Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - "Philomel" ya kasance a kan wani ɗan gajeren shakedown tafiya zuwa Picton a kan 30 Yuli 1914, kafin shan a kan ta farko da kari na New Zealand cadets, a lõkacin da aka kira shi zuwa Wellington Harbour a jira na fashewar yaki. Yawancin ma'aikata daga Royal Navy, an kawo masu sa kai a cikin jirgin don kawo jirgin zuwa cikakken ƙarfi kuma bayan da aka ba da kayayyaki, sai ta tashi zuwa Auckland don jiran ƙarin umarni. A ranar 15 ga watan Agusta 1914 ta kasance wani ɓangare na rakiyar teku don sojojin New Zealand waɗanda aka aika don mamaye
Samoa ta Jamus (yanzu Samoa). Ba zai yiwu ba a ba da izinin ba da tsayayya ga jiragen ruwa na Jamus da aka sani a yankin. Abin farin ciki, ba a haɗu da jiragen ruwa na Jamus ba. Daga nan sai "Philomel" ya tashi zuwa Masarautar Tonga don isar da labarai game da tashin hankali tare da Daular Jamus kafin ya koma New Zealand.