Ra Wairau
Born 23 Jun 1894 - Died 11 Sept 1915
- Service number
- WWI 16/53 AWMM
- Also known as
- Rawhira Wairau AWMM
- Ra Wairau AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- 1st NZ Maori ContingentPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - Military record
- Last rank
- WW1 Private AWMM New Zealand Maori Contingent AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- PrivatePublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - Military record
- Forenames
- Ra AWMM
- Surname
- Wairau AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- Rawhira Wairau AWMM
- Ra Wairau AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 16/53 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Religion
- Church of England, Christian AWMM
- Church of EnglandPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - Military record
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 23 Jun 1894 AWMM
- Date of birth
- 23 June 1894Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - Military record
- Place of birth
- Muriwai, GisbornePublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - Military record
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- WW1 Unknown AWMM Muriwai, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- WW1 Miss Wahati Wairau (sister), Mahia, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 14 Feb 1915 AWMM Single/WWI AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- Egyptian - GallipoliPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - Military record
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- 1st NZ Maori ContingentPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - Military record
- Service number
- WWI 16/53 AWMM
- Military service
- Oct 1914 - Sept 1915Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - Military record
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- 1914-1915 Star
British War Medals
Plaque & Scroll # 513497Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - Military record
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1
- 14 Oct 1914 at GisbornePublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - Military Record
- Age on enlistment
- 20yrsPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - Military Record
- Occupation before enlistment
- Labourer for G H Black of MuriwaiPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - Military record
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 14 Feb 1915-26 Mar 1915 AWMM
HMNZT 20 AWMM Vessel was Warrimoo AWMM Private AWMM B Company AWMM 1st Maori Contingent AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Died of wounds, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Private AWMM
New Zealand Maori Contingent AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Son of Ra and Wahati Wairau, of Opoutama, Hawkes Bay.
Brother of Paihau, of Opoutama, Hawkes Bay, and Raniera, who died of disease on 30 October 1916, en route to England from France.
From the spring of 1915, the hospitals and convalescent depots established on the islands of Malta and Gozo dealt with over 135,000 sick and wounded, chiefly from the campaigns in Gallipoli and Salonika, although increased submarine activity in the Mediterranean meant that fewer hospital ships were sent to the island from May 1917.
Next of Kin: Mr P. Wairau, Opoutama, Wairoa (Roll of Honour, Auckland Province 1914-1918 (Volume 2)) AWMM - Private Ra Wairau 16/53 1st New Zealand Maori Battalion, B Company, was born in Muriwai, New Zealand on 23 June 1894, his recorded next of kin was his sister Wahati Wairau, Mahia, Hawkes Bay. His brother was Ramiera Wairau who was also died of wounds 30 Oct 1916 in England
He left Wellington, New Zealand on HMNZT 20 (‘Warrimoo') with the 1st Maori (515 troops) on 14 February 1915 and disembarked Suez 26 March 1915.
- On 6 August 1915 Ra was sent to hospital at Anzac suffering from a gunshot wound to the head resulting in a severe compound fracture of the skill. SS Itonus transported him from Anzac Cove firstly to Imbros on 13 August 1915 and then on to Malta. His condition at Malta initially was described on 22 August 1915 as "dangerously ill" and then on 8 September 1915 as "out of danger." However, by the 10 September 1915 he was described again as "dangerously ill" and on 11 September 1915 he died of wounds received in action. He was buried the same day by Chap E E Smith at Pieta Cemetery Malta No 4 Row 10B.
- As his sister had died, his brother Paihau received his service medals.
Ra was also 21 years old when he died, 11 months before RamieraPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=42907619
- Son of Ra and Wahati Wairau, of Opoutama, Hawkes Bay.
About death
- Death
- 11 Sept 1915 AWMM
- Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Died of wounds AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Pieta Military Cemetery, Malta AWMM B.X.4. AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- WAIRAU Ra. Private, 16/53 New Zealand. Maori Contingent. Died 11th September 1915, from wounds he received at Gallipoli. He was the brother of Mr. Paihau Wairau, of Opoutama, New Zealand. His army record shows that he was shot in the head at Anzac 6th August 1915 and was transferred to Malta on the 14th August. He died on the 6th August and was buried by Chaplain E E Smith at Pieta Military Cemetery, the same day. At rest in Pieta Military Cemetery, Malta.Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 February 2016 - http://www.militaryimages.net/media/thomas-j-newson-ra-wairau-cecil-h-ellison.90433/
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories AWMM
- St Mary's Church Memorial Board, Tikitiki near Rangitukia, East Coast, New Zealand AWMM
Related objects
Related Serviceperson
Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R22021128
Further Reference - New Zealand Electronic Text Collection topic page
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-130815.html
Further Reference - 'Tikitiki church war memorial ', URL: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/tikitiki-church-war-memorial, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 29-Oct-2014
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/tikitiki-church-war-memorial
Further Reference - A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/115989/-
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/115989
Further Reference - Cowan, J. (1926). The Maoris in the Great War. Auckland, N.Z.: Maori Regimental Committee by Whitcombe & Tombs.
https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20201108000000/https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-CowMaor.html
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- References
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Page No: 748 - Auckland Weekly News
A photograph of his grave, at Pieta Military Cemetery appears in the Auckland Weekly News (28 September 1916, p. 35) under the name 'Wairan'. - Soutar, M. (2019). Whitiki! Whiti! Whiti! E!: Maori In the First World War. New Zealand: David Bateman Ltd.
- The Fields of Remembrance Trust: Brothers Field, Auckland Museum (Armistice, 2018)
- Roll of Honour, Auckland Province (digital copy), 1914 - 1919. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2016-2.
- New Zealand. Army. 1st Maori Contingent. Scroll of the 1st New Zealand Maori Contingent, 1915. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-624.
- Cowan, J. (1926). The Maoris in the Great War. Auckland, N.Z.: Maori Regimental Committee by Whitcombe & Tombs.
- Pugsley, C. (1995). Te Hokowhitu a Tu : the Maori Pioneer Battalion in the first World War. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
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