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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
Tau
Last name
KOPUNGAITI
Service number and Regiment/Unit/Corps
16/1207
New Zealand Māori (Pioneer) Battalion, 1st Rarotongan Contingent
Also known as
Tauiti KOPUNGAITI
Date of birth
19/06/1878
Place of birth
Mangaia, Cook Islands
Date of death
22/02/1949
Place of death
Mangaia, Cook Islands
Death registration number
MANG19490034
Headstone/grave location
On the left side of the road driving from the airport to Oneroa near Atuakoro Landing, Oneroa Road, Mangaia, Cook Islands
Next of kin
Miria (adopted father), Mangaia, Vaiamaiti (mother), Rakaiti (father)
Archives New Zealand online service record
Additional information
Enlisted 27 September 1915 in Rarotonga. On transfer of the New Zealand Pioneer Battalion to France, he had some time in hospital due to bronchitis. Served in the battalion in France until 6 December 1916 when he was posted to the New Zealand Employment Company. Attached to the New Zealand Engineer Tunnelling Company 8 December 1916 until being evacuated to 1st South African Field Ambulance on 25 December 1916. Evacuated to the UK on the hospital ship Formosa and the 1st New Zealand General Hospital, Brockenhurst 19 January 1917 and to the New Zealand Convalescent Hospital, Hornchurch 21 February 1917. Declared medically unfit due to bronchitis and embarked for New Zealand 21 July 1917 from Plymouth. Discharged 22 November 1917.
In April 2023, Mama Tangata Tako took us to the burial site where Private T. RAIVARU 84565 is buried and told us that Private T. KOPUNGAITI is buried in this site in an unmarked and unknown grave.
Images and documents (click on images to enlarge)
Image credits and references
N/A
Further links
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