condensed discuss document expanded export feedback print share remove reset document_white enquire_white export_white report_white

Cenotaph record

Tahuahi Ashby

-
Lay a poppy
Portrait of Private Tahuahi Ashby (305496). Courtesy of Marlene Ashby. Image may be subject to copyright restrictions.

Portrait of Private Tahuahi Ashby (305496). Courtesy of Marlene Ashby. Image may be subject to copyr …

Identity

About

Contribute ›
  • Title
  • Forenames
    Tahuahi AWMM
  • Surname
    Ashby AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    • Tahu AWMM
    • Bernie AWMM
  • Service number
    Borneo 305496 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
    Iwi Māori, Māori AWMM
  • Religion
    Anglican, Christian AWMM

Civilian life

About birth

Contribute ›
  • Birth
    23 September 1939 AWMM Pakaraka, Bay of Islands AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    Borneo Care of Waikiekie Lime Works, Waikiekie, via Whangarei, Northland AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
  • Relationship status
    Pre 1963 AWMM Single AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

Contribute ›

Military decorations

Contribute ›
  • Medals and Awards
    • Military Medal (MM) AWMM
      1966 AWMM
      Citation for Military Medal (MM); 305496 Private Tahu Ashby, RNZIR On the 30th June 1965, as a bren gunner of No 1 Platoon A Company, 1 Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, on border operations in the Lubok Antu area of the Second Division in Sarawak, Private Ashby was responsible for killing one enemy and wounding a second enemy in a direct exchange of fire at a range of 25 yards. Private Ashby in the company of platoon Commander and one other Soldier attacked an enemy patrol which was moving into Sarawak. Private Ashby fired his Bren gun from the pip with great skill and accuracy. He acted aggressively and with considerable coolness and was largely instrumental in causing enemy patrol to withdraw in great haste and confusion. Private Ashby again showed coolness and example in the early hours of 1st July when he assisted in covering the withdrawal of 1 Platoon to a more secure temporary position when the platoon was heavily engaged with enemy small arms and mortar fire. Private Ashby also took part in the ambush of an enemy position on 6th July 1965. On 23rd July when part of an A company offensive group which was ambushed by a strong enemy machine gun position firing on our own troops from a flank. He separated this and on his own initiative moved to a position where he could engage the enemy machine gun which he succeeded in neutralising. Throughout all these operations Private Ashby has consistently displayed courage and initiative and has been an outstanding example to the other members of his platoon. AWMM
    • New Zealand Operational Service Medal AWMM
    • General Service Medal 1962 (Borneo, Malay Peninsula clasps) AWMM
    • Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) Medal AWMM

Training and Enlistment

Contribute ›
  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    Borneo 29 April 1963 AWMM
    Age 24 AWMM
    Quarryman/Civilian AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

Contribute ›

Prisoner of war

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

Medical history

Contribute ›
  • Medical notes
    • Height, Unknown Period AWMM
      5 foot 10 inches AWMM
    • Hair colour, Unknown Period AWMM
      Black AWMM
    • Eye colour, Unknown Period AWMM
      Black AWMM

Last known rank

Contribute ›
  • Last rank
    Borneo 14 May 1966 AWMM Private AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

Contribute ›
  • Auckland War Memorial Museum, Tāmaki Paenga Hira, holds Pte. Ashby's Military Medal (MM) and General Service Medal, 1962, with "Borneo" and "Malay Penisinsula" clasps and Campaign Medal as part of the Brent Mackrell Collection

    Married Marlene; father of 3 children. He spent the remainder of his life in Whangarei working for Portland Cement. (Source: M.Ashby, 2014)

    He had strong family ties, loved fishing, kept up with his army mates and enjoyed a beer. (Source: M.Ashby, 2014) AWMM
Read more

Death

About death

Contribute ›
  • Death
    10 June 1997 AWMM
    Age 57 AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Oramahoe, Bay of Islands, Buried on Family Cemetery on Marae AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

Contribute ›
  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

Remember Tahuahi Ashby by laying a poppy.

Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Tahuahi Ashby

Leave a note

Contribute ›

Sources

Sources

Contribute ›
  • External links
  • References
    • Gurr, Robert M. (1995). Voices from a border war : a history of 1 Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, 1963 to 1965. Melbourne, Vic.: Robert Gurr. AWMM
    • Pugsley, C. (2003). From emergency to confrontation: the New Zealand armed forces in Southeast Asia, 1949-1966. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. AWMM
    • London Gazette AWMM
      24/05/1966 AWMM
    • H.E. Chamberlain, Nominal Roll – 1 RNZIR, 8 May 1964, in Gurr, Robert. (2009). Voices from a border war: Borneo 1963-1965. 2nd Edition. Christchurch, N.Z.: Wilson Scott Publishing, pp.139-150 AWMM

The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.

Creative Commons LicenseOnline Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.