wellington, N.Z.: Department Internal Affairs, War History Branch.