Samoan military units/uniforms WW2?

Hello,

does anyone know if Samoa (the New Zealand mandate) had any military forces 1930s - WW2 ?

Ken.

No domestic military force - just civilian police. Shortly after WWI (when New Zealand seized Samoa from the German Empire) a "military police" force (i.e. armed gendarmerie) was raised in New Zealand for service in Samoa. This earned itself a bad reputation when members fired on a peaceful demonstration in Apia killing a number of Samoans. I think the force was subsequently disbanded.

Thanks for replying,

Ken.

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Attached is a photograph of New Zealand military police in Apia in 1930, shortly after the "Black Sunday" shooting incident referred to above. The white uniforms shown are dress ones - photos of this colonial force on duty show them in khaki with either the wide brimmed "lemon squeezer" hats of the New Zealand Army or the white sun helmets being held by several MPs in the photograph. Note two Samoan constables in lava-lavas and officers at front with open collars.