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Cook Islands Online Cenotaph
Preserving Cook Islands Military History
Akara ki mua e akara katoa ki muri
To be able to look forward, you must be able to look back
Brought to you by
Final rank:
Private
First name/s
No first name on enlistment
Last name
VAVIA
Service number and Regiment/Unit/Corps
16/1203
New Zealand Māori (Pioneer) Battalion, 1st Rarotongan Contingent
Also known as
Vavia WILLIAMS
Date of birth
09/08/1895
Place of birth
Mauke, Cook Islands
Date of death
1/10/1916
Place of death
Somme, France
Death registration number
NZ1918/60090
Headstone/grave location
Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Mametz, France
Next of kin
Williams (father), Makatea, Mauke, Cook Islands
Archives New Zealand online service record
Additional information
Enlisted 27 September 1915 in Rarotonga. Left New Zealand for Egypt 5 February 1916. Disembarked at Suez 15 March 1916. Embarked for France at Port Said 9 April 1916. Admitted to 7th General Hospital 31 May 1916. Discharged to unit 13 June 1916. Rejoined from hospital "In the Field" 15 June 1916. WIA (Wounded in Action) 'In the Field' France 1 October 1916. Died of wounds 1 October 1916. Buried at Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Somme, France.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemoration:
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/557256/vavia/
Images and documents (click on images to enlarge)


Image credits and references
Headstone image source: https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/vavia
Commemorative certificate courtesy of Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Further links
N/A
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