Enlisted in Rarotonga 11 February 1918. Disembarked at Suez 4 August 1918 and posted to the Rarotongan Company 18 September 1918. Moved by ship from Beirut to Alexandria by SS Duncluse Castle 25-27 November 1918, and then to Suez to board SS Malta for the return to New Zealand on 14 December 1918.
Discharged 20 March 1919.

Mataputa Samuela’s military headstone order document records his date of death as 3 March 1946. Our research of the Cook Islands death register has revealed that his probable date of death is 22 October 1946. The death record on this date names the parents as “Samuela/Tamuera” and “Kathleen/Katera” which matches his service record, and his brother Samuela Ariki (brother) was the informant of death.

Cook Islands Roll of Honour board at the RSA Nikao Rarotonga and his military headstone record name as 'M. Samuel'.