Keepa Rangi
Born 31 Mar 1906
- Service number
- 62654 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- —
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Keepa AWMM
- Surname
- Rangi AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- 62654 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- Iwi Māori, Māori AWMM
- Tairawhiti, Māori AWMM
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 31 Mar 1906 AWMM
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- Unknown AWMM Ruatoria, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- Mr T.J. Rangi (father), Tolaga Bay, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Unknown AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- 62654 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Military Medal (MM) AWMM
17 Jun 1943 AWMM
In normal military life this soldier is a batman. During the attack of 26 March 1943 Pte. Rangi received concussion from bomb blast on the start line. He was left behind as a casualty but when the attack on the hill feature at Point 209 was in progress it was found that Pte. Rangi had rejoined his company, having refused to be evacuated. He joined the platoon that did the main attack on the feature as a rifleman. Pte. Rangi fought tenaciously with this platoon on the hill crest and showed great courage against all enemy counter-thrusts. When he found that the rest of the men had become casualties and were not able to receive adequate treatment he turned his hand to treating the wounded. Under heavy mortar and machine-gun fire he made his way back to Battalion HQ and procured transport for the evacuation of the wounded. Throughout the whole night, Pte Rangi could be seen carrying down the wounded from the hill crest under a fierce and almost continuous mortar barrage with complete disregard for his own personal safety and intent only on tending the wounded. IN this action Pte. Rangi showed loyalty to company, initiative, courage and devotion to duty to a degree not normally expected of an ordinary soldier. (London Gazette 17/6/1943 (I)) The National Archives. Recommendation for Award for Rangi, Keepa. (Ref. WO 373/25/228). Military Medal.17 Jun 1943 AWMM - War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM
- New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM
- Military Medal (MM) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW2 Unknown AWMM Labourer/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Private AWMM 28 (Maori) Battalion AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF), 5th Reinforcements AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- —
Last known rank
- Last rank
- —
- Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Identified as B and C Company (Soutar, 2008) AWMM
About death
- Death
- —
- Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- —
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- —
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- —
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- —
Sources
- External links
- 28th Maori Battalion Website 1941-1945
http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/
Further Reference - 'The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East.' (London Gazette, 17 June 1943, p.2762.). Military Medal.
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/36057/supplements/2762
Further Reference - The National Archives. Recommendation for Award for Rangi, Keepa. (Ref. WO 373/25/228). Military Medal.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D7361447
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
- 28th Maori Battalion Website 1941-1945
- References
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 4 (Embarkations from 1st April, 1941 to 30 June, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
WW2 4: WW2 291 - Soutar, M. (2008). Nga tama toa = The price of citizenship : C Company 28 (Maori) Battalion 1939-1945. Albany, N.Z.: David Bateman.
Portrait published in Soutar (2008) - 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.
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 4 (Embarkations from 1st April, 1941 to 30 June, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
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