TWENTY YEARS PASS

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1934, Page 11

TWENTY YEARS PASS

DEPARTURE OF MAIN BODY NEW ZEALAND ENTERS THE WAR. FLOWER OF COUNTRY’S MANHOOD. ANNIVERSARY OF EVENT TO-DAY. To-day marks the twentieth anniversary of the departure from Wellington of the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Representing the flower of New Zealand’s manhood, the troops, nearly 10,000 strong, set forth in the dawn of a beautiful morning to take part in the tremendous adventure of the great world war. New Zealand almost anticipated the call to arms. As the war-clouds gathered over Europe a great wave of loyal feeling swept through the country. The Government cabled its first offer of an expeditionary force on August 1, at a time when no actual fighting had taken place except between Austrians and Serbians, and Germany had not declared war even on Russia. The British Government replied expressing thanks but stating “no condition has arisen which would make this step necessary at present.”

In the House of Representatives on August 4, the Prime Minister, Mr. W. F. Massey, made a statement affirming New Zealand’s determination to send troops if need arose. When he had finished • members and spectators stood with one accord and sang the National Anthem. The following afternoon the declaration of war was read by the Governor, the -Earl of Liverpool, from the steps of Parliament House. New Zealand’s offer was definitely accepted a day or two later, and when mobilisation was announced ’ tho lists were already full to overflowing.

On August 6 a message from the Secretary of State for War was received by the Governor: “If your Ministers desire and feel themselves able to seize the German wirelessslktation at Samoa, we should feel that this was a great and urgent Imperial service.” • A force of 1413 men immediately volunteered from territorial units at Auckland and Wellington and sailed for their unknown destination in the transports Moeraki and Monowai on August 15. After calling at New Caledonia the expedition occupied German Samoa on August 29 without firing a shot. PHYSIQUE OF THE FORCE. Training camps had been opened before this at Palmerston North, Christchurch and Dunedin. “More and more men offered their services. Those declared unfit by. the doctor at Auckland caught the train to • Wellington, and if not. successful there went on and on until they found a loophole,” writes Major F. Waite in the official history. The physique of the force, however, befitted Masefield’s description of the Anzaes and the Royal Naval Division at the Gallipoli landing: “They were the finest body of young men «ver brought together in modern times. For physical beauty and nobility of bearing they surpassed any men I have ever seen; they walked and looked like kings in old poems, and reminded me of the line in Shakespeare, ‘Baited like j eagles having lately bathed.’ ” 1 Meanwhile ten large passenger and cargo steamers were being prepared for use as transports. The force was to consist of the headquarters of a division; divisional artillery and other troops, a brigade of mounted rifles and an infantry brigade of four regiments. On October 15 two ships from Auckland reached Wellington, a day after the arrival of the British armoured cruiser Minotaur, from the China station, and the Japanese cruiser Ibuku. The last of the troops embarked and good-byes were said. “Night fell on Wellington harbour, with its fleet of 14 historic ships. The morning broke beautifully fine. The fleet weighed anchor at six o’clock. Crowds of early risers saw the ships go out, preceded by the Minotaur and the Ibuki. The first division of ships was led by the cruiser Psyche and the second division by the Philomel. So the watchers on Mount Victoria saw the long grey line slip silently down the The voyage of the combined Australian and New Zealand convoy of 38 transports lasted seven weeks, and en route the German csuiser Emden was sunk by H.M.A.S. Sydney. On December 3 the main body disembarked at Alexandria rand the N.Z.E.F. entered its first theatre of war. A unique memento of the convoy is preserved in the Dominion Museum, Wellington. It is a beautiful model in biack lacquer of the Ibuki, a gift to New Zealand from the Government of Japan.