Thomas Carroll Ormond

Surname
Ormond
Forename(s)
Thomas Carroll
Date of death
Jan-87
Place of death
Wairoa, New Zealand

World War 2

Serial No
39601
Rank
Private
Address on enlistment
Mahia, New Zealand
Next of kin
Mr G. Ormond (father), Mahia, New Zealand
Notes

 

This article appeared in The Maori Battalion Remembers III, 1988, p.15

Thomas Carroll Ormond

Tom Ormond dies in Wairoa, January 1987 aged sixty seven. He was the younger son of George and Irs (Carroll) of Pongaroa Station. His secondary schooling was at Wairoa District High School and Napier Boys' High School.  

After matriculating he went to Victoria University to study law.

At the outbreak of World War II he volunteered for active service in the Air Force but transferred to 28th (Maori) Battalion at the age of twenty one.  Tom was taken prisoner on Crete and spent the remainder of the war in Germany. In later lief he became deeply involved in the world movement for Moral Rearment, a movement which emphasises reconciliation between nations.  This interest might well have had its beginning in prisoner-of-war camps.

In pursuit of his goal for world peace he travelled extensively throughout the world, making firm friendships with a wide diversity of people. 

Tom had many sporting interests, horse racing and membership of the Mahia Hunt Clut (which his grandfather founded) being special to him.  In rugby he was involved not only at local level but served on the Hawkes Bay and N.Z Rugby Maori Advisory Board.  He was the first Maori to hold the position as chairman of Hawkes Bay Rugby Board.  

It is not surprising that Tom took a very active interest in church work as he was descended on the Ormond side from an Archbishop of Canterbury.  He was a lay canon in the Anglican church, a member of the cathedral chapter and chairman of the Nuhaka-Mahia Patorate for thirty eight years.  He involved himself actively in the R.S.A 28th (Maori) Battalion Association and the Prisoner of War Association.

At the time of his death he was a Justice of the Peace and chairman of the Tairawhiti District Maori Council, the Kahungnu Maori Executive, the Wairoa-Waikaremoana Trust Board, the Mahia Maori Council, the Kaiuku Marae Committee and the Tairawhiti representative on the N.Z Maori Council.

Comments (0)