armistice

The Cook Islands

Wireless station in Rarotonga

News of the Armistice in Europe in November 1918 came swiftly to Rarotonga via its new wireless station.

It is hard to imagine what New Zealand must have been like in 1918. The First World War was finally over, leaving more than 18,000 New Zealanders dead and tens of thousands more seriously wounded – over 5300 soldiers died in 1918 alone. Between October and December another 8600 people (including 2160 Maori) died during the influenza pandemic.

Armistice Day announcement in the Grey River Argus, 13 November 1918. The article describes the celebrations in Greymouth the previous day:

'The end of German sausage': Gore railway workers celebrated Armistice Day in November 1918 by decorating the little locomotive F 78 and wagon with cabbage trees and other greenery, imitation sausages and a blunt chalked message, 'To Hell with the Kaiser'.

Armistice Day parade in Masterton, probably 12 November 1918.

Local businessman Charles Edward Daniell described the day in his diary:

Town agitated in expectation of news re signing of Armistice by Germany at 9-10 news arrived. all work stopped – Bunting flew up like magic – noises various processions rejoicing handshakes a thanksgiving service in park well attended  –well conducted  –day given over to jollity

Armistice Day parade in Levin, 13 November 1918. Shows Rere Nicholson leading a Maori group in the front, followed by the Levin Brass Band and uniformed soldiers.

See more images of this parade on the Kete Horowhenua website.

An army band leads New Zealand troops marching through a city after the Armistice – probably Verviers in Belgium where they were welcomed on 19 December 1918. These troops were en route to Germany having left from Beauvois, France, on 28 November. On 20 December, the first New Zealand formation, the 2nd Brigade, crossed the Rhine River into Cologne as part of the Allied Army of Occupation.

Crowd gathered in Cathedral Square, Christchurch after the Armistice procession on 12 November 1918.

As the second wave of the influenza pandemic spread throughout the country many New Zealanders found a reason to celebrate: an Armistice had been signed between the Allies and Germany on 11 November.