Niue 2015-10-13

The south-pacific island of Niue will issue a mini-sheet of eight stamps marking the island’s gallant contribution of joining New Zealand’s Expeditionary Forces in World War I.  As presented on the New Zealand Post web site, “Although Niue’s population was small, they volunteered for service for the First World War in the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces as soon as word of the war reached their shores in September 1914. Initially New Zealand rejected their offer, but it was reconsidered when the numbers of the Māori Contingent were severely affected during the Gallipoli campaign. In October 1915 150 men left Niue for Auckland, where they trained at Narrow Neck Camp before departing for the Western Front.  Sadly, despite the best of intentions, the Niuean contribution encountered many difficulties, including struggling with the standard issue footwear, the cold climate and a lack of immunity to European diseases. By the end of May 1916, 80 per cent of the men had been hospitalised, and so they were withdrawn from the Western Front and transferred to the New Zealand convalescent hospital in Hornchurch, England. They returned to Auckland for further medical care before being sent home by late 1916. Even with all the hardships they faced, the Niuean’s still volunteered for duty once more, but the offer was declined.” The mini-sheet of two columns of four stamps depicts various time-line events and places during the Niuean deployment with the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces.  One stamp, the  $1.20 denomination features a map of northern Egypt where the Niueans were stationed in February 2016 as part of the New Zealand Pioneer Battalion where they engaged in engineering support.