Whakahuihui Vercoe

Title

The Most Reverend AWMM

Forenames

Whakahuihui AWMM

Surname

Vercoe AWMM

Also known as

• Te Whakahuihui Vercoe AWMM
• Hui AWMM

Service number

• Malaya 215325 AWMM
• Vietnam 215325 AWMM
• Y215325 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
• Ngāti Pikiao, Ngā Iwi o Te Arawa, Te Arawa, Waka o Ngā Iwi, Ngā Iwi, Māori AWMM

Birth

4 Jun 1928 AWMM

War

• Malaya, 1960-1964 AWMM
• Vietnam War, 1961-1975 AWMM
• Regular Military Service AWMM

Armed force / branch

Army AWMM

Service number

• Malaya 215325 AWMM
• Vietnam 215325 AWMM
• Y215325 AWMM

Medals and Awards

• Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (GNZM) AWMM
  PCNZM. 2000 AWMM
• Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) AWMM
  NZ Gazette Number 1 dated 15 Jan 70 CITATION Chaplain Vercoe was appointed chaplain to the New Zealand troops in South Vietnam in May 1968. He worked and lived with 4th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment/New Zealand (ANZAC) Battalion in the 1st Australian Task Force at Nui Dat. He was also responsible in pastoral duties for the members of 161 Battery Royal New Zealand Artillery, personnel of Headquarters New Zealand Vietnam Force, Saigon, members of the New Zealand Services Medical Team at Qui Nhon and members of the New Zealand Civilian Aid Team. Chaplain Vercoe was extremely popular not only with New Zealand soldiers but also with Australian members of the battalion. His engaging personality, personal integrity, sincerity and wisdom encouraged soldiers to confide in him and many solved their problems with his help. In the wide field of welfare he also displayed his outstanding qualities. He organised and directed two very successful battalion concerts. He was also the leader of the battalion’s Maori concert party. His wholehearted and enthusiastic participation in many social activities further endeared him to all ranks. He took an active part in operations and was many times under enemy fire. During these actions he actively encouraged and maintained the morale of the soldiers. His comfort to the wounded was exemplary. Company commanders, both Australians and New Zealanders, welcomed and vied for Chaplain Vercoe’s presence in their company during operations such was the high esteem in which he was held by all ranks. Throughout his service in South Vietnam, Chaplain Vercoe won the admiration and respect of all members of the battalion by his outstanding example, zeal and dedication to his work. He was an inspiration to all with whom he came in contact. He played a prime role in maintaining the morale of the battalion at an extremely high level. Chaplain Vercoe was an excellent example of an Army chaplain in a war zone. His devotion to duty, demeanour, robustness and compassion reflect great credit on himself and the New Zealand Army AWMM
• New Zealand Operational Service Medal AWMM
• Vietnam Medal AWMM

Military training

1965-1971 AWMM
Burnham Military Camp AWMM

Enlistment

1960 AWMM Minister of Religion/Civilian AWMM

Embarkation details

• Malaya Chaplain Class IV (Captain)/Military AWMM New Zealand Regiment, 1 Battalion, Headquarters AWMM British Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve AWMM
• Vietnam Chaplain Class III (Major)/Military Ministry for Culture and Heritage New Zealand Chaplains Department Ministry for Culture and Heritage Royal New Zealand Chaplain's Department AWMM
  2nd Embarkation AWMM

Last rank

Royal New Zealand Chaplain's Department AWMM

Husband of Doris Te Parekohe; father of Graeme, Andrew, Michael.

Bishop of Aotearoa from 1981. Primate and Archbishop of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia (Pihopa Matamua) in 2004 - to 2006

Ceremony held at St Faith's Church, Rotorua and his tangi held at Torere Marae

Read citation for MBE. Later awarded PCNZM. Buried in urupa Ngai Tai, Torere, Bay of Plenty.

Photo of Ch Cl IV W. Vercoe in The Officers, 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Regiment (Malaya 1962) AWMM

Death

13 Sept 2007 Death Notice
Age  79 AWMM

Cemetery

urupa, Ngai Tai, Torere, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand AWMM

Obituary

Obituary: The Independent, 20 September 2007

Obituary: New Zealand Herald, 15 September 2007 AWMM

Related objects

External links

• VietnamWar.govt.nz
  http://www.vietnamwar.govt.nz/
  Further Reference
• New Zealand History online. New Zealand and the the Vietnam War.
  https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/vietnam-war
  Further Reference
• NZDF. New Zealand State Honours- The New Zealand Order of Merit.
  http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/category/b/b4.html
  Further Reference
• Australia's Vietnam War
  https://web.archive.org/web/20241003003021/https://vietnam.unsw.adfa.edu.au/
  Further Reference
• Wikidata Entity
  http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7990456
  Further Reference
• Wikipedia Entry
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whakahuihui_Vercoe
  Further Reference

References

• Subritsky, M. (Ed). (1995). The Vietnam scrapbook: The second ANZAC adventure. Papakura, N.Z.: Three Feathers Publishing Co.
  p. 292
• Taylor, A. (1998). The New Zealand roll of honour : New Zealanders who have served their country in peace and war : 150 years, 1845-1995. Auckland, N.Z.: Roll of Honour Publications.
  p. 1095
• Rev. M. L. Underhill [et al.] (1950). New Zealand chaplains in the Second World War. Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch, Wellington, N.Z.
• 1NZR Roll 1961-1963 - Bill Russell, Malayan Veterans Association Scrapbook – 40th Anniversary edition.
• DECEASED, 1 NZ Regiment, 1961-63 – Internet resource.
• This record was partially created from Cemetery research completed by Carol Foster (2021).
• Fry, P., & New Zealand. Army. Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. Battalion, 1st. (1983). The First Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment : Journal / [P.J. Fry, editor] (25th anniversary commemorative ed.). Singapore: The Regiment.
• Malayan Veterans Assn. (2004-). Selamat : Newsletter of the Malayan Veterans' Association Inc.
• McGibbon, I.C. (2010). New Zealand's Vietnam War: a history of combat, commitment and controversy. Auckland, N.Z.: Exisle