Tom Taumata

Ingoa whānau
Taumata
Ingoa tuatahi
Tom
Date of death
Friday 23 May 1941
Place of death
Crete

World War 2

Tau Rangatū
26047
Tūnga
Private
Wāhi noho
Opoutama Post-office, New Zealand
Whanaunga tino tata i te wā o te kuhunga
Mr Taumata (father), Opoutama, New Zealand

Takupu (2)

Tom (Ziggy) and Harry Taumata are my grandmother Kathleen King's cousins from Mohaka. After planting gardens my grandfather Zion King, Uncles Barney Haraki, Tommy Gemmell, Paul Gemmell and Aunty Ka Keefe would party and tell stories while i cooked for them. It was Uncle Barney who served in Crete with these two brothers. Uncle Barney would talk about how brave they were and said one time they heard the german soldiers marching and Ziggy told them to jump in the crypts with the dead bodies. Uncle Barney said thats what saved them that day.

TO THE MEMORYOF OUR DEAR LOVED ONE PTE TOM TAMANOHIA TAUMATA WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION AT MALEMA, CRETE 23RD MAY 1941 BORN 4TH FEBRUARY 1908"DO NOT LET THIS OUR SACRIFICE BE FOREVER FORGOTTEN"BUCKINGHAM PALACE: "THE QUEEN AND I OFFER YOU OUR HEARTFELT SYMPATHY IN YOUR GREAT SORROW. WE PRAY THAT YOUR COUNTRY’S GRATITUDE FOR A LIFE SO NOBLY GIVEN IN ITS SERVICE MAY BRING YOU SOME MEASURE OF CONSOLATION". GEORGE R.I 17TH SEPTEMBER 1941BUCKINGHAM PALACE: "MANY THANKS FOR YOUR LETTER OF YESTERDAY ENCLOSING ONE ADDRESSED TO MR. JUSTICE JOHNSTON BY A MAORI WHO LOST HIS SON IN THE WAR. I HAVE LAID THIS LETTER BEFORE THE KING WHO WAS GREATLY TOUCHED BY ITS CONTENTS. AS YOU SAY, THE MATTER SHOULD STRICTLY SPEAKING, HAVE BEEN HANDLED BY THE GOVERNOR GENERAL BUT I THINK THAT THE IRREUGLARITY CAN VERY WELL BE ALLOWED TO PASS ON THIS OCCASSION."W.J JORDAN ESQ. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT OFFICES 418 STRAND W.C.