World War ITimeline

1915

1915
9 October

Enlisted at the age of 27

Main Body
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
31 July

Detached to Mine School

1916
6 August

Rejoined the Company

1916
6 September

Granted leave

1916
15 September

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

1917

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
8 June

Admitted to hospital with ulcer

1917
18 June

Marched in to NZ Base Depot, Etaples

1917
23 June

Admitted to hospital with corneal ulcer

1917
26 June

Embarked for England

Admitted to hospital

1917
13 August

Granted leave

1917
15 August

Classified unfit for active service

1917
3 September

Admitted to hospital with keratoconus

1917
24 December

Transfer to New Zealand

Hospital Ship Maheno

1918

1918
2 March

End of Service

Demobilization

How to cite this page

Anthony Byledbal, “World War I Timeline of Robert Donnelly“, New Zealand Tunnellers Website, NaN (2009), Accessed: . URL: www.nztunnellers.com/tunnellers/211/wwi-timeline