WAR HISTORY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22351, 27 August 1934, Page 10

WAR HISTORY

HISTORIC EXPEDITION CAPTURE' OF SAMOA. The twentieth anniversary of one of the most notable events in New Zealand's part in the Great War falls on Wednesday. It was on August 29, 1914, that the Samoan Expeditionary Force, the first troops to leave New Zealand, took possession of the German Island* of Western Samoa. This force, about 1400 strong, was raised in a surprisingly short time and was embarked on the Moeraki, Troopship No. 1, and the Monowai, Troopship No. 2, ready for sea, within eight day* of the declaration of War. The expedition left Wellington. at daybreak on August 15, 1914, for an unknown destination, and off the east coast of New Zealand was joined by a naval escort which was strengthened on: arrival of this force at the French colony of New Caledonia on August 20. The expedition reached Suva on August 26. The ultimate destination was still a close secret, and so it remained until: the early morning of August 29, when the two troopships, with their escort ;of six cruisers, consisting of the Philomel, Pyramus, Psyche, Australia, Melbourne and the French cruiser Montcalm, arrived off Apia, in German Samoa, where, to the surprise of most of the troops, no resistance was offered to the landing and the occupation of the territory. ■ :■.'•".■ v ,- r"V . Though no fighting was, necessary during the eight months that the Samoan Expeditionary Force, was -on the islands, the garrison duty proved particularly strenuous, and not a little trying in view of the hot climate and the lack of suitable food and clothing, to say nothing of the pests and diseases peculiar to tropical -climates. ; For a great part of the time, too, the force was under threat of attack by the powerful" German cruiser squadron which'was abroad in the Pacific; thus extreme vigilance was necessary until this menace;:was removed by-the destruction of Admiral von Spee's squadron at Falkland Islands by the British force under Admiral Sturdee.

A very strong feeling of esprit do corps was developed in Samoa, and that it still exists is evidenced by, the fact that the members of the expedition foregather annually in Wellington on the nearest convenient ?'' Saturday to the date of the landing in Samoa.