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Private George Taiaroa
Description
TitlePrivate George TaiaroaSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionGeorge was born 10th August 1895 at Dunedin, the second son of the late Mr George Taiaroa and Margaret Karetai, and grandson of the late Hon. Hōri Kerei Taiaroa, the Member for Southern Maori. He was brought up at Taumutu by his grandmother, Mrs T. K. Taiaroa and had lived there all his life, receiving his education at the Sedgemere School. It was noted that with his enlistment Taumutu Pah had sent its last eligible warrior. A farewell social was held in the Sedgemere school in July 1916 and speakers presented George with a wristlet watch on behalf of his numerous friends in Sedgemere. Mr. Parkin, on behalf of Mrs. Fincham, the oldest resident in the district, then presented him with a parcel of handkerchiefs as well as a Soldiers kit from the St. James' Guild. His occupation before he enlisted was farming for R. Taiaroa. He was 5ft 5in tall with dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair.
He enlisted at Trentham on 2nd May 1916 and was assigned to the 16th Reinforcements Canterbury Infantry Battalion, C Company. He was promoted to Lance Corporal at Featherston on 17th June. However like many others he suffered illness at Featherston camp with a bout of influenza which saw him hospitalised for four days in early July. He recovered and embarked on 20th August 1916 from Dunedin aboard the Mokia, bound for Plymouth, England. He marched in to Sling Camp on 25 October 1916 and then proceeded overseas on 23rd November, still a Lance Corpral. He was attached to the strength at Base depot at Etaples on 25th November. One part of his record indicates that he was reduced to private but another that he was a promoted again to temporary Lance Corporal on 14th December 1916. He was missing and then declared killed in action on 7 June 1917, aged 21, during the battle for Messines. His body was not found or identified so his name is inscribed on the Messines Memorial to the Missing. In New Zealand George is remembered on the Southbridge plaque of the Ellesmere County War Memorial. He is also remembered on the Memorial panel at Tamatea, Otakou Marae, Otago Peninsula.
Messines (now Mesen) was considered a strong strategic position, not only from its height above the plain below, but from the extensive system of cellars under the convent known as the 'Institution Royale'. The village was taken from the 1st Cavalry Division by the German 26th Division on 31 October-1 November 1914. An attack by French troops on 6 -7 November was unsuccessful and it was not until the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917 that it was retaken by the New Zealand Division. On 10-11 April 1918, the village fell into German hands once more after a stubborn defence by the South African Brigade, but was retaken for the last time on 28-29 September 1918. The Messines Ridge Memorial stands within Messines Ridge British Cemetery and commemorates over 800 soldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who died in or near Messines in 1917 and 1918 and who have no known grave. This is one of seven memorials in France and Belgium to those New Zealand soldiers who died on the Western Front and whose graves are not known. The memorials are all in cemeteries chosen as appropriate to the fighting in which the men died. Messines Ridge British Cemetery, in which this memorial stands, occupies ground that belonged to the 'Institution Royale'. It was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefield around Messines and from a number of small burial grounds in the area. The dates of death of those buried here range from October 1914 to October 1918, but the majority died in the fighting of 1917. There are now 1,531 Commonwealth servicemen of the World War One buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 954 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate a number of casualties known or believed to be buried among them, or who were buried in other cemeteries where their graves were destroyed by shell fire. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Charles Holden.First NameGeorgeLast NameTaiaroaFamilySingleSon of Mr George Taiaroa and Margaret KaretaiDate of Birth10 August 1895Place of BirthDunedinDate of Death7 June 1917Place of DeathFranceCause of DeathKilled in actionAge at Death22Hapū/iwiNgāi Tahu
He enlisted at Trentham on 2nd May 1916 and was assigned to the 16th Reinforcements Canterbury Infantry Battalion, C Company. He was promoted to Lance Corporal at Featherston on 17th June. However like many others he suffered illness at Featherston camp with a bout of influenza which saw him hospitalised for four days in early July. He recovered and embarked on 20th August 1916 from Dunedin aboard the Mokia, bound for Plymouth, England. He marched in to Sling Camp on 25 October 1916 and then proceeded overseas on 23rd November, still a Lance Corpral. He was attached to the strength at Base depot at Etaples on 25th November. One part of his record indicates that he was reduced to private but another that he was a promoted again to temporary Lance Corporal on 14th December 1916. He was missing and then declared killed in action on 7 June 1917, aged 21, during the battle for Messines. His body was not found or identified so his name is inscribed on the Messines Memorial to the Missing. In New Zealand George is remembered on the Southbridge plaque of the Ellesmere County War Memorial. He is also remembered on the Memorial panel at Tamatea, Otakou Marae, Otago Peninsula.
Messines (now Mesen) was considered a strong strategic position, not only from its height above the plain below, but from the extensive system of cellars under the convent known as the 'Institution Royale'. The village was taken from the 1st Cavalry Division by the German 26th Division on 31 October-1 November 1914. An attack by French troops on 6 -7 November was unsuccessful and it was not until the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917 that it was retaken by the New Zealand Division. On 10-11 April 1918, the village fell into German hands once more after a stubborn defence by the South African Brigade, but was retaken for the last time on 28-29 September 1918. The Messines Ridge Memorial stands within Messines Ridge British Cemetery and commemorates over 800 soldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who died in or near Messines in 1917 and 1918 and who have no known grave. This is one of seven memorials in France and Belgium to those New Zealand soldiers who died on the Western Front and whose graves are not known. The memorials are all in cemeteries chosen as appropriate to the fighting in which the men died. Messines Ridge British Cemetery, in which this memorial stands, occupies ground that belonged to the 'Institution Royale'. It was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefield around Messines and from a number of small burial grounds in the area. The dates of death of those buried here range from October 1914 to October 1918, but the majority died in the fighting of 1917. There are now 1,531 Commonwealth servicemen of the World War One buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 954 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate a number of casualties known or believed to be buried among them, or who were buried in other cemeteries where their graves were destroyed by shell fire. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Charles Holden.First NameGeorgeLast NameTaiaroaFamilySingleSon of Mr George Taiaroa and Margaret KaretaiDate of Birth10 August 1895Place of BirthDunedinDate of Death7 June 1917Place of DeathFranceCause of DeathKilled in actionAge at Death22Hapū/iwiNgāi Tahu
Person
Connections
CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OnePersonHōri Kerei TaiaroaImageLeeston and Ellesmere County War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph
Military Service
Memorial or CemeteryMessines Memorial to the MissingEllesmere County War MemorialOccupation before EnlistingFarm LabourerRegiment or ServiceCanterbury Infantry Battalion, 2nd Battalion Enlistment Details2nd May 1916Service Number21749Rank Last HeldPrivateEmbarkation20th August 1916Place of EmbarkationDunedinTransportMokia
Attribution
Taken FromPhoto taken from Auckland War Memorial Cenotaph. Please refer to this site for the photo’s copyright license.
Private George Taiaroa. Selwyn Stories, accessed 17/11/2025, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/483
