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Cenotaph record

Vailima Meanata

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Portrait, Vailima Meanata - This image may be subject to copyright

Portrait, Vailima Meanata - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Vailima AWMM
  • Surname
    Meanata AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    • Vailima Joseph AWMM
    • Joseph Valima AWMM
    • Joe AWMM
    • Valuma Meanata AWMM
    • Iosefo Vailima Meanata AWMM
  • Service number
    26147 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi
    Te Rarawa AWMM
  • Hapū
  • Waka
  • Rohe
  • Religion
    Catholic, Christian AWMM

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    16 June 1915 AWMM Nukualofa, Tonga AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    Pre 9 August 1940 AWMM C/o Spedding Limited, Anzac Avenue, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
    Carpenter/Civilian AWMM
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    Mrs Salote Tauaika (mother), Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Pacific Islands AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Pre 8 November 1940 AWMM Single AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 9 August 1940 AWMM
    Age 25 AWMM
    Club Steward/Civilian AWMM
    AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    • Complexion, Unknown Period AWMM
      Native AWMM
    • Eye colour, Unknown Period AWMM
      Brown AWMM
    • Hair colour, Unknown Period AWMM
      Black AWMM
    • Height, Unknown Period AWMM
      5 feet 10 1/2 inches AWMM
    • Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
      Scar to the neck from a fight when he suffered a cut to the neck from an axe attack by a Turkish soldier AWMM
    • Died of Disease, Cause of Death AWMM
      Lung cancer AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Raised by his Grandmother, Salote Vave. Returned to New Zealand in 1940 to join the 28 Battalion

    4th Reinforcements

    He was the longest serving Tongan in the Maori Battalion.

    Heavyweight boxing champion of the 28th Battalion and 2NZEF

    Listed on the Nominal Roll 3 under surname Vailima AWMM

Death

About death

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  • Death
    12 January 1971 AWMM
    Age 55 AWMM
    Ponsonby, Auckland City AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Died of Disease AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Waikumete Cemetery, Glen Eden, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM Quadrant, 3rd Tree from the bottom AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

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Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Vailima Meanata

Leave a note

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  • Love and miss you. Always remembered Ofa lahi atu xx
    Public - Elizabeth - Child - 21 April 2015
    Report 
  • Thank you for your services! Appreciate your kindness with your beloved wife, Lesieli to have us in your home every time our family visited New Zealand. May you both rest in God's love and peace. 'Ofa moe hufaki
    Public - Amelia Kinahoi - Other Relative - 21 March 2015
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Cenotaph data entry form AWMM
    • 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. AWMM
      WW2 3: WW2 487 AWMM
    • Soakai, A (1993). Tonga and New Zealand : a pre-history. Research essay (MA History). University of Auckland AWMM
    • Cody, J. (1956). 28 (Maori) Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM
    • Gardiner, W. (2019). Ake ake kia kaha e! : Forever brave! : B Company 28 (Maori) Battalion, 1939-1945. Auckland : Bateman Books. AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM

Contributors

Command item
Command item
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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
21 April 2015Elizabeth Auckland, New ZealandChild
21 March 2015Amelia KinahoiAtlanta, GA, USAOther Relative

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