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John Benjamin Gordon and Rene ("Princess Rene" in the family lore) are my adopted daughter's 3xgreat-grandparents, through their son Thomas Gordon. This is clear from a tree drawn up by my daughter's birth grandmother almost 30 years ago. I am trying to push the tree back beyond Rene Te Akau to help clarify my daughter's iwi affiliations.

My 25 years' family history experience is with UK and German records, so Maori whakapapa is new to me. I have followed this Rootschat thread, have researched Rangiatea church records in the National Library with no luck, and am intending to have a look at Land Court records. I have approached Ngati Raukawa runanga but unfortunately with no response.

However, I do have a very long and detailed whakapapa provided to me by another Te Akau descendant in NZ. She is descended through the Thomas Uppadine Cook/Meretini Te Akau line, and is familiar with Maori tikanga and te reo. However, I can't find names in this whakapapa that would match Rene/Rena Te Akau/Gordon. I seem to be missing a generation that would link Rene/Rena Te Akau and the Te Akau who was married to Hape Ki Tuarangi and then to Te Rauparaha.

I think the missing link is likely descended from Te Akau's relationship to Hape Ki Tuarangi, as the Te Rauparaha line is seemingly very limited. My acquaintance's whakapapa does include Te Kipihana Te Keho (showing as a sibling of Te Akau), whose land went to George Gordon (Te Oti Kotene) and Thomas Gordon (referred to in this thread, and also in the family tree from my daughter's birth grandmother). So it looks tantalisingly like I'm on the right track.

I'd be very grateful if any of you could share material that could help fill the gap. LPCarew looks to have got close last year?

Thanks in advance.

Where might I find more specific duties of a Flight Mechanic Airframes in WAAF in WWII? Stationed with 13 Maintenance Unit at RAF Henlow 1943-46, my late mother was trained on Hurricanes, which I understand were the most common aircraft maintained at Henlow. I've seen a few posts on FMA generic duties, but they seemed to differ according to the base? Thanks in advance.

1. Can anyone please help to identify what type of offence my late mother as a WAAF in 1945 may have committed to incur "14 days C.C." (which I understand means "close confinement") and forfeiture of pay? Her service record has 4 vertical slashes under "time forfeited" so my working assumption is she may have gone AWOL for 4 days.

2. Also her war record shows she was signed off on 2 occasions as having "occupied married quarters" yet she was single. Given her record says she was of very good character and had promotions, I wonder (innocently) if, eg, pressure on RAF base accommodation may have seen singletons occupying married quarters?

RAF Historical Branch have been very helpful but couldn't help on these 2 items. Thanks in advance.