Enlisted 11 February 1918 in Rarotonga. Embarked at Wellington 13 June 1918 to disembark at Suez 4 August 1918. Posted to the Rarotongan Company 4 August 1918. Embarked for New Zealand per SS Malta 14 December 1918 and discharged 20 March 1919.

Based on available documents, our team believe the date of death on the headstone and in Howard Weddell’s book 'Soldiers from the Pacific' is 03/09/1941 to be incorrect. The death registration (MAUK19290003 25/01/1929) names the deceased as “Vaine Tutai”, his parents as Tuakanataae (father), Aketatai (mother), and the informant as his brother Aerenga. We also have a family tree listing Aerenga as Vaine Tutai’s older brother. In 1938, the Resident Commissioner sent a telegram naming three soldiers who had not yet received a government issued military headstone. Vaine Tutai was named as one of the soldiers with the date of death recorded as 25/01/1929. When the headstone was ordered, a new date of death appeared; 03/09/1941. The Mauke, Cook Islands death register shows that on 03/09/1941 a person named “Ta Aerenga” aged 35 died, however this man’s parents are not the parents of Vaine Tutai. We therefore believe that it may be a case of mistaken identity on the part of whomever ordered the military headstone and gave an incorrect date of death based on the name Ta Aerenga in the Mauke, Cook Islands death register 03/09/1941. Family to confirm.