Have you been reading more during the covid-19 lockdown?One of the books I have out from Thames Library is:
Soldiers from the Pacific: The Story of Pacific Island Soldiers in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in World War One by Howard Weddell.
Part 2 of the book covers the Nominal Roll of soldiers from the Pacific who served in the NZEF (New Zealand Expeditionary Force).
One of the men listed in this section is Bob Ngapo, who is interred and remembered at Shortland Cemetery in Thames.
Robert Ngapo is recorded as dying at Auckland of pneumonia 27 October 1921, whereas our local newspaper records Bob's death as 28 October 1921 at Thames Hospital.
Thames Star 29 October 1921.
Private Robert Ngapo's plot (3PUBL-PLOT-2958) at Shortland Cemetery.
Biography for Private Ngapo
Below is the excerpt from Soldiers from the Pacific page 184 for Bob Ngapo:
"Ngapo, Bob, 16/1227, LCpl, NZ, Cook Is, WIA, 1st Rarotongan Contingent. Born in Aitutaki and living in New Zealand. Enlisted 21/10/1915 at Narrow Neck Camp. Disembarked at Suez 15/3/1916 and posted to the NZ Pioneer Battalion. Embarked for France 9/4/1916. WIA [Wounded in Action] 7/6/1917 GSW [Gun Shot Wound] in back. Admitted to the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station on 7/6/1916 and then the 2nd Canadian General Hospital in Etaples, France. Transferred to the Rarotongan Company 14/1/1918 and embarked for Egypt from Marseille 21/1/1918 and was posted to the NZ Mounted Rifle Bde Training Regiment & Base Depot before being posted the Rarotongan Company 5/3/1918. Returned to New Zealand on SS Malta. Discharged in New Zealand 7/3/1919. Died in Auckland 27/10/1921 of pneumonia. Buried in Shortland Street Cemetery, Thames New Zealand." Weddell, Howard.
CHALLENGE:
Keep a lookout for other books that make mention of Thamesites!
