Eruera Dennis Hamon

Surname
Hamon
Forename(s)
Eruera Dennis
Date of death
30-Nov-41
Place of death
Western Desert

World War 2

Serial No
39202
Rank
Private
Address on enlistment
10 Waverley Street, Gisborne, New Zealand
Next of kin
Mr Henare Hamon (father), 10 Waverley Street, Gisborne, New Zealand

Comments (9)

An excerpt from the diary of Edith Violet (Osborne) Hamon: Tuesday 20 January 1942 -  A sad day today. Papa was officially notified of the death of Dennis on active service. We all went out to see Papa this morning. He is so sad but very brave about it.

Dear Uncle Dennis,  It's wonderful that we have this webpage in your memory.  68 years ago you left to go beyond the arai to live with your ancestors. You would be 89 if you were still here and we would all be fussing over you!Ka maumahara matou ki a koe mo ake tonu atu. 

We found that as we loaded information and photographs on this website relevant to Uncle Dennis that we had to stop and compose ourselves. We were learning so much about him by reading the experiences of others. In the shadows of their words was our tupuna, only 19, then 20 and finally, 21 years old. As he emerged we felt stongly his aroha for us, the uri of his brother that he did not live to see. We have felt him beside us as we have placed what few photos we had of him on the site. We have felt his longing for home. We could almost hear his prayers, see the dreams he dreamt, hear his waiata. We could see his dear whanaunga that he fought with, bury him in a desolate, foreign soil. And we could feel the anguish of a father desperately hoping for news that his youngest child was safe... Te Awhi o Te Rangi.

A lovely video called "Homage to Eruera Dennis Hamon" had been posted Tue, 17 August 2010 - 02:29pm, but is now no longer found at the original link that was posted.It was composed of photographs taken by Ian and Martina Hamon of their journey to Uncle Dennis' grave at Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery in Egypt in January of this year (2010).There was a point on the video where his memorial headstone had been encircled at the base with the New Zealand Flag and with ferns and beautiful flowers.The video ended with these words:He was carried on high to his resting place; he the peacemaker. Ka amohia atu ia ki tona wahi okiokinga; ko ia ko te whakaaio whenua.It was just beautiful!

This past weekend Lydia Hamon Chrisohoou and I were doing some research and asked Mum (Pearl Hamon Anderson) about the name Eruera Harold Hamon as some of our family records record Uncle Dennis as Eruera Harold. Mum said that Uncle Dennis was born only about 6 weeks after Rei Hamon, the first born of his eldest brother. Rei's mother Edith, asked that Eruera be named after her brother Harold, and he was. His name Dennis that he became known by came from the surname of his male whanaunga who attended to his birth, in the capacity of a midwife.

A memoir from the whanau memory bank is that word was drifting back, which we considered as rumours, that Uncle Dennis had passed away and we hoped that this wasn't true.  It was confirmed when Papa received official notification.  A soldier on his return also told a member of the family that he was in the bed next to Uncle Dennis in the Medic Station and that when he awoke in the morning, Uncle Dennis' bed was empty. -  Pearl Hamon Anderson

Reg. No: 39202 Name: Eruera Dennis HamonRegt:  28 Maori Date of Birth:  8/2/1918 Click here for correct date details.  Place:  GisborneEnlisted: 30 Dec 1939 Religion:  L.D.S.  Status:  SingleTribe:  Mahaki  Sub Tribe:  Nga Potiki Next of Kin:  Henare HamonExecutor of Will:  Henare Hamon Occupation:  Labourer Last Employer:  Gisborne Refrigerating Co. of  GisbornePlace of Enlistment: Gisborne Ref Co.Last New Zealand Address:  10 Waverly St, GisborneDescription of Soldier on Enlistment Age:  21 years 325 days (see Correct Date of Birth details) Complexion:  Dark    Hair:  BlackHeight: 5'9 1/2     Eyes:  BrownEducational qualification:  Proficiency Service Record26 Jan 1940 Marched in to Camp, Palmerston North1 Feb 1940 Evacuated to hospital Trentham13 Mar 1940 Final Leave (14 days) 27 Mar 1940 Farewell to Maori Troops at Gisborne 1 May 1940 Embarked N.Z. on HMT Aquitania16 June 1940 Disembarked U.K. at Gourock, Scotland 17 June 40 Based at Ewshott Camp, just outside Aldershot, Hampshire4 Jan 1941 Embarked from U.K.4 Mar 1941 Entered Egypt 25 June 1941-08.July 1941 Admitted to hospital Egypt 22 Aug 1941 Maori Traning Company 25 Nov 1941 Admitted to Mobile Surgical Unit30 Nov 1941 Died of WoundsCables sent to Next of Kin: 11 Dec 1941 and 19 Jan 1942

I have found Uncle Dennis in another photo. It is the C Company photo taken in 1940.Click here. He is 8th from the right on the top row. Can anyone tell me if Uncle Rei or Uncle Ottley are in this photo?