Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Cecil Rawhiti Smith, known as Ra, was born on 28 February 1901 at Timaru, the first-born of Cecil Edmund and Annie Elizabeth (née McNiven) Smith. He was educated at many schools - Kaiwaka, Whangarei (admitted in June 1907), Kamo and Hora Hora schools, moving to Fairlie School in 1911, and then to Albury in 1912 when the Family was living at MaWaro. At the end of 1915 he left school for work. His siblings, too, attended several schools. Nancy – Kamo, Whangarei, Albury, Mona Vale (Ma Waro), and Pleasant Point when she was older; Mona – Whangarei, Kamo, Hora Hora, Fairlie, Kimbell, Albury and Mona Vale, before leaving for Technical in Christchurch but actually going to Pleasant Point; Myrtlw (also known as Peggy) – Kamo, Whangarei, Hora Hora, Fairlie, Kimbell, Albury, and Mona Vale; Mary – started at Mona Vale, then Pleasant Point, where she moved on to the secondary department; Tasman – Mona Vale and somewhere in Timaru; Cecily – Pleasant Point where she too moved to the secondary department; Preston – stints at Pleasant Point and Mona Vale; and Natalie – Pleasant Point, leaving there for the Christchurch Teacher Training College. The frequent moves of the older children may reflect the movement of their parents as missionaries. After Mr Smith returned close to his family’s roots at Mona Vale, near Albury, South Canterbury, and resumed farming, the children were found at various school in the Fairlie and Pleasant Point districts. Cecil’s and Annie’s work among the Maori is reflected in the second given names of most of their nine children.

Yes, Cecil Rawhiti Smith, of Ma Waro, Timaru, was one of the “Amokura Boys” – boys who joined the Government training steamer at Wellington on 14 September 1915. On 26 June 1918, the “Wimmera”, an intercolonial steamer, was sunk north of Auckland on an outward voyage to Sydney, the victim of an enemy mine. Fortunately, crew member, Able Seaman C. R. Smith, just 17 years old, was among the 85 survivors who landed at Tom Bowling Bay, near the North Cape. 56 were missing. The ship had left Auckland with 66 passengers and a crew of 75. Five thoroughbred racehorses were also lost.

‘The “Star’s” correspondent wires that the survivors of the Wimmera state that the steamer was shattered by an explosion towards the stern, which completely wrecked the social hall, and part of the bathing accommodation. The Wimmera settled quickly on an even keel. The failure of the lights within two minutes made the work of leaving the ship difficult. Within thirty minutes she went down by the stern, carrying with her a considerable portion of the passengers and crew. Four boats were launched, one of which was stove in and one swamped. All the survivors at Parengarenea are in excellent spirits. Many instances of coolness and grit are told. The crew are enthusiastic about the splendid courage of the women and children. . . . . The “Star’s” Parengarenga correspondent states that passengers and crew showed many splendid instances of courage.’ [Timaru Herald, 29 June 1918.] The contribution of Graham Smith (see below) is acknowledged in linking these newspaper articles (Amokura, Wimmera) to his father Cecil Rawhiti Smith.

Eighteen-year old C. Rah Smith, an Able Seaman born at Timaru, left Auckland and arrived at Sydney on 24 December 1919. He left Wanganui and arrived at Sydney on 21 March 1920, a crewman on the “White Pine”. He again left Auckland and arrived at Sydney on 16 July 1920, then aged 19 and an assistant 2nd Mate on the “White Pine”. Still 19 years old and 2nd mate on the “White Pine” he left Lyttelton and arrived at Sydney on 21 August 1921. Cecil Rawhiti Smith – born on 28 February 1901 at Timaru, New Zealand - was issued a Certificate of Competency by the Department of Navigation, New South Wales, on 10 February 1920. His address was Box 54, Pleasant Point, New Zealand. The class of certificate was First Mate of a Foreign Going Ship. In December 1920 it was for Second Mate. His address then was 157 Bridge Road, Glebe, Sydney.

