Tuaine Peter Utanga

Born 1907 - Died 12 Jul 1982

Service number: 47708 AWMM
Also known as: Tuainekore Peter Utanga AWMM
Armed force / branch: Army AWMM
Last rank: Private AWMM
War: World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Tuaine Peter Utanga — Peter Utanga and mother in vignettes with the pyramids in the background. Peter took this image with him while on active service. Image kindly provided by Pepe Nicholas (May 2021). Copyright undetermined - untraced rights owner

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Biographical information

Tuainekore Peter Utanga grew up in Rarotonga in a musical family. During the 1930s he played in the string band Poro Naero with two of his older brothers and two cousins, performing contemporary songs and jazz in dance halls and cinemas. He later moved to Auckland, where he lived in Arawa Street, Khyber Pass, and worked for James Hardie.

Music remained an important part of his life during World War II. Utanga took a guitar with him on active service, and its canvas case carries more than 200 signatures of New Zealand soldiers who served with the 30 Battalion and 24 Battalion between 1941 and 1945. He was also a songwriter. A contemporary account reported that he had composed the words and music for more than 20 songs, including the waltz "On Vella Lavella Island".
A diary recorded on the guitar case traces its travels during his service: No. 3 Platoon, Vickers Machine Guns, Trentham, 5 July 1941; Samambula, Fiji, 21 August 1941; Namaka, Fiji, 18 September 1941; SS President Monroe, Noumea, 7 December 1942; Lambin, New Caledonia, 12 December 1942; Koumac, New Caledonia, 17 December 1942; New Hebrides, 28 August 1943; Guadalcanal, 27 August 1943; Vella Lavella, 25 September 1943; Momi Bay, 2 January 1944; Cuvu (Thoovoo), 20 January 1944; 33 Mile Peg, 24 January 1944; Green Island, 31 January–15 February 1944; Nepoui, New Caledonia, 5 June 1944; Papakura, New Zealand, 17 July 1944; Noumea Staging, 9 August 1944; Niue Island, 7 September 1944; Rarotonga, 11 September 1944; Auckland, New Zealand, 19 October 1944; Hobart, Tasmania, 9 January 1945; Maadi, Egypt, 30 January 1945; Advance Base, Taranto, Italy, 5 March 1945; ? Senica, 12 March 1945; and San Severino, 13 March 1945.

After the war Utanga returned to the Parnell/Grafton area. He played rugby league for Parnell alongside other Cook Islanders living locally and, in later life, regularly attended matches at Carlaw Park. He was a regular at the Parnell Returned Services Club, where he spent time with friends from his wartime service and where his family later gifted his guitar and signed case.
You can read more about Tuainekore Peter Utanga and his travelling guitar in the Cenotaph Story, Uncle Bambi and the mystery of the travelling guitar. AWMM

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Tuaine Peter Utanga