TROPHY OF THE WAR

THE APIA FLAG

STORY OF CAPTURE

Definite information that the German flag at the Auckland Public Library is the one that was flying over the Government buildings at Apia, Samoa, when the New Zealand force took possession hi August, 1914, is contained in a letter S'nt by Mr. Herbert F. Bailey, to the "New Zealand Herald." Mr. Bailey, whose present address is Stanorma, 33, Cross street, Concord, Sydney, New South Wales, was a member of the New Zealand Samoan Expeditionary Force and later of the Australian Imperial Forces. Ho relates that he lowered the flag and retained possession of it until It was presented to the New Zealand Gr» ■■ ernment, "with a request that in should be retained in Auckland.

"It was only by accident that I saw a picture of the official German, flag hauled down at Samoa on 29th August, 1914, by myself, cut from one of your papers,a week or so ago, and as I understand there is a controversy between the Parliamentary Library of Wellington and the Auckland Public Library as to the ownership, I, as donor of the flag to the New Zealand Government, thought I would take the liberty of writing to you and trying to clear the matter up. Here is the story of the flag," Mr, Bailey writes. "I,'with nine other residents of Fiji, enlisted with the New Zealand Samoan Expeditionary Force, on its arrival at Suva about 25th August, 1914. I wasposted to the 3rd Auckland Battalion, and was one of the first ashore at Apia, We scouted through the bueh, and worked round the back of the town, as it was not known by the majority of us whether there was going to be an armed resistance or not.

. "We finally came out at a large building, which, was the German Government /offices. The flag was flying over this building, and I asked my platoon commander (whose name I forget) if I could haul i$ down. He ga-\c me the necessary permission. ,1 hauled it down, rolled it up, and fastened it to my belt. That was, if I remember rightly, about 11 a.m. . "Later that day, about 7 p.m., I was sent with a despatch to headquarters for the force commander, who, after he-had read the message I had brought, asked me what I was carrying on my belt. I told hi? it was the flag of the Government buildings, and his answer to that was: 'Damn it all, man! I gave orders that that flag was not to be hauled down. Who told you to haul it down?' "I then told him what had occurred earlier in the day; so, after a while, he asked me what I was going to do with it. I said: 'Stick to it'if I can.' He said: 'All right, but do not carry it r^und on your bolt all the time.' "Some weeks later, while I was in camp at Epsom, Auckland, the 10 of us who had enlisted in Suva, weise paraded before the camp commandant, and I presented the flag, through him, to the New Zealand Government, and I specially asked him to use his best entleavonrs to have the flag kept in Auckland and hung either in tho Auckland Museum or the cathedral. "I have stated all the facts. The flag waa my property, and, I think, in fairness to me should be kept in Auckland. Only tho citizens of Auckland have a claim to it."