“The following morning—Sunday, 30th August—the flag was formally hoisted on the Court House, and the occupation proclaimed by Colonel Logan at the head of his troops, and in the presence of the Naval officers and many of the European and native inhabitants, while the "Psyche" boomed a salute from the Bay. The Occupation was complete.” [Excerpt From: Stephen John Smith. “The Samoa (N.Z.) Expeditionary Force 1914–1915.”]

“An hour passed with nothing being heard from the landing party [delivering a summons to the German Governor to surrender]. After another half-hour's suspense the white flag was lowered from the "Psyche." The small cruisers moved closer in and simultaneously the transports moved seaward. The troops —in breathless expectation—waited every moment to see hostilities opened. But almost immediately the signal flags again fluttered and like wildfire the news ran through the Fleet that no resistance would be offered to the landing party.

The Samoa Advance Party had already marched through Wellington from Buckle Street to the awaiting troopships, Moeraki and Monowai, on 12 August and embarked and, apparently, set sail for Samoa at 7 pm that evening. “But the troopers pulled out into the stream and dropped anchor in the lee of Soames Island, for the Admiralty Sailing Orders had not yet arrived.”

“Training was being carried out in long distance route marches, the weight of packs being increased to at least 70 pounds in order to bring the Force up to the state of fitness required for a campaign in the rough and mountainous country of the Gallipoli Peninsula—the scene of the coming struggle. The final preparations of organisation and equipment were now effected, and on Friday, April 9th, entraining for Alexandria commenced.

“On the evening of September 24th the Otago and Canterbury transports arrived in Wellington Harbour; by the morning of September 25th, under escort of H.M.S. Psyche, they were ready to join the Auckland and Wellington transports, which had already put to sea.

"The New Zealand Expeditionary Force had now reached the end of its long journey by sea. Orders for disembarkation were issued, the transports disgorged their freights of men and horses, and on the evening of December 3rd the first troop train left Alexandria for Zeitoun station, about four miles beyond Cairo. Distant about a mile and a-half from the detraining point, and on the edge of the sun-smitten desert, was the site of the camp selected for the New Zealand troops."  [Byrne, AE, “Official History of the Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F. in the Great War 1914-1918”,  J.

“On October 14th H.M.S. Minotaur and H.I.J.M.S. Ibuki arrived in Wellington Harbour, and on the following day the Auckland transports, escorted by H.M.S. Philomel, arrived at Wellington. At 6 a.m. on October 16th the whole convoy, escorted by Minotaur, Psyche, Philomel and Ibuki, weighed anchor and proceeded out of Wellington Harbour to sea, cheered by large numbers of the people of Wellington and farewelled by His Excellency the Governor, the Military Headquarters Staff and Ministers of the Cabinet.

"Robert Hislop, the Territorial who fell through, the Parnell railway bridge on Thursday night last, fracturing both his thighs, died in the hospital today. The death of Private Robert Hislop, a member of the New Zealand Railway Engineers Corps, is the first serious casualty that has befallen the mobilisation of the Territorials. Deceased, who was a member of the first company of the local railway corps formed here, was on guard duty at the Parnell railway bridge in Auckland, and had only recently been transferred to the northern city from Darfield.

"A lookout had been established on the summit of the wireless mast, where some 400 feet above his less fortunate fellows, and away from the mosquitoes and flies, the centipedes and ants, he swung his improvised hammock and watched. From this point in the early hours of 14th September, lights of two ships were reported, and daylight disclosed two large war vessels making for the port. The Signallers at the Pilot Station soon identified them as the long-expected "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau. ...

"I could hardly struggle ashore and when I did the first thing I saw was Beck sitting on a stone, roaring with laughter at us. Billy Beck was the first New Zealander to get on to Gallipoli.”

[Fenwick p8] [It is thought that Lieutenant-Colonel Edmund Robert Bowler was the first New Zealander to land at Anzac Cove in Gallipoli, having landed with the Australians at 4.30 am]