[Anniversaries August 29th - New Zealand troops landed in Samoa, 1914].

Jim Sullivan: On the 29th August 1914 New Zealand troops landed in Samoa.

Unidentified male speaker one: The troops had been roused before dawn in preparation for landing. Nerves were somewhat on edge as there was a possibility that the island was garrisoned and strong resistance from shore would have made the approach to the beach in the ship's open life boats very uncomfortable. As it turned out there was no opposition and the expedition was soon ashore and in control of the territory which up to then had been held by Germany.

Unidentified male speaker two: We were stationed at Malifa Camp and on one, our time-off we could find out way up to the radio station. Well, I went up there and decided that I would like to climb to the top of it. It would be one mast up at least 400 feet high and there was only this, the base of it was resting on glass rondles, I should say about a foot in diameter only held by guy ropes out up to three or 400 yards out. Well I climbed up the mast, up through a ladder, up the centre and there were rings which you could lean back on when you were tired. Every hundred feet, about every hundred feet, there was a landing which you could get out on, and when you got to the top, it was straight up. There was one of our men, the Auckland Regiment, who on lookout there slept up there on ground sheets tied from side to side.

Jim Sullivan: New Zealand troops occupied the German colony of Samoa, August 1914