Guest Koert Debyser Posted 31 March , 2004 Share Posted 31 March , 2004 Hi, The following five soldiers from the NZ Maori (Pioneer) Bn are buried or remembered on the Buttes New British Cemetery - Polygon Wood (either in the cemetery or on the memorial to the missing): GRACE, SAMUEL McLEAN, THOMAS PERA, HUE MARK TAKOKO, HORI TOHERIRI, RUPENA Two questions: 1) It is probably a long shot, but where could I find some personal background info and/or a photograph (if these would exist)? 2) The cemetery register has the following additional info on Thomas McLean: <quote>Son of Makarini and Heneriata Puhata, of Waitakaro, Ruatorea, New Zealand. husband of Mate McLean, of Hawai, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Native of East Coast, New Zealand.<unquote> Why is the last name of this soldier different from his fathers last name? The name of the son doesn't sound "Maori"? Would he have changed his last name for a reason? Remark that the headstone doesn't mention "served as" to indicate an alias. Thanks for any feedback, Koert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 1 April , 2004 Share Posted 1 April , 2004 Surname GRACE Given Name Samuel Category Nominal Roll Vol. 3 Regimental Number 19745 Rank Private Next of Kin Title Hakahaka Next of Kin Surname HAHIPENE Next of Kin Relationship Father Next of Kin Address Torere East Coast Roll Roll 68 Page Page 16 Occupation Labourer Surname MCLEAN Given Name Thomas Category Nominal Roll Vol. 3 Regimental Number 19728 Rank Private Next of Kin Title Makarini Next of Kin Surname PUHATA Next of Kin Relationship Father Next of Kin Address Waipiro Hiruharama Roll Roll 62 Page Page 38 Occupation Bushman Surname PERA Given Name Hue Category Nominal Roll Vol. 1 Regimental Number 16/703 Rank Private Body or Draft Second Maori Marital Status S Last NZ Address Puha Next of Kin Title Mrs Rangi Next of Kin Surname HUTATA Next of Kin Relationship Mother Next of Kin Address Puha Gisborne Surname TAKOKO Given Name Hori Category Nominal Roll Vol. 1 Regimental Number 16/740 Rank Private Body or Draft Second Maori Marital Status S Last NZ Address Tikitiki Next of Kin Title Wi Next of Kin Surname TAKOKO Next of Kin Relationship Father Next of Kin Address Tikitiki Kahukura Surname TOHERIRI Given Name Reupena Category Nominal Roll Vol. 3 Regimental Number 16/98 Rank Private Next of Kin Title Enoka Next of Kin Surname TOHERIRI Next of Kin Relationship Father Next of Kin Address Waipiro Bay East Coast Roll Roll 68 Page Page 16 Occupation Labourer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 1 April , 2004 Share Posted 1 April , 2004 McLean = Makarini in Maori His father Makarini Puhata, was probably named after Sir Donald McLean, Member of Parliament and big landowner in Hawkes Bay, then the sons took his first name as their family name Sir Donald MacLean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 1 April , 2004 Share Posted 1 April , 2004 I have a contact who has collected photos of as many of the Maori Battalion soldiers as possible. He could possibly supply you with copies. Why do you want them? Christine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 1 April , 2004 Share Posted 1 April , 2004 Reupena Toheriri also had a brother who served Surname TOHERIRI Given Name Moetu Category Nominal Roll Vol. 2 Regimental Number 20735 Rank Private Next of Kin Title Enoka Next of Kin Surname TOHERIRI Next of Kin Relationship Father Next of Kin Address Waipiro Tokomaru Bay Roll Roll 41 Page Page 40 Occupation Labourer So did Hori Takoko Surname TAKOKO Given Name Tawhai Category Nominal Roll Vol. 3 Regimental Number 19764 Rank Private Next of Kin Title Wi Next of Kin Surname TAKOKO Next of Kin Relationship Father Next of Kin Address Kahukura East Coast Roll Roll 68 Page Page 16 Occupation Labourer So did Thomas McLean- note the change of spelling Surname MAKARINI Given Name Nehe Hone Category Nominal Roll Vol. 3 Regimental Number 19741 Rank Private Next of Kin Title Makarini Next of Kin Surname PUHATA Next of Kin Relationship Father Next of Kin Address Hiruharama East Coast Roll Roll 68 Page Page 16 Occupation Labourer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 1 April , 2004 Share Posted 1 April , 2004 these young men all come from the same general area- the East Coast of the North Island of NZ, and would probably all belong to the same tribe- Ngati