Born: Taiaroa Head 18 January 1894 Enlisted: 8 August 1914, aged 20 Height/Weight: 5ft 6in, 140lbs Died: Dunedin 18 November 1946, aged 52 Occupation: Cadet Samoan Advance Party, New Zealand Field Artillery, 5th Reinforcements, No.6 Howitzer Battery W ith Māori heritage on both his parents’ sides, Henry Burns is the only soldier of clear Māori descent on the Department of Education’s honours board. Henry was an Otago man through and through. He was one of the nine children of Richard and Sylvy Burns, farmers, near Portobello. Henry’s home marae seems to have been Otakou where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 by Te Matenga Taiaroa and Hori Kerei Taiaroa. A couple of Henry’s siblings are noted as being confirmed at the Otakou Marae church (pictured above) and it was at Otakou that Henry died in 1946. Twenty year old Henry joined the army just days aﬅer war was declared on Germany. He was single and had worked for the Department of Education in Wellington as a cadet since he was 17. He lived at 45 Majoribanks Street in Mt Victoria. As a gunner for the Samoa Expeditionary Force, he sailed to Apia to annexe Samoa from Germany. Following his return from Samoa, Henry was sent to Gallipoli in 1915 resulting in him being awarded the Gallipoli Medallion. Still more action was to come for Henry with service at the front in Egypt in 1915-16 and in France in 1916-1918. Acts of gallantry in the field saw Henry awarded the Military Medal on 30 September 1918. Henry returned to the Department of Education aﬅer the war and further strengthened his ties to Otakou Marae by marrying local woman, Pani Te Waru Taiaroa in 1925. The couple had a daughter – Pani Patricha Burns Tako. Henry died in 1946 aged just 52 and is buried in Portobello Cemetery near Dunedin. Pictured: The memorial window at Otakou Marae on the Otago Peninsula with Henry Burns’ name beside it. Sources: Photo credit: Memorial panel at Tamatea, Otakou Marae Archives New Zealand Births, Deaths and Marriages Online findagrave.com Corporal Henry Arapata Kote BURNS Service No. 2/25

Corporal Henry Arapata Kote BURNS - Ministry of Education · service at the front in Egypt in 1915-16 and in France in 1916-1918. Acts of gallantry in the field saw Henry awarded

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Page 1: Corporal Henry Arapata Kote BURNS - Ministry of Education · service at the front in Egypt in 1915-16 and in France in 1916-1918. Acts of gallantry in the field saw Henry awarded

Born: Taiaroa Head 18 January 1894

Enlisted: 8 August 1914, aged 20

Height/Weight: 5ft 6in, 140lbs

Died: Dunedin 18 November 1946, aged 52

Occupation: Cadet

Samoan Advance Party, New Zealand Field Artillery, 5th Reinforcements, No.6 Howitzer Battery

W ith Māori heritage on both his parents’ sides, Henry Burns is the only soldier

of clear Māori descent on the Department of Education’s honours board.

Henry was an Otago man through and through. He was one of the nine children of Richard and Sylvy Burns, farmers, near Portobello. Henry’s home marae seems to have been Otakou where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 by Te Matenga Taiaroa and Hori Kerei Taiaroa. A couple of Henry’s siblings are noted as being confirmed at the Otakou Marae church (pictured above) and it was at Otakou that Henry died in 1946.

Twenty year old Henry joined the army just days after war was declared on Germany.

He was single and had worked for the Department of Education in Wellington as a cadet since he was 17. He lived at 45 Majoribanks Street in Mt Victoria.

As a gunner for the Samoa Expeditionary Force, he sailed to Apia to annexe Samoa from Germany. Following his return from Samoa, Henry was sent to Gallipoli in 1915 resulting in him being awarded the Gallipoli Medallion.

Still more action was to come for Henry with service at the front in Egypt in 1915-16 and in France in 1916-1918. Acts of gallantry in the field saw Henry awarded the Military Medal on 30 September 1918.

Henry returned to the Department of Education after the war and further

strengthened his ties to Otakou Marae by marrying local woman, Pani Te Waru Taiaroa in 1925. The couple had a daughter – Pani Patricha Burns Tako.

Henry died in 1946 aged just 52 and is buried in Portobello Cemetery near Dunedin.

Pictured:

The memorial window at Otakou Marae on the Otago Peninsula with Henry Burns’ name beside it.

Sources:

Photo credit: Memorial panel at Tamatea, Otakou Marae

Archives New Zealand

Births, Deaths and Marriages Online

findagrave.com

Corporal Henry Arapata Kote BURNS

Service No. 2/25