In Memory of Captain PEKAMA KAA 16/620, New Zealand Pioneer Battalion who died age 23 on 14 August 1917 Son of Panikena and Matewa Kaa, of Rangitukia, Waiapu, New Zealand. Remembered with honour KANDAHAR FARM CEMETERY Captain Pekama Rongoaia Kaa of the New Zealand Maori (Pioneer) Bn. who had enlisted in the 1st Maori Contingent in June 1915, and had been commissioned in September 1915 just before leaving New Zealand. Capt. Kaa came from a notable line of Maori warriors of the Ngatiporou tribe; he won the Makanui scholarship at the Rangitukia Native school, then studied at Te Ante College, leaving there to enter the Dept. of Agriculture after passing the Junior Civil Service exam. He and several of his men were caught by shellfire while in a very awkward sector of trench on 14 August 1917. Several were killed outright whilst others, including Pekama, were wounded. He refused to be evacuated until all his men had been moved and while he was waiting another shell burst killed him on the spot aged 23. Obituary "Lieutenant Pekama Rongoaia Kaa, who recently died of wounds in France, was a descendant of a notable line of Maori warriors of the Ngati Porou tribe. He was educated at the Rangitukia school, where he won the Makanui scholarship. Two years later he entered the Department of Agriculture. He enlisted in the first Maori Contingent, and was given a commission in the Second Contingent. Lieutenant Kaa was fatally wounded while directing the movements of the Ngati Porou platoons." (Auckland Weekly News, 20 September 1917, p. 19) Pekama Rongoaia Kaa, the son of Panikena and Matewa Kaa, of Rangitukia, Waiapu, New Zealand was a descendant of a notable line of Maori warriors of the Ngatiporou tribe. He was educated at the Rangitukia school where he won the Makanui scholarship. Two years later he entered the Department of Agriculture. He enlisted on the 12/6/15 at the age of 21 and was attached to the the 1st Maori contingent, "Te Hokowhitu a Tu," the Maori Pioneer Battalion, which had sailed from New Zealand in February, 1915 and fought as engineers and snipers in Gallipoli. He was commissioned as a 2/Lt on the 1/9/15. It is unclear if he served on Gallipoli. After evacuating from Gallipoli, the surviving fit men of the Maori contingent were combined with the survivors of the Otago Mounted Rifles to form the NZ Pioneer Battalion, which went to France. In May 1916, they fought at Armentieres, digging trenches and going on raiding parties In August 1916 they went to the Somme, where they dug what became the famous communication trenches 'Turk Lane' and 'Fish Alley' ( or French Lane). By August 1917, enough Maori reinforcements had arrived to make a complete NZ (Maori) Pioneer Battalion of 928 men. Lt Kaa was promoted to Captain on the 7/8/17 and posted as Grenade Officer. He was killed in action on the 14/8/17. He was age 23. He body rests in Kandahar Farm Cemetery, Nieuwkerke, West Vlaanderen, Belgium (pictured above). An image of Henare Mokena Kohere (Kaa's predecessor, KIA Sep 1916) and Pekama Kaa have pride of place in the stained glass windows of St Mary's Anglican Church overlooking Tikitiki, Rangitukia and the Waiapu valley. Extract from Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F., September 5th 1917 courtesy of Bill Meldrum, 4103003 Lieut P. Kaa By the death in action on August 14th of Lieut P. Kaa, the Maoris have lost not only a splendid officer, but a true friend, and there are many sad hearts among them, especially in the Ngatiporou, his own tribe. From childhood he has been a straightforward, honourable character, and as an officer his men have ever been his first consideration. Educated in the first place at Rangitukia Native School, he passed on to Te Aute College, and at the close of his two years course there he passed the Junior Civil Service examination. The story of his death, as told by one of his men who is now in hospital, is as follows: - He and several of his men were caught by shell fire while in a very awkward sector of trench. Some were killed outright, and Lieut Kaa and several others were wounded. He absolutely refused to let the stretcher-bearers to lift him until his wounded men were carried to safety. Before he could be rescued, another shell burst and he was killed on the spot. To our limited vision it seems as if an officer like this can ill be spared; but the example of his life lived, and finally given for others, will always be of inestimable value to those who knew him. “Heoi, e oku teina, kia whai kaha koutou i roto i te Ariki” http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/cenotaph/7997.detail
