War Memorial Atiu

War memorial commemorating the men of Atiu Island in the Cook Islands who served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) during the First World War.

The Cook Islands offered men for the NZEF as soon as news of war reached the Pacific. At first the offers were not accepted. New Zealand had pushed for the inclusion of a Māori Contingent and by the time this was accepted by the British authorities, there were sufficient volunteers in New Zealand to fill the ranks.

It was only when the ranks of the Māori Contingent were seriously depleted during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915 and recruitment in New Zealand became more difficult that the government looked to Niue and the Cook Islands for reinforcements. Māui Pōmare, the Member of Parliament for Western Māori and Minister Responsible for the Cook and Other Islands, took personal responsibility for this recruiting.

Pōmare sailed to Niue and returned to Auckland in October with 150 men. They joined 45 men from the Cook Islands who had sailed to Wellington and paraded at Parliament. These groups trained at Narrow Neck camp as part of the 3rd Māori Reinforcements until February 1916, when they embarked for Suez.

On arrival in Egypt the Pacific Islanders went into training at the New Zealand Base camp at Ismailia. They became part of the newly formed New Zealand Pioneer Battalion (renamed the New Zealand Maori (Pioneer) Battalion in September 1917). This was an infantry unit trained to carry out all the labouring duties required by the army.

In April 1916, the New Zealand troops were sent across the Mediterranean to a sector of the Western Front in northern France. Concerns had been expressed about sending Pacific Islanders to a cold climate, but the commander of the NZEF, General Godley, felt that with the onset of spring the weather would be warm enough. The Niueans and Cook Islanders were included in the transfer.

Spring in France in 1916 was particularly cold. On the bleak northern plains the men began training again. Route marching, bayonet fighting practice and gas mask drills were the order of the day, to the accompaniment of rumbles from the front line.

In May the Pioneer Battalion moved into the combat zone. Now much of the work had to be carried out at night. Trench digging was physically demanding and they were exposed to German artillery fire while doing so, which made it dangerous as well.

The main difficulty, however, was illness. By late May, 82% of the Niueans had been hospitalised. They were withdrawn from the Western Front and sent to England, then returned to New Zealand. The smaller group of Cook Islanders, who were also suffering from illness, were retained in the Pioneer Battalion. They remained in France until early 1918, when those still fit were sent to Palestine to join the Rarotongan Company.

While more men were accepted from the Cook Islands, no further contingents were sent to France. These men saw service in Sinai and Palestine as the Rarotongan Company.

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Source

• Text: Martin Damen
• Photos: Martin Damen