Samoan soldiers in WW1

Allen F K Lieut RNR

*Allen T Lieut RFC

Doughty M Lieut NZEF

Westbrook E Sergt Mjr

Allen R H Sergt

Tattersall H E Sergt

Roberts F Lce Cprl

An Mu M Pvte

Bernard J Pvte

Claxton Pvte

Duffy E Pvte

Fruean A Pvte

Gurr B Pvte

Hills C Pvte

Huckett O Pvte

Hunkin C Pvte

Hunkin G Pvte

McFarland L Pvte

Meredith F Pvte

Meredith O Pvte

                          Meredith T Pvte

                          Parker S Pvte

                          Railey C Pvte

                          Stowers J Pvte

                          Stowers R Pvte

                          Stowers W Pvte

                          Swankey A Pvte

                          Swanney J Pvte

                          Togimau

                          *Williams A Pvte

                          Yandall A Pvte

                          Yandall J Pvte

                          Harder J Want Ofcr USN

                          Harder F Abs USN

                          Harder P Pvte US Army

                          Moors H W Pvte US Army

                          Partsch K Pvte US Army

                          Paul J Pvte US Army

                          Ulberg F Pvte US Army

                    *Denotes Died at the Front

During the build up to the outbreak of war, the British Government decided to invade the German possessions of New Guinea and Samoa to prevent attack on the British colonies of the Pacific, and arranged with the French, Australian and New Zealand Governments to send a fleet of allied ships to Samoa, carrying New Zealand troops, and another fleet of Australian ships and troops to New Guinea. On 6 August 1914 Britain’s Secretary of State, Sir Lewis Harcourt, sent a telegram urging New Zealand’s Governor General to send a force to seize control of German occupied Samoa.

The New Zealand Samoa Advance Force left Wellington on 14 August 1914 on board the transport ships Moeraki and Monowai, converted merchant steamers. They were escorted to Noumea, New Caledonia by three Royal Naval ships of the New Zealand Division - HMS Psyche, Philomel and Pyramus, and two colliers NZ Colliers Katoa and Koromiko. In Noumea these ships were joined by the French warship Mont calm, and the Australian cruisers Australia and Melbourne. The fleet then proceeded to Suva, Fiji, where ten Legion of Frontiersmen and thirteen Samoan guides joined them. They sailed for Apia, arriving there on 29 August 1914, landed the New Zealand troops, captured the German flags and raised the British flag on the Apia Courthouse.

During 1914, several Samoa-born men living in Australia and New Zealand enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and were sent overseas to fight at Gallipoli. This campaign lasted 240 days and by 20 December 1915 all the ANZAC troops had been withdrawn. Recruits from Samoa during 1915 were sent to fight in France and Belgium, the Western Front, in various New Zealand regiments. A recruiting party from the New Zealand Samoan Force left Apia for Tonga in January 1916, with some recruits from Western Samoa. They and the Tongan recruits arrived in New Zealand later in 1916 and enlisted in the Maori Reinforcements. They served firstly on the Western Front and later in Palestine. Individuals, usually Englishmen living in Samoa, enlisted in the British Forces.

Various organizations were set up to raise money for the welfare of the troops, by holding bazaars and other entertainments. Money was raised for the Belgian Relief Fund, the Hospital Ship Fund, the Wounded Soldiers’ Fund, the Samoa Soldiers’ Benefit Fund, the Wounded Aviators’ Fund, the Apia Women’s Patriotic Fund and the Red Cross by various fund-raising efforts. Two beds at Netley Hospital were financed by the Apia Women’s Patriotic Fund. In 1918 the Samoa Times estimated that a total of at least £4000 had been raised in Samoa for the various funds. This is the equivalent of approximately £160, 000 in 2013.

Copyright to C.Liava'a.  

All photographs published with 

permission of owners