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The AN&MEF began forming following a request by the British government on 6 August, 1914. The objectives of the force were the German stations at Yap in the Caroline Islands, NauruThis article is a text about the Oceanian country of Nauru . For other meanings, see Nauru (disambiguation Nauru is an island republic in the South Pacific Ocean, formerly known as Pleasant Island . It is the world's smallest independent republic both in and at RabaulRabaul was the capital of East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea until 1994. It was built within the caldera of a large volcano, and was always vulnerable to an eruption. In 1994, a particularly large eruption took place. Two of the vents on the rim, New BritainThis article is about the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea. For other uses of the name, see New Britain (disambiguation). New Britain is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. Its principal city is Rabaul. For Adminis. The AN&MEF was assembled under the guidance of ColonelColonel ( Ger: Oberst is a military rank, usually the highest below general grades, and just above Lieutenant Colonel. The word is pronounced similarly to "kernel". In the US military, a colonel in the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps is equivalent to a c J.G. Legge , and was separate from the Australian Imperial Force forming under Major-General W.T. BridgesMajor General Sir William Throsby Bridges ( February 18 1861- May 18 1915) served with Australian forces during World War I, and was the first Australian to reach the rank of General. He was also the first Australian general to be killed during the war, a. The AN&MEF comprised one battalionIn military terminology, a battalion consists of two to six companies typically commanded by a lieutenant colonel. The nomenclature varies by nationality and by branch of arms, e. some armies organize their infantry into battalions, but call battalion-siz of infantry (1,000 men) enlisted in Sydney plus 500 naval reservists and ex-sailors who would serve as infantry. Another battalion of militia from northern Queensland, which had been hurriedly dispatched to garrison Thursday Island, also contributed 500 volunteers to the force.
Under the command of Colonel William Holmes, the AN&MEF departed Sydney aboard the P&O liner Berrima and halted at Palm Island off Townsville until the New Zealand force, escorted by the battlecruiser HMAS Australia, cruiser HMAS Melbourne and the French cruiser Montcalm, occupied Samoa on 30 August. The AN&MEF then moved to Port Moresby where it met the Queensland contingent aboard the transport Kanowna. The force then sailed for German New Guinea on 7 September but the Kanowna was left behind when her stokers refused to work.