World War ITimeline

1915

1915
6 October

Enlisted at the age of 33

1st Reinforcements
1915
11 October

Trained

Avondale, Auckland
1915
18 December

Transfer to England

Steamship Ruapehu

1916

1916
3 February

Marched in to the Company Training Camp, Falmouth

1916
9 March

Embarked for France

1916
16 March
Three officers of the New Zealand Tunnelling Company seated and posing in a trench during World War I, wearing military uniforms and helmet.

The Company joined the underground warfare in the North of France

1916
12 August

Promoted Corporal

1916
4 October

Granted leave to France

1916
13 October

Rejoined the Company

1916
30 October

Admitted to hospital

1916
4 November

Rejoined the Company

1916
16 November
Two New Zealand Tunnellers working underground during World War I; one man shovels rubble while the other digs into the chalk tunnel wall.

The Company began the operations to connect old underground quarries in Arras in order to accommodate thousands of soldiers for an upcoming battle

1916
23 December

Appointed temporary Sergeant

1917

1917
27 March

Promoted Sergeant

1917
9 April

British Offensive

Battle of Arras
Soldiers marching along a road carrying shovels, heading toward a section of the road that requires repair during World War I.

The Company was employed to rebuild a major road leading to the Front during the battle

1917
5 May
A group of New Zealand Tunnellers posing inside their billet in an underground quarry near the front line; four of them are playing cards while others look on.

The Company moved to Monchy, ten kilometres east of Arras, to work on the fortification of the new front line

1917
26 June

Detached to Rest Camp

1917
9 October

Rejoined the Company

1917
20 December

Gassed

Admitted to hospital

1918

1918
1 January
Overview of the sawmill built and operated by the New Zealand Tunnellers, located alongside a railway line, with stacks of timber and workers visible.

The Company was still carrying out the digging of underground premises and defences on the Front near Arras

1918
2 January

Rejoined the Company

1918
21 January

Embarked for England on duty furlough

1918
25 January

Marched in to NZ Depot, Torquay

1918
14 March

Transfer to New Zealand

Troopship Remuera
1918
27 June

End of Service

Demobilization

How to cite this page

Anthony Byledbal, “World War I Timeline of William Reuben Capill“, New Zealand Tunnellers Website, NaN (2009), Accessed: . URL: www.nztunnellers.com/tunnellers/106/wwi-timeline