Remembering Cook Island Soldiers
It is not known if there were any Cook Islanders among the British, Australian and NZ soldiers who landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 or who came as part of reinforcements during the eight month campaign. If there were any Cook Islanders at Gallipoli, they would most likely have joined from NZ. 11,600 New Zealanders served on Gallipoli. Of those, 2,721 died and 4,752 were wounded.
What is known is that altogether 500 Cook Islanders enlisted to serve during the First World War 1914-1918. That figure represented 5.8% of the population. Some 300 Soldiers saw active service. About half this number were from the outer islands although NZ lumped them all together as “Rarotongans.” Five Contingents set sail from Rarotonga, the First Contingent consisting of 47 men, departed in September 1915 and after training in NZ and spending a month in Egypt, were posted to the western front. Of the 47 men, eight died of sickness, one died of his wounds and one was killed in action. He was Corporal Apu Tepuretu, son of a Tupapa Mataiapo.
Over 100 volunteers from Niue were sent to France by mistake. They were supposed to go to Egypt. They found the summer conditions intolerable and were invalided home.
The Cook Islanders struggled on and during the third battle of Ypres in October 1917, Private John Tuaine Apa of Aitutaki was decorated with the Military Medal. On 14 January 1918, the First Contingent left for Egypt.
A Second Contingent of 111 men sailed from Rarotonga in July 1916 for NZ, destined for the Western Front. However they were diverted to Egypt to avoid the harsh French winter. For his gallantry in action in August 1917, 24 year old Sergeant George Karika received the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
A Third Contingent of 157 men sailed in February 1918. The Cook Islanders served with distinction in the Middle East war zone, first in Egyptian base camps and then in action against the Turks in Sinai and Palestine. Their reputation for disciplined behaviour was established by the First Contingent before it left Egypt for the Western Front.
Although a Fourth Contingent of 93 men sailed from Rarotonga on 13 June 1918 for training in NZ and a Fifth Contingent left Rarotonga on 29 October 1918, neither saw service overseas as the Germans surrendered on 11 November 1918.
For the Cook Island Soldiers at wars end, there had been a heavy, hidden cost in lives. Details however remain scattered and sparse and available figures understate deaths from sickness. The names of Cook Islanders who died in France were lumped in with NZ Maori dead. Only eleven Cook Islanders are listed separately as having died of disease in Palestine. In the Third and Fourth Contingents 15 died on entering camp and 28 men were returned to Rarotonga as unfit before their Contingents left NZ. No count has been made of those who died after being invalided home from overseas service.
It’s possible the Cook Islands may have lost up to 150 men as a result of the Great War. Much research is still to be done.
Special acknowledgement: The data and information for this article has been sourced from the Dick Scott publication “Years of the Pooh-Bar.”
- Charles Pitt

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