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Cenotaph record

Rutene Irwin

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Roll of Honour: The 100th anniversary of NZ's involvement in the WWI battle at Gallipoli will have special significance for Mangatu man Rutene Irwin

Rutene Irwin with his display cabinet that contains the War Medals of his Whanau

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Identity

About

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Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    12 June 1926 AWMM Opotiki, Bay of Plenty AWMM
  • Date of birth
    26 June 1926 Public - Irene - Child - 21 July 2016 - Birth Certificate
  • Place of birth
    Torere, Opotiki Public - Irene - Child - 21 July 2016 - Birth Certificate
  • Birth notes
    • son of William Irwin & Dawn Te Atapo Wharekino Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - Research
    • Father was MacDonald Public - Irene - Child - 21 July 2016 - Family papers
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
    Carpenter fot Mangatu Blocks Public - Irene - Child - 21 July 2016 - Family papers
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    • Jayforce Whatatutu, New Zealand AWMM
    • Jayforce Mr R. Irwin (brother), Mai Station, Whatatutu, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Unknown AWMM Single/Jayforce AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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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

Last known rank

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  • Last rank

Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Reference: Nga Morehu: The Survivors: The Life Histories of Eight Maori Women
      Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFM9YvHP09A - 88 year old Rutene Ahuroa Irwin of Te Aitanga a Mahaki and Te Whakatohea descent, enlisted into the Army at the age of just 14. This documentary depicts Rutene’s only dream of wanting to make military his career. Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 4 September 2015 - Research
    • Ngai Tai o Torere not Whakatohea Public - Irene - Child - 21 July 2016 - Family papers
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    11 March 2019 AWMM
    Whatatutu, Gisborne AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
    The people of Te Aitanga a Māhaki are mourning their rangatira and a giant in the world of Māori farming.

    Rūtene Irwin died on Monday in his 93rd year and was buried yesterday at Tapuae o Te Rangi in Mangatū.

    For many years Mr Irwin led Mangatū Incorporation, and he gave evidence last year to the Waitangi Tribunal’s Mangatū Remedies Hearing seeking the return of the Mangatū forest.

    Te Aitanga a Māhaki member Willie Te Aho says he was also known for his service in J-Force during the Occupation of Japan after World War 2.

    "For three years before he went to the war he had been trying to get to the war and got turned away because he was 14 to 16 and eventually went when he was 17. He was a big loss for us and there are a lot of lessons we have to carry on from his passing and one certainly is to complete the Mangatū Claim, Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 18 November 2022 - https://waateanews.com/2019/03/15/rutene-irwin-ends-a-fighting-life/
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

Remember Rutene Irwin by laying a poppy.

Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Rutene Irwin

Leave a note

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  • Missing you on this day Dad. would have been your Unveiling but corona put a stop to that. always remembered with much love.
    Public - Irene - Child - 24 April 2020
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • 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. AWMM
      WW2 16: WW2 65 AWMM
    • Cody, J. (1956). 28 (Maori) Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM
    • Brocklebank, L.W. (1997). Jayforce : New Zealand and the military occupation of Japan, 1945-48. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford University Press. AWMM

Contributors

Command item
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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
21 March 2023LynnWhangareiResearcher
18 November 2022Lorraine MonaGisborneResearcher
24 April 2020IreneKawerau Child
04 September 2015Lorraine MGisborne, NZResearcher

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