was the last to edit Moa Wahia (1890-1915)
on Apr 13th, 2015 at 12:37 PM
Topic: Moa Wahia (1890-1915)
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Tauranga bushman Moa Wahia died at sea of a fever on 9 September 1915 after fighting at Gallipoli with the New Zealand Maori Contingent.
Moa Wahia was born in Tauranga on 10 March 1890. He was the nephew of Ani Ngarae from Matakana Island in Tauranga.
He was a bushfaller (an early term for forestry worker), working for Arthur Adlam. In appearance he was 179 cm tall, and 78.4 kilograms heavy with black hair, brown eyes and dark complexion. He considered himself Anglican by faith.
Moa enlisted from Thames on 12 November 1914. He embarked from Wellington on 14 February 1915, arriving in Suez, Egypt on 26 March 1915. He served with the 1st Maori Contingent, A Company (Service No. 16/482).
His last recorded rank is Private. He served at Gallipoli, but died of a fever at sea on 9 September 1915 (reg. 1918/38837). Moa was buried in Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery in Egypt.
Sources:
Births, Deaths & Marriages Online (New Zealand).
Cenotaph Record (Auckland War Memorial Museum).
Fiona Kean (Tauranga Heritage Collection).
Military personnel file (Archives New Zealand).
Moa Wahia
