Toka Rarangi Poa

Forenames

• Toka Rarangi AWMM
• Tokararangi
  Public - Tokararangi Erin Poa - Direct descendant - 23 August 2016 - NZ Military Forces - Registration form for Active Service.
  I am also named after my grandfather and our name comes from his birth place - Tokararangi, on the East Coast of New Zealand

Surname

Poa AWMM

Also known as

Toka

Public - Tokararangi Erin Poa - Direct descendant - 23 August 2016 - I am named after my grandfather and also called Toka

Service number

39197 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe

Iwi Māori, Māori AWMM

Religion

Church of England

Public - Tokararangi Erin Poa - Direct descendant - 23 August 2016 - NZ Military Forces - Attestation for Service form

Birth

2 Oct 1915 Public Source

Date of birth

2nd October 1915

Public - Tokararangi Erin Poa - Direct descendant - 23 August 2016 - NZ Military form for Active Service

Birth notes

Son of Te Whakaotinga (Oti) Poa and Kararaina Poa

Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 20 October 2022 - https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/tokararangi-poa

Address before enlistment

Unknown AWMM Matarau Station, Hicks Bay, New Zealand AWMM

Next of kin

Mrs H. Poa (wife), Te Araroa, New Zealand AWMM

Relationship status

• Unknown AWMM Married AWMM
• Husband of Mariata Poa, of Tikitiki
  Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 20 October 2022 - https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/tokararangi-poa

War

World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Campaign

1941 AWMM Crete AWMM

Armed force / branch

Army AWMM

Service number

39197 AWMM

Enlistment

• WW2 Labourer/Civilian AWMM
• Grandad was attested at Ruatoria and marched into Palmerton North Camp on 26th January 1940 - coinci
  Public - Tokararangi Erin Poa - Direct descendant - 23 August 2016 - NZ Military Forces - History Sheet

Age on enlistment

24

Public - Tokararangi Erin Poa - Direct descendant - 23 August 2016 - NZ Military Forces - Registration form for Active Service - date of birth - Oct 2nd 1915

Occupation before enlistment

Grandad worked as a station hand for Mr C.R.E Wood at Mataraua Station in Hicks Bay, New Zealand

Public - Tokararangi Erin Poa - Direct descendant - 23 August 2016 - NZ Military Forces - Registration form for Active Service

Embarkation details

• WW2 Private AWMM 28 (Maori) Battalion, C Company AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Second Echelon AWMM
• Embarked from NZ on 1.5.40
  Disembarked at England on 19.6.40
  Embarked from UK on 4.1.41 ???
  Disembarked at Egypt on 4.3.41
  Embarked to join Lustre Force on 28.3.41
  Reported safe in Crete on 18.5.41
  Killed in action on 23.5.41
  Public - Tokararangi Erin Poa - Direct descendant - 23 August 2016 - NZ Military Forces - History Sheet

Medical notes

• Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
• Shot in head on 42nd street, Crete
  Public - Tokararangi Erin Poa - Direct descendant - 23 August 2016 - 28maoribattalion/.or.nz/mi/memory/harry-mackey-carefree-shepard-O-C-CCOY

Last rank

Private AWMM
28 (Maori) Battalion, C Company AWMM

• Toka Poa was the son of Oti Poa and Kararaina Poa; husband of Mariata Poa, of Tikitiki, New Zealand. AWMM
• I am Tokararangi Poa's grand daughter. His wife's name was Hariata, not Mariata. Tokararangi had two sons, Mike (may be Michael) and my father Te Whakaotinga Poa
  Public - Roma - Other Relative - 8 April 2015 - Information from my life experience... we actually called nana, nana Harriet, whose maiden name is Farr.

Death

23 May 1941 AWMM
Age  25 AWMM

Cause of death

Killed in Action AWMM

Cemetery

Suda Bay War Cemetery, Crete, Greece AWMM 6. A. 11. AWMM

Memorial name

• Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM
• Gisborne First World War Memorial, The Esplanade, Kaiti, Gisborne AWMM

Related objects

External links

• 28th Maori Battalion Website 1941-1945
  http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/
  Further Reference
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
  https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/937009
  Sources Used
• 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

References

• Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139.
• 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. 2 (Embarkations to 30th June, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  WW2 2: WW2 150
• 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)
• McClymont, W. (1959). To Greece. Wellington, N.Z.: Department Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
• Davin, D. (1953). Crete. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.