World War ITimeline

1916

1916
26 May

Enlisted at the age of 37

2nd Reinforcements

Trained

Narrow Neck, Auckland
1916
26 June

Transfer to England

HMNZT 56 Maunganui
1916
22 August

Marched in to NZ Sling Camp, Bulford

1916
2 September

Embarked for France

1916
4 September

Marched in to NZ Base Depot, Etaples

1916
3 November

Joined 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

1917

1917
1 April

Admitted to hospital in England with debility while on leave

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
9 May

Awarded 28 days detention for stealing money of a comrade

1917
26 August

Marched in to NZ Depot, Christchurch

1917
14 November

Classified unfit for active service

1917
28 December

Marched in to NZ Depot, Torquay

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
1 February

Transfer to New Zealand

Troopship Willochra
1918
13 April

End of Service

Demobilization

How to cite this page

Anthony Byledbal, “World War I Timeline of Joseph Frederick Clarke“, New Zealand Tunnellers Website, 2025 (2009), Accessed: 16 December 2025. URL: www.nztunnellers.com/tunnellers/129/wwi-timeline