THE TUNNELLERS FROM NEW ZEALAND
The men who volunteered for the New Zealand Tunnelling Company were mostly
miners from towns like Waihi or Reefton – or they were bushmen and labourers. They were
rough, tough men, used to working in dangerous situations and looking out for their mates.
Many belonged to trade unions and didn’t take kindly to authority, but they soon learned to
march, salute, and take orders. In December 1915, after basic military training in Auckland,
more than four hundred men left for the Western Front. Several smaller groups of tunnellers
followed later as reinforcements. The Tunnelling Company arrived in the northern French town
of Arras in the freezing winter of March 1916. Arras had once been beautiful – but by 1916, it
was in ruins. Most of the civilians had been evacuated, and British troops occupied the s
hattered buildings. Every day, German artillery Ɠ red shells into the town. Other tunnelling
companies were already based near Arras, and each one was in charge of a certain area. The
New Zealanders were sent to replace French tunnellers who were digging beneath a network
of trenches named the Labyrinth. It was here – just north of Arras – that the New Zealanders
joined the war underground.
miners from towns like Waihi or Reefton – or they were bushmen and labourers. They were
rough, tough men, used to working in dangerous situations and looking out for their mates.
Many belonged to trade unions and didn’t take kindly to authority, but they soon learned to
march, salute, and take orders. In December 1915, after basic military training in Auckland,
more than four hundred men left for the Western Front. Several smaller groups of tunnellers
followed later as reinforcements. The Tunnelling Company arrived in the northern French town
of Arras in the freezing winter of March 1916. Arras had once been beautiful – but by 1916, it
was in ruins. Most of the civilians had been evacuated, and British troops occupied the s
hattered buildings. Every day, German artillery Ɠ red shells into the town. Other tunnelling
companies were already based near Arras, and each one was in charge of a certain area. The
New Zealanders were sent to replace French tunnellers who were digging beneath a network
of trenches named the Labyrinth. It was here – just north of Arras – that the New Zealanders
joined the war underground.
NZ tunnelling company
Extra resources:
Who was the Tunnelling Company?
- People that dig underground to build or explode the enemy trench.
What were their jobs before the war?
- Bushmen
- Labours
- Famers
- Miner
What were the two things they did during WW1?
- Underground caverns to hide soldiers or equipment
- To make a small tunnel to put explosives near the enemy
- After the tunnels weren’t useful anymore, these soldiers also built bridges to help out Allied soldiers.
Where were the men mostly from? Find these places on a map of NZ and draw arrows towards them.
- from towns like Waihi or Reefton
Counter mining is when a country explodes the other trench or tunnel.
Where did the names for the different parts of the tunnels come from?
Named after different cities in NZ - E.g. Christchurch, Auckland.
Why was it important that the men in the tunnelling company knew what they were doing? Why did they need to be experts?
So nothing worse can happen like, rocks falling. and they have to be experts so they know what they're doing.
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