Paewai Williams

Ingoa whānau
Williams
Ingoa tuatahi
Paewai
E mōhiotia ana ki te ingoa
Sam Williams

World War 2

Tau Rangatū
817711
Tūnga
Private
Wāhi noho
Tolaga Bay, New Zealand
Whanaunga tino tata i te wā o te kuhunga
Mrs R. Williams (mother), Tikitiki, New Zealand

Takupu (3)

This is my cousin Paewai Williams who is buried in TikiTiki on the East Coast, but I knew him as old Sam Williams, his mother Rachel {nee Koia} Williams and my mother Riria {nee Gerrard} Haimona are first cousins, I first met Paewai known to me as old Sam Williams at 10 Tennyson Road Hamilton back in 1971, because I was much younger than him, I use to call him uncle,until his younger brother Fred {Rogan} Williams eventually told me the correct whakapapa, Paewai never talked about the war to us younger ones, but what I remember of him is that he always drunk warm Waikato beer, he worked at Horotiu freezing works,he drunk at the Terapa Tavern, on his lounge wall was a photo taken of him in army uniform and showing were he was stationed overseas ie:Tunisia: I admire your courage my cuz but more to the point you were one of the blessed ones who came home, statistics show that many did not make it home:your courage still shines in many of your moko's:

I admire the courage these men showed when told they had to go off to war, if you were between the age of 18yrs to 35yrs and from Tairawhiti East Coast you were told to sign up and go off to war, many from the East Coast did not hesitate, they went off to do there two or three months basic training in waiouru, than down to wellington and on a boat off to fight the Germans which would last 5 or 6yrs, alot of these men never returned home, there wives remarried thinking there loved ones would never come back from the war, the lucky ones that did return must of found it hard,seeing that there wives had either remarried or started a family with another man, once again I admire there courage for firstly going off to war and for the lucky ones who came home, for starting a fresh life all over again:

this is my nana matties , brother nana Sam. he was the brother in law to christian pakura whitehead of the 28th maori battalion. nana mattie always told us stories about you and her growing up and what you two would get up too, she had admiration in her voice when telling us those stories because you were sickly as a child but as a man you went off to war as part of the 28th maori battalion. From what little nana mattie told us about the war because that generation; nana would tell us didnt talk about it. she would say that when you were with fellow returned servicemen like there father paewai, and nana christian you all would go and be alone together have a talk over some beer then have a kai later.. we were in awe of you Nana Sam, you were courageous,brave , strong yet cheeky and so loving and caring to all of matties mokopuna. at your tangi was the first time ever I had seen my nana so heart broken . thank you nana sam love you forever