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Cenotaph record

Wikitoria Katene

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  • Service number
    72092 AWMM
  • Also known as
    • Wikitoria Te Huruhururu Whatu AWMM
    • Wikitoria Whatu AWMM
    • Wild Whatu AWMM
    • Stene AWMM
    • Wikitoria Te Huruhuru Katene AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Last rank
  • War
    World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
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72092 Sister Wikitoria Te Huruhuru (nee Katene) of Porirua. Wikitoria served in the Middle East. Photo from page 05 of album Photograph Album: Charles Bennett - WWII. New Zealand National Army Museum. Accession No. 2012.2.1

72092 Sister Wikitoria Te Huruhuru (nee Katene) of Porirua. Wikitoria served in the Middle East. Ph …

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Identity

About

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Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    3 February 1912 WWII WAAC Roll
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
    Porirua Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 17 November 2024 - https://www.facebook.com/poriruawarstories/posts/2891304914474640/
  • Birth notes
    Daughter of Te Oti George KATENE & Arohi Maraea Rose Poaneki (nee Te Momo) Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 17 November 2024 - https://www.facebook.com/poriruawarstories/posts/2891304914474640/
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    Mrs T. Katene (mother), Porirua, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    1942Wikitoria Te Huruhuru KATENE married Douglas Douglas Orson Hekenui WHATU Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 17 November 2024 - NZ BDM Marriage Records

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 Unknown AWMM Tailoress/Civilian AWMM
    AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes

Last known rank

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  • Last rank

Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Sister of George Katene (6125) 28 Maori Battalion killed in Italy

      NZ general Hospital Cairo, Italy, Egypt. Called the "Pride of the Maori Battalion" in "Loath to leave", Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 94, 21 April 1945, Page 12

      Photographs in Ordinary people kit


      "SERVICE IN AUCKLAND ' The first Maori Red Cross W.A.A.C. to go overseas, Miss Wikitoria Katene, arrived at Auckland recently to begin work as a welfare officer for the Maori people. -While overseas Miss Katene, who served in both Egypt and Italy, spent a great deal of time visiting Maori soldiers and entertaining them in hospital wards. For the past few months she has been Working in Wellington, where the "new welfare scheme for the Maori people has been firmly established. From the beginning of this month more Maori girls will be appointed to this social service work as sectional officers, and tor a time will work under Miss Katenc’s tuition in Auckland. Miss Katene’s programme of reorganisation will include the improvement of housing conditions and the establishment of more hostels for young Maori girls. Her task will involve work with Branches of the Health Department, ihe Child Welfare Association, educational authorities, heads of business organisations and the Police Department." Maori Welfare Work. Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21993, 10 April 1946, Page 2 AWMM
    • The second story is of Private Wikitoria Te Huruhure Katene-Whatu
      NZ War Nurse of Ngāti Toarangatira iwi and Ngāti Tu hapu
      Her real name was Wikitoria Te Huruhuru Katene-Whatu but to many she became Aunty Wiki.
      Born in Porirua on 3 February 1912, Wikitoria was the eldest child of Te Arohi Maraea Rose Poaneki (nee Te Momo) and Te Oti George Katene. Becoming known as Wiki, she was Ngāti Toarangatira iwi and Ngāti Tu hapu and was raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon).
      Wiki helped raise her 13 siblings, including her brother Te Oti George Katene Jnr, who would serve in WWII with the 28th Maori Battalion.
      Wiki, a seamstress at the outbreak of WWII, joined the Women’s War Service Auxiliary, known as the Tuis, in 1941, entering Trentham Camp on 15 December that year.
      She sailed on the NZ hospital ship Maunganui a week later, arriving in Egypt the following month, and in July 1942 was posted to the 2nd NZ General Hospital. Wiki quickly became a favourite of the staff and soldiers, taking patients on outings with lovely packed lunches.
      Nurse Katene was shipped to Italy on 31 December 1943, learning of her brother George’s death near Orsonga, Italy, earlier that month.
      Arriving back in New Zealand in April, 1945, she was officially discharged from duty in July and started work at the Rehabilitation Centre, helping returned servicemen to find employment and re-adjust to civilian life.
      She met Douglas Whatu and they had one child, Mereana Whatu, who was stillborn.
      Douglas died on 27 October, 1977, and is buried in the Takapūwāhia urupa.
      Along with being mentioned in despatches for her service in WWII, Wiki was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for community service in 1992.
      Wikitoria Te Huruhuru Whatu died in Porirua on 20 August, 2006, at the age of 94.
      In 2008 a new building in the Whitireia Campus was officially named Te Whare o Wikitoria Te Huruhuru Katene Whatu, or Wikitoria Katene for short, in her honour.
      It was noted she was "a courageous and brave woman who ventured out into the world and made a difference to the lives of many people.
      Her spirit and courage reflect the wairua of her people (Ngāti Toa) and her caring, unselfish nature and willingness to work within the community reflects the Whitireia values of manaakitanga and partnership." Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 17 November 2024 - https://www.facebook.com/poriruawarstories/posts/2891304914474640/
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    20 August 2006 WWII WAAC Roll
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
    94yrs Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 17 November 2024 - https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KWRT-LLK/wikitoria-te-huruhuru-katene-1912-2006
  • Place of death
    Wellington Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 17 November 2024 - https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KWRT-LLK/wikitoria-te-huruhuru-katene-1912-2006
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
    Takapūwāhia urupa Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 17 November 2024 - https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KWRT-LLK/wikitoria-te-huruhuru-katene-1912-2006
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

