Remembering those who served, and those who fell
Today is Armistice Day, commemorating the declaration of the end of hostilities in the so-called Great War, World War I.
One of the first Ngāti Rārua, and might be the only Ngāti Rārua whānau from Te Tauihu to enlist was Raniera Kerei Pukekohatu (pictured). So please let us know if you know any other Ngāti Rārua from Te Tauihu who enlisted.
Born in Motueka in 1883, his army records notes his sister Paretona as his next of kin who was living in Motueka. He enlisted in Te Kuiti while working for their County Council at the time (maintaining the links to Ngāti Rārua homeland). He was 31 years old when he enlisted and served for 315 days overseas. Raniera’s parents were Kerei Pukekohatu and Ruita Rangirangi Pukekohatu.
He was one of the lucky ones, he got to return home and was discharged back to the Wairau where he started his family.
New Zealand Māori contingent
He was part of the New Zealand Māori Contingent of 1915, Te Hokowhiti-a-Tu (the 70 twice fold warriors of the atua Tumatauenga). At Te Heke Whakangā in Wairau last year, we displayed around 450 plus signatures of these men.
The four Māori Members of Parliament at the time organised and advocated for Māori to enlist. Each MP had quotas to fill Sir Apirana Ngata (Eastern 180), Sir Maui Pomare (180 Western), Sir Peter Buck (100 Northern), and Tame Parata (40 Southern).
Māori wanted to fight, but racism reared its head with imperial concerns about Māori using weapons against European forces. They did not want to go for further training or garrison duties, they wanted to fight. They volunteered, left their whānau and hapu at home, and were willing to put their lives on their line. Only due to the heavy casualties at Gallipoli, the contingent was then deployed to Anzac Cove in July 1915 to reinforce the NZ Mounted Rifles Brigade, and the rest is history.
In the end 2,227 Māori and 458 Pacific Islanders served in the Māori Pioneer Battalion. Of these 336 died on active service and 734 were wounded.
Te Tauihu connections
Hapareta Rore Pukekohatu when addressing the Prince of Wales when he visited the Wairau in 1920 identified that 20 men of our men, fought in the Great War. We have tracked down a further 17 that have whakapapa or were living in Te Tauihu. If you know of any more, please let us know.
Ernest Pullen, John Arthur, Haha Ngamuka, Raha Nopera, William Waiti, Hohepa Tuainani Kotua, Jack Ropata, George Morgan, Frederick Burton Mabin, Private Henry Bran Kenny, and John (Jack) Manihera MacDonald, Waari Rei, Alfred Sparks, Skipper Pou Hemi, David White, Henry Kenny, John MacDonald.
Hapareta Rore Pukekohatu was also on the Repatriation Board to safeguard the interests of Māori soldiers. Together with whānau from Wairau Pa, a number of fundraising activities were undertaken to provide support to our soldiers.
We pay tribute to them
We thank and pay tribute to all who served and all who fell. Their memory is not only honoured here at home, but also by memorials all over Europe such as this one at Codford ANZAC Cemetery in Wiltshire, England. The care taken around these graves is testament to the respect held for these brave soldiers.
