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Chapter I.
Britain's Call To Her Youngest Dominion.

The blow had fallen and the worst fears were realised! What one short month before was undreamed of and unthinkable in our happy and prosperous country had actually come to pass and we were at death's grips with Germany, with her enormous resources, her mighty army and vaunted navy.

Some who heard the announcement cheered, but many of the assemblage of Wellington's citizens who heard those ominous words, spoken by the Earl of Liverpool, on that eventful 5th August, 1914, had a very real premonition of the tortures of mind to be endured and the terrible losses to be sustained during the struggle that had been forced upon us.

Within an hour of that memorable gathering Parliament had reassembled and unanimously and in silence passed a resolution approving the steps already taken by the New Zealand Government in offering an Expeditionary Force to the Mother Country.

Without delay, the same evening, a call was issued from Defence Headquarters, Wellington, for volunteers for home defence, and, possibly, for service abroad, and spontaneously from all parts of the Dominion came pouring in offers of assistance in men and material.

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But the question of an Expeditionary Force was not long left in doubt. On 7th a secret cabled despatch was received by the Governor General, which read:—

"If your ministers desire and feel themselves able to seize German wireless station at Samoa we should feel that this was a great and urgent Imperial service. You will realise, however, that any territory now occupied must at the conclusion of the war be at the disposal of the Imperial Government.…"

A Cabinet meeting was immediately called. The offer was as promptly accepted. As to its destination the utmost secrecy was observed, but that night instructions issued to Defence Headquarters to mobilise a composite force to consist of headquarters, one battery of field artillery, one section field company N.Z. Engineers, three companies infantry (5th Wellington and 3rd Auckland Regiments) and machine guns, one company N.Z. Railway Engineers, details from the Royal Naval Reserve, a signalling company, motor boat mechanics, details from the Post and Telegraph Company, Army Service Corps, one section N.Z. Field Ambulance, nurses and chaplains—a total of 1363 officers, nurses and men.