Pte. Moa Wahia

Moa Wahia was born in Tauranga on 10 March 1890. He was the nephew of Ani Ngarae from Matakana Island in Tauranga. Moa was a bushfaller (an early term for forestry worker), working for Arthur Adlam. In appearance he was 179 cm tall, and 78.4 kilograms heavy with black hair, brown eyes and dark complexion. He considered himself Anglican by faith. Moa enlisted from Thames on 12 November 1914. He embarked from Wellington on 14 February 1915, arriving in Suez, Egypt on 26 March 1915. His father died in Tauranga on 19 July 1915. Moa served with the 1st Maori Contingent, A Company (Service No. 16/482). On 6 August 1915 Moa's younger brother Thomas was killed at during the battle for Chunuk Bair at Gallipoli in Turkey. Thomas is remembered on the Chunuk Bair (New Zealand) Memorial at Chunuk Bair Cemetery in Gallipoli, Turkey. Moa had also served at Gallipoli. He died of a fever at sea on 9 September 1915 on board the HMHS Salta (His Majesty's Hospital Ship) (reg. 1918/38837). Moa was buried in Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery in Egypt. The medals belonging to both Moa and Thomas were sent to their sister, Ngahaka Wahia in Tauranga as both their parents had died by this time. Source: Biography by Debbie McCauley http://tauranga.kete.net.nz/remembering_war/topics/show/2400

HMHS Salta (His Majesty's Hospital Ship) was a steam ship originally built for Société Générale de Transport Maritime Steam, but requisitioned for use as a British hospital ship during the First World War. On 10 April 1917 she hit a mine laid by the German U-boat UC-26.