Remember Wikitoria Katene by laying a poppy.

Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Wikitoria Katene

Leave a note

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  • Wikitoria lived as a reveared member of our family in Porirua following her service in the war. In her later years she loved to care for her gardens and loved being around children like me whom she helped bring up She was later awareded a QSM, along with her brother for services to the community. She died, in Porirua in 2004 and is buried with her family at the urupa in Takapuawahia, Mataiwhetu Street.
    Public - wiremu - Direct descendant - 27 May 2016
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Ordinary people kit : New Zealanders remember the Second World War. [resource kit]. (1995). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs. AWMM
    • Service Women Project: Sponsorship to research this record was kindly provided by the Auckland Returned Services Association, Returned Servicewomen's Branch; Marjorie Traill, Dorothy Grant, Daphne Shaw and Margaret Woollett. AWMM
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1942). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 6 (Embarkations from 1st October, 1941 to 31st December, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      p.20 AWMM
    • Iwi, Hapū, Rohe and additional whakapapa information kindly provided from “Ngāti Raukawa and 20th century wars. Ngā Pakanga o Te Ao. Participation, Price, and Post-War Experience.” Research conducted by Te Kenehi Teira and Heeni Collins (2022). Report commissioned by Crown Forestry Rental Trust, Wellington (Wai 2200 Porirua ki Manawatu Inquiry). AWMM
    • Ngāti Raukawa in World War 2 - 1939-1945 & further (credit to Reuben Waaka, Diane Taylor, Te Kenehi Teira). Part of “Ngāti Raukawa and 20th century wars. Ngā Pakanga o Te Ao. Participation, Price, and Post-War Experience.” Research conducted by Te Kenehi Teira and Heeni Collins (2022). Report commissioned by Crown Forestry Rental Trust, Wellington (Wai 2200 Porirua ki Manawatu Inquiry). AWMM
    • WAAC [Women's Auxiliary Army Corps] - Lists - Overseas Information [including Strength Returns and Embarkation Rolls] (1943 - 1945) - Archives New Zealand, Wellington, (R22502074) AWMM
    • Staff - Staff WWSA [Women's War Service Auxiliary] hospital division organisation of women workers patriotic fund board - Middle East (Part 2). Archives New Zealand (R22438823) AWMM

Contributors

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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
22 February 2025SarahChristchurchResearcher
17 November 2024Lorraine MonaGisborne Researcher
08 May 2019WiremuPoriruaDirect descendant

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