Following the outbreak of the Great War on August 4th, 1914, Australia and New Zealand sent troops to several Pacific islands then under the control of the German Empire, a source of concern for several years. Their first goal was to secure Samoa, and after doing so, took control of New Pomerania to the east of New Guinea.

After New Pomerania had been brought under British control, the ANZAC troops went on to secure Kaiser-Wilhelmsland on northeast New Guinea, and also ensured the safety of the Solomon Islands. Although resistance was relatively light, the operation had required tremendous speed and thousands of miles of travel by sea, and drew unstinting praise from historian John Buchan.

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