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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 shattered 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. 

Trade unions - a group of workers who come together to fight for better working conditions (E.g. cleaner places, better pay, better hours). 

Waihi - a place in NZ - north island - where they had a big mine.

Miners - people who worked in mines

Labourers - people who had labour intensive jobs (E.g. builders, carpenters, road workers)

Ruins - a building that

Civilians - normal people, not soldiers

Evacuate - to leave

Occupied - stayed in 

Labyrinth - a type of maze

Mariah:Some group of soldiers had one job it was to make many tanall and fams too. In December 1915, after basic military training in Auckland, more than four hundred men as part of the NZ Tunnelling company left for the Western Front.Their job was to build tunnels near the French town of Arras.

Wesley: Nearly all the men volunteered to invade the Western front. All of the civilians were evacuated before NZ got to the Western front. The NZ tunneling crew arrived at the Northern french town in Arras in the freezing winter of March 1916. They had to dig tunnels underground for their job. They were to dig under the enemy and explode them.

Michael: all of the men who volunteered for the NZ Tunnelling company were mostly miners from towns like Waiho or Reefton or they were bushmen. In december 1915 basic military training in Auckland, more than four hundred men left for the western Front. A group of the military's job was to  build tunnels underground. They had to dig  under the enemy so they could throw bombs and EXPLODE the enemies. The NewZealanders were sent to replace french tunnelers who were digging beneath a network of trenches named a type of maze.

Davlyn: In 1915 the men that volunteered had to dig tunnels under the enemy's trenches, and in some of the tunnels had explosives but they had to dig really deep. The men had to be good at their job, so if you got someone that did not know how to mine they, they will probably die but if you get a person that new how to mine they will not die and make better tunnels. 

Hope: There were Men who volunteered for the New Zealand tunnelling company and they were mostly miners from towns like Waihi and Reefton. In December 1915 after basic training in Auckland more than four hundred men left for the western front. Several smaller groups of men followed after as reinforcements. They had to dig under the enemy so they could throw bombs 

 Eh htoo: In 1915 man who volunteered for the New Zealand Tunnelling were mainly miners from  Waihɒ or Reefton or just bushman the men who worked there they had to be rough, tough men and looking out for their mates.    

Railey- During WW1, 1914, the mens that volunteered for the NZ tunneling company, were put to dig underground  to go to the enemy trench. But the mens that were picked were mostly Farmers and miners that were  mainly from Waiho or Reefton.

NZ tunnelling company

Extra resources: 

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/specialist-units/tunnelling-company

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/tunnellers-mining-road

https://ww100.govt.nz/what-new-zealanders-left-behind-in-arras-france

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 

What are “counter-mining operations”? 

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.