Porou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Koert Debyser Posted 1 April , 2004 Share Posted 1 April , 2004 I hadn't thought/expected that the name in English was a simple translation from Maori, but it sounds very logical. Would it have been the choice of Thomas McLean to use the English version instead of the Maori one, as his brother and father? Or is this more likely an administrative reason? I was doing some research on Buttes New BC and had already an interest in the Maori Bn. As there are not that many graves for Maori soldiers in the Ypres Salient, I was curious to know more. A photograph always helps to put a face on a name and provides a more direct and meaningful link with the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 2 April , 2004 Share Posted 2 April , 2004 Probably his own choice. I will get in touch with my friend and ask him for copies. Do you have photos of the graves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 2 April , 2004 Share Posted 2 April , 2004 I hadn't thought/expected that the name in English was a simple translation from Maori, but it sounds very logical. Would it have been the choice of Thomas McLean to use the English version instead of the Maori one, as his brother and father? Or is this more likely an administrative reason? The Maori frequently adapted English names and other words into their language. Because the Maori language has fewer consonants and vowels, the transiliterations are often very close, making for some beautiful names. My favourite is Kiwini Wikitoria, which is the Maori for Queen Victoria. I think it is likely that Thomas McLean chose to Anglicise his name. There was considerable pressure in some parts of New Zealand to suppress things Maori. For some Maori, this led them to use 'English' names in much the same way as Germans living in allied countries often changed their surnames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Koert Debyser Posted 3 April , 2004 Share Posted 3 April , 2004 Do you have photos of the graves? Christine, No, not yet. I will try to get hold of a camera and take some photos next weekend. Photos of the gravestones of McLean and Takoko won't be a problem, but remark that the other three have no known burial place and are remembered on the NZ Memorial to the Missing, also located in this cemetery. The visibility of the names is poor and will most likely show even worse on photo (but I will try these also). Actually, the stone for McLean is a special memorial with the heading "believed to be buried in this cemetery", so also his grave/burial place is not really known. Koert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Koert Debyser Posted 19 April , 2004 Share Posted 19 April , 2004 Christine, With some delay ... here are the photo's. This is the one for Private Thomas McLean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Koert Debyser Posted 19 April , 2004 Share Posted 19 April , 2004 Lance Corporal Hori Takoko. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Koert Debyser Posted 19 April , 2004 Share Posted 19 April , 2004 General view of Buttes New British Cemetery and the New Zealand Memorial to the Missing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Koert Debyser Posted 19 April , 2004 Share Posted 19 April , 2004 The New Zealand Memorial to the Missing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Koert Debyser Posted 19 April , 2004 Share Posted 19 April , 2004 And finally the names of the three Maori soldiers on the panel inside the Memorial. This is not a good photograph. I tried to enhance it a little bit, but was not very succesful . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 19 April , 2004 Share Posted 19 April , 2004 Thank you very much, Koert. I have sourced photos of all of them, in the Auckland Weekly News, but have to get copies of them. Maybe next week. Christine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 7 July , 2004 Share Posted 7 July , 2004 Koert , Here are 2 of the men Samuel Grace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 7 July , 2004 Share Posted 7 July , 2004 and Reupena Toheriri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Koert Debyser Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 Thanks, Christine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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