World War ITimeline

1916

2 August

Enlisted at the age of 26

3rd Reinforcements

1916

4 October

Trained

Narrow Neck, Auckland

1916

15 November

Transfer to England

HMNZT 69 Tahiti

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

28 December

Awarded 10 days detention

1917

29 January

Marched in to NZ Depot, Boscombe

1917

30 January

Admitted to hospital with venereal disease

1917

2 March

Marched in to NZ Depot, Boscombe

1917

8 March

Admitted to hospital with bronchitis

1917

23 March

Marched in to NZ Depot, Boscombe

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

14 April

Awarded 7 days detention for slovenly conduct, