Kaitaia honour rolls have errors, omissions

The Kaitaia cenotaph plaques recording the names of the men who died in the service of King and country in the early part of World War 1 have deteriorated badly over the 98 years since they were erected, but are about to be refurbished, in time for the memorial's centennial in 2016.

Kaitaia man Ross Beddows has undertaken lengthy (and ongoing) research, however, which shows that some of the names have been inscribed incorrectly, and others are missing altogether.

Army veteran Ray Beatson, who is leading the campaign to have the memorial refurbished, said he was hoping Far North District Council would meet the cost of remedying the latter with additional plaques, but in the meantime Mr Beddows is keen to hear from families whose forebears' names have not been recorded.

He already has some candidates, including men who died as a result of serving overseas but too late to be officially included as war dead.

They include Victoria Valley farmer Private Gilbert James Thompson, who died of tuberculosis at Mangonui Hospital on March 1, 1922. He served on the Western Front and was wounded at the Somme, Mr Beddows saying that service was responsible for his illness.

He was discharged from the NZEF in 1918 and returned to New Zealand, dying 59 days after the official cut-off date for war casualties.

Herekino farmer Private Griffith Edwards was born in Wales but had lived in New Zealand for 18 years before he died on April 1, 1919. Called up the year before, he contracted tuberculosis at Trentham. Discharged as medically unfit for any further service, he died within the year.

Private Charles Henry Popata died in 1918 and was buried at Pamapuria. He was not listed as a war casualty, but Mr Beddows is still investigating the circumstances of his death.

Sergeant Hugh Hilliard Watts was living at Victoria Valley when he enlisted in 1914, and was killed in action at Gallipoli in May 1915. Mr Beddows is awaiting a copy of his military file to establish what he was doing in the North prior to enlisting, and how long he had been in the district.

Private Thomas Clark was living in West Auckland when he enlisted, but had links with Dargaville and Awanui, where his father lived. He died of cerebral meningitis aboard a troop ship en route to Europe on August 26, 1917. Mr Beddows is still investigating his link with the Far North, where he might have been born.

Rifleman Edward Wesley Switzer died on July 12, 1924, after a long battle with war-related illnesses that had seen him hospitalised several times. His obituary noted that he had been a strong, healthy man before the war, but had returned "broken". Mr Beddows is still seeking precise details from his military file.

Private Peretiti Hetaraka (Whatuwhiwhi) served with the Maori Contingent at Gallipoli. He was hospitalised in late 1915 with severe dysentery, and never recovered his health. He was subsequently sent home in a hospital ship and discharged from the NZEF in 1916. He died, of dysentery and tuberculosis, at Rangiawhia on November 21, 1917.

"It seems incredible that his death, so obviously due to his war service, was not recognised on the official casualty roll," Mr Beddows said.

Errors and omissionsMeanwhile, Mr Beddows has identified the following names as being incorrectly inscribed on the plaques in Kaitaia:

Second Lieutenant John Joseph Bishop (Kaitaia), Private Richard John Denny (Kaitaia), Rifleman Edward James Harrop (Mangonui), Private James McKeown (Kaingaroa), Rifleman Albert John Lingar (Houhora/Waiharara), Corporal Frank Daniel Mahoney DCM (Houhora/Waiharara), Private Hohepa Waaka (Pukepoto/Ahipara), Private Kopa Waru (Pukepoto/Ahipara), Private Patrick O'Donnell (Takahue), Corporal James Passell (Herekino/Whangape), Trooper Thomas Henry Fletcher (Fairburn), Private Ngakapa Taimona Tahu (Te Kao), Lance Corporal Tepana Taurere (Te Kao), Private Whakaruru Wiki Te Whai (Te Kao, named as Frank Wiki on the Herekino roll), and Private Hapimana Aporo Waaka (Te Kao).

The names known to be missing are Private Charles Benjamin Denny (Kaitaia), Private Henry George Dickin (Kaitaia), Private Moses McNickle (Kaitaia), Private Clarence William Negus (Kaitaia), Private Taylor Walker (Kaitaia), Private John Leo (Mangonui), Private Edward Mathew Leo MM (Mangonui), Private George Frederick Coore Mein (Mangonui), Corporal William Brian de Laval Willis (Mangonui), Private Alfred Sydney Corbett (Kaingaroa), Private Patrick Heath (Houhora/Waiharara), Private Tuhi Rini Matia (Houhora/Waiharara), Rifleman John Oscar Olsen (Houhora/Waiharara), Private Matthew Petewiki Hadfield (Awanui), Private Frederick Alfred Hansen (Awanui), Private James Hurley (Awanui), Private Rapata Wi Kanara (Awanui), Private Ben Kiri (Awanui), Private Rata Brass (Pukepoto/Ahipara), Private Tawhai Busby (Pukepoto/Ahipara), Private Perenara Rewi (Pukepoto/Ahipara), Trooper John Henry Hayward (Takahue), Private James Adams (Herekino/Whangape), Second Lieutenant Thomas Handley Rae (Herekino/Whangape), Private Wiremu Ratana (Herekino/Whangape), Private Robert Wikitera (Herekino/Whangape), Private Heremaia Hare (Te Kao), and Private Arana Mete Keepa (Te Kao).

Families who know of other names that should be inscribed are welcome to contact Mr Beddows via the Northland Age with the name, date of birth, rank and number (if possible).