PRO PATRIA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 3, 14 January 1942, Page 5

PRO PATRIA

MORE LOCAL LOSSES

i PTE HEREMIA HIINI

Aged 24 years, Pie Heremia (Jerry) Riini oif Paroa, was born at Whakatane, and later educated at the Native School, Cape Runaway. He completed his schooling at Paroa Native School when he stayed with his pairents, Mb- and Mrs J. Riini-of Pin-* pai. Returning to Cape Runaway he ran a farm for a period. Aj keen Rugbj' player he was a prominent Poroporo representative, and also took up amateur boxing. He was early accepted for service overseas with the Maori Battalion, being the first Maori to enlist from Cape Runaawy but, while on his way to camp became involved in a serious accident which confined him to the Whakatane hospital for a long' period. Upon recovery he was rejected as unfit but upon his fifth application was .finally accepted. He left with; the Sixth Etehelon and linked up with the Maori Battalion in the Middle East. He fell at the assault upon Gazala on December 16. He has two brothers overseas, in the! person of Sgt Ihaia Riini and L/Cpl Erueti Riini, both of whom left with the Second Etehelon and went through the Grecian and Cretan campaigns. The latter brother has since been reported wounded in Libya. Another brother Pte J. Riini is at present in camp training for overseas service.