AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Tonga's War Memorial is a cenotaph honoring the small Pacific kingdom's servicemen who fought and died in both World Wars. Commissioned by Queen Sālote in 1923, it commemorates 53 soldiers from World War I and seven from World War II, reflecting Tonga's remarkable contribution from a nation of fewer than 100,000 people.↗
The memorial has a turbulent modern history: it was demolished in 2015 during construction of St. George's Palace at Pangai Si'i, sparking national outrage and a legal controversy over heritage protection. A rebuilt cenotaph — now featuring a solitary soldier figure — stands near the seafront at the Mala'e Pangai grounds, facing the National Flag post.↗↗
A Pacific Kingdom's Wartime Sacrifice
When the First World War engulfed Europe, Tonga — then a British protectorate — rallied to the cause. Despite having only a disbanded King's Guard as its military force, 56 men from the islands volunteered for service, mostly enlisting in New Zealand's Expeditionary Force under the Native Contingent or Pioneer Battalion. Of the broader group of 91 men born or living in Tonga who served, thirteen lost their lives to disease and combat, including Sione Taliauli, a medical student at Auckland University who died serving on a hospital ship in Palestine.