39 headstones return to Niue to honour its First World War servicemen

Thirty-nine memorial headstones have been delivered to Niue by a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J-30 Hercules to mark the latest step in a project to honour Niuean men who served in the First World War.

The headstones were handed over to the government of Niue and the Niue Returned Services Association (RSA) at a ceremony last week.

They will be placed in villages around Niue to create places where families, communities and visitors can remember the men who left the island more than a century ago to serve with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

For Niue, the scale of that contribution was significant. About 150 Niuean men volunteered during the First World War, around four per cent of the island’s population at the time.

Alexander Brunt, head of Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand, says their sacrifice was immense.

He said the men faced hardship far from home including illnesses and conditions they had never experienced in Niue, and some died during their service.

Local Niuean men perform a traditional dance during the ceremony marking the arrival of the memorial headstones. Photo/NZDF

Former Veterans Minister Chris Penk has previously said more needs to be done to keep the contribution of Pacific servicemen and their families visible.

“Their sacrifice is etched into our shared history," he told William Terite on Pacific Mornings.

"Our relationship with Niue is anchored in this legacy of service and continues today through the dedication of Niueans in the New Zealand Defence Force.”

Watch Chris Penk's full interview below.

Penk has also warned that the passage of time can make that history easier to forget.

“But the further we travel from the First and Second World Wars, the danger is that we lose the memory of what was sacrificed, not just by those who went overseas, but also by the families left behind.”

Former Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni has also spoken about the lack of awareness around Pacific military service.

“It is only in recent years that many of our community have learnt, or it has been taught, that our Pasifika community were engaged in World War One and World War Two in any way whatsoever," she told Terite.

“We hope that these memorials will help the descendants of your veterans preserve the special places where they honour and remember the loved ones they lost, their courage, service and sacrifice,” Brunt said in a media release.

Watch Carmel Sepuloni's full interview below.

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) was represented at the handover by Wing Commander Adam O’Rourke, who said it was a privilege to accompany the delivery and honour the legacy of the Niuean volunteers.

“Their service forged an enduring bond between Niue and New Zealand, carried forward by the Niuean coastwatchers of the Second World War,” he said.

For O’Rourke, that connection continues today, with Niuean New Zealanders serving in the NZDF and the two countries maintaining a defence relationship in a changing Pacific.

“This partnership between our countries is reflected to this day. Kiwis of Niuean heritage continue to serve in the NZDF and our defence relationship continues to evolve to meet the needs of a changing Pacific,” he said.

The project has brought together Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand, the NZDF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) with the government of Niue and the Niue RSA.

Military and government officials join community members at the ceremony to mark the return of the memorial headstones to Niue. Photo/NZDF

The New Zealand High Commission will support the installation of the headstones in villages across Niue.

The return of the memorials means the names and service of those who left Niue for the First World War can now be remembered in the communities they came from.

For descendants and families, the headstones will provide a permanent place to honour a generation whose contribution was felt across the island long after the war ended.