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Topic: Thomas Wahia (1894-1915)
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Matakana Island farmer Thomas Wahia was killed in action at Gallipoli during the Battle of Chunuk Bair on 6 August 1915 after serving with the New Zealand Maori Contingent.
Thomas Wahia was born in Tauranga in 1894. His parents were Temoananui and Hohepa Paama Wahia.
He was a farmer on Matakana Island, considered himself an Anglican, and played football. In appearance he was almost 173 cm tall, weighing 79 kilograms with black hair, dark brown eyes and brown complexion.
He enlisted on 12 November 1914, embarking from Wellington on (according to Military Record) the Joselyn (according to New Zealand War graves, the Warrimoo) on 14 February 1915. He arrived in Suez, Egypt on 26 March 1915.
Thomas served in the 1st Maori Contingent, A Company (Service No. 16/426). His last recorded rank was Private. He was killed in action during the Battle of Chunuk Bair at Gallipoli on 6 August 1915, aged 20 (reg. 1918/38840).
Māori soldiers from the Native Contingent assemble at Outpost No. 1 before their attack during the Sari Bair offensive, 6 August 1915.Source: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/native-contingent-soldiers-outpost-no-1
On 6 September 1915 the Bay of Plenty Times reported:
Amongst those killed at the Dardanelles recently was T Wahia, a well-known resident of Matakana Island. Deceased was a member of the Matakana football team and was regarded as one of the most promising Backs in the Bay of Plenty.
Sources:
Bay of Plenty Times (6 September 1915).
Births, Deaths & Marriages Online (New Zealand).
Cenotaph Record (Auckland War Memorial Museum).
Fiona Kean (Tauranga Heritage Collection).
Military personnel file (Archives New Zealand).
Wairarapa Daily Times (30 August 1915, p. 6)
Thomas Wahia
