Surname
Mitchell
Forename(s)
Ariariterangi
World War 2
Serial No
4169
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Address on enlistment
Hinemoa Street, Rotorua, New Zealand
Comments (1)
Ariariterangi(Adi) Mitchell
Submitted by Kusabs on Fri, 29/12/2017 - 04:21
Adi as he was known to me, was my mother Lena Merriman's 1st cousin. Adi's mother Te Aomihi Meremana (Merriman) who married H Tai Mitchell, was my grandfather's sister.
Adi was a member of the Arawa Trust Board when I was for several years the Board's accountant. Adi was the chairman of the Board's farm committee and I from time to time accompanied him on visits to the Board's Maketu dry stock farm.
My understanding was that following his war service Adi had been employed by the Department of Maori Affairs as a farm supervisor to assist those Maori returned soldiers who had been set up as farmers in the Rotorua District. His experience with the Department made him well suited and qualified in his roll as chairman of the Arawa Trust Boards Farm Committee.
Although we spent many hours together he never spoke to me of his war experiences.
Adi had one daughter Patricia
At that time Albert Bennett another returned serviceman and brother of Sir Charles Bennett was the Board's secretary