Ka cika wannan jumla: A shekara ta 1909, gwamnatin New Zealand ta yanke shawarar tallafa wa sayen jirgin ruwa na Royal Navy, wanda ya ga aikin a duk lokacin Yaƙin Duniya na I a Turai. Rashin wucewar Dokar Tsaro na Naval 1913 ya kirkiro Sojojin Ruwa na New Zealand, har yanzu a matsayin wani ɓangare na Royal Navy. Na farko da gwamnatin New Zealand ta saya don Sojojin Ruwa na New Zealand shi ne jirgin ruwa, wanda ya jagoranci sojojin New Zealand zuwa
mamaye mulkin mallaka na Jamus na Samoa a shekara ta 1914. "Philomel" ya ga ƙarin aiki a ƙarƙashin umurnin Royal Navy a cikin Bahar Rum, Bahar Maliya, da kuma Gulf Persian. A shekara ta 1917, an yi amfani da shi kuma an aika da shi zuwa New Zealand inda ya yi aiki a matsayin jirgin ruwa a Wellington Harbour don minesweepers. A 1921 an canja shi zuwa Auckland don amfani da shi a matsayin jirgin horo.