Cecil Rawhiti Smith’s seagoing experience started even earlier – as a merchant seaman in World War I. In Australia - his address 20 Forsyth Street, Glebe, New South Wales – he was issued with the Mercantile Marine Ribbon and the British War Medal.

Cecil married Lillian Faith Watters in 1924. Lillian followed Cecil to various parts of the country, which reflected his postings – a signalman at Westport in 1928, a seaman at Napier in 1935, a mariner in Auckland from the 1940s. Cecil Rawhiti Smith, a master mariner of Remuera, was drawn in the December 1942 ballot for World War II. Their son, Cecil Edmund Rawhiti Smith, was also drawn in the ballot for World War II.

Cecil Rawhiti Smith died at Auckland on 30 September 1976, aged 75 years, and predeceased by his wife. Cecil Rawhiti and Lillian are buried in Mangere Cemetery. Ra had married again after Lillian’s death, and it was to his second wife, Colleen Joy Albertson, that he left the right to reside in his home unit, provided “she maintains the property in good order, pays all reasonable costs of upkeep and all rates and other legal demands of authorities having jurisdiction over the property and . . . . .” Further conditions were also attached to her occupation of the unit. If and when the property was vacated by his wife, it was to be held by his trustees (two sons) “for such religious and charitable purposes as they shall in their discretion think best . . . . . . I would like to see the said property used by Missionaries on furlough . . . .” So, Cecil Rawhiti Smith had inherited some of his parents’ missionary spirit. “The Lord blessed me far above my deserts in the partners I have had. . . . . I would like to record my great appreciation for the love and care shown t me by all members of my family and their children. It has brought joy and pleasure over the years.”

George Edmund Smith died on 19 April 1925 at his Pleasant Point residence and was buried in a family plot at Burke’s Pass Cemetery, the land having been given by his father. Annie Elizabeth Smith died in September 1958 and was buried at Timaru. Thomas Bruce Smith (15983) who also served in World War One, was a cousin of Rawhiti Smith. Three D’Ath cousins also served – William Joseph who was killed in action at the Somme in 1916, John Benedict who married a Smith cousin at St Mary’s Timaru in 1921, and George Michael.

“My Dad (CRS) was born to missionary parents (to Maoris) and had his first four years at Pipiriki, many miles up the Whanganui River. My father trained (1915-16) on the Amokura, a gov’t training ship for 13-16 year-old boys. He then joined the Wimmera until it was struck by a German mine near the Three Kings Islands (just north of New Zealand) in 1918 when 26 lives were lost. He at 17 was responsible for a life-boat-load of survivors to get to land. He was also shipwrecked in 1924 on the North American coast. He gained his captaincy on both sailing ships and steamship at 21, and ended up as Senior Pilot on the Auckland Waitemata Harbour. He had a family of nine children, seven of us still living (81 years – 91 years). I was aware my father was detailed to serve in WWII, but was to continue to work on the Harbour as an essential service. But my eldest brother, Cecil, was at High School 1941-1946, so must have got exemption when chosen in the ballot. My Dad remarried 2 ½ years after my mother (1903-1969) passed away, married to Colleen Albertson (1931-1986).” (Graham Smith, 13 November 2021).

Sources

NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [15 April 2020]; School Admission records [15 April 2020; 22 November 2021]; Mangere Cemetery burial records [15 April 2020]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [15 April 2020]; New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Seamen (ancestry.com.au) [19 April 2020]; Medal Card (The National Archives UK – Index of First World War Mercantile Marine Medals and the British War Medal) [27 April 2020]; Biographical Notes on Cecil Rawhiti Smith, contributed by his son, Graham Smith, 13 November 2021; Probate record (Archives NZ) [22 November 2021]; NZ Times, 14 September 1915, Sun, 27 June 1918, Timaru Herald, 28 & 29 June 1918 (Papers Past) [23 November 2021]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record

Related Documents

• SMITH Cecil Rawhiti - newspaper clippings (pdf, 153.2 KB updated 09-Dec-2021)

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