John Paul Irwin
Born 19 Jul 1922 - Died 1 Mar 1987
- Service number
- 637163 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- NZ Artillery before transferring to 28th N.Z. (Maori) Bn in ItalyPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/soldier/john-paul-irwin
- Last rank
- —
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- GENERALPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/soldier/john-paul-irwin
- Forenames
- John Paul AWMM
- Surname
- Irwin AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- 637163 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- Iwi Māori, Māori AWMM
- Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngā Iwi o Mataatua, Mataatua, Waka o Ngā Iwi, Ngā Iwi, Māori AWMM
- Mataatua, Waka o Ngā Iwi, Ngā Iwi, Māori AWMM
- Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngā Iwi o Tākitimu, Tākitimu, Waka o Ngā Iwi, Ngā Iwi, Māori AWMM
- Ngā Iwi o Tākitimu, Tākitimu, Waka o Ngā Iwi, Ngā Iwi, Māori AWMM
- Ngā Iwi o Mataatua, Mataatua, Waka o Ngā Iwi, Ngā Iwi, Māori AWMM
- Ngā Iwi o Nukutere, Nukutere, Māori AWMM
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 19 Jul 1922 Public Source
- Date of birth
- July 19, 1922Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/soldier/john-paul-irwin
- Place of birth
- Waimana, BOP, NZPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/soldier/john-paul-irwin
- Birth notes
- Only son William Irwin (aka Valanda Gustafson) and Terewai Te WharePublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/soldier/john-paul-irwin & Research
- Address before enlistment
- Unknown AWMM Oponae, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- Carpenter & Graduated to Building InspectorPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/soldier/john-paul-irwin
- Next of kin
- Mr W. Irwin (father), Oponae, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 21 Feb 1944 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- Greece, Crete, Sardinia, Corsica, Tunisia, ItalyPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/soldier/john-paul-irwin
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- NZ Artillery before transferring to 28th N.Z. (Maori) Bn in ItalyPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/soldier/john-paul-irwin
- Service number
- 637163 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- —
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW2 Unknown AWMM Farm hand/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Vessel was Mooltan or Willem Ruys AWMM General/Military AWMM 28 (Maori) Battalion, B Company AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force 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
- GeneralPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/soldier/john-paul-irwin
- Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- WW2 veteran, served with 28 Maori Battalion in Greece, Crete, Sardinia, Corsica, Tunisia, Italy. Died 1 Mar 1987, buried at RSA cemetery Wairoa.
Only son of William Irwin (aka Valanda Gustafson) and Terewai Te Whare. His only blood sister, Mihirangi perished at age 2 in a fire , along with their mother in 1926.
John Paul Irwin - Reg No. 637163
John Irwin died March 1 1987 and was laid to rest in the Wairoa Servicemen's Cemetery. He was born in Waimana, July 19, 1922 of Tuhoe and Ngati Kahungunu descent.
He was brought up by the Ratu Lewis family of Nuhaka and attended Wairoa District High School. The guidance and direction of John's life was set by Rev. Lewis for John's life was one of service to the communities in which he lived. Notable among his many involvements was the prominent part he played in the refurbishing of the Waimako Pa.
During WWII he served with the artillery before transferring to 28th N.Z. (Maori) Bn, in Italy where he remained until the end of the war.
On returning home he joined the Dept. of Maori Affairs as a carpenter and graduated to building inspector.
In 1963 he moved to Auckland as a building supervisor and is remembered for the part he took in Auckland Branch and his involvement with the Tuhoe marae Tira Hou.
He returned to Wairoa in 1977 as the County Council Building Inspector and was elected to the Wairoa District Council.
For the last ten years he was President of the Wairoa Branch of 28th Bn and at the time of his death was Vice-President of Wairoa R.S.A.Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/soldier/john-paul-irwin
About death
- Death
- 1 Mar 1987 AWMM
- Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- 64 yrsPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - Wairoa Cemetery Records
- Place of death
- Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, NZPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - Wairoa Cemetery Records
- Cause of death
- —
- Death notes
- John Paul Irwin, Building Inspector, died 1 March 1987 aged 64yrs in WairoaPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - Wairoa Cemetery Records
- Cemetery
- Wairoa Cemetery, Fraser Road, Wairoa, New Zealand AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- CE id: 030123A; Plot 23 Row 1; Gis Plot # 23; Cemetery Block APublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - Wairoa Cemetery Records
- Obituary
- —
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- —
Sources
- External links
- 28th Maori Battalion Website 1941-1945
http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/
Sources Used - 28th Maori Battalion Website 1941-1945. Personal page
http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/soldier/john-paul-irwin
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. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 13 (Embarkations from 1st January, 1944 to 31st March, 1944). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
WW2 13: WW2 61 - 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. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 13 (Embarkations from 1st January, 1944 to 31st March, 1944). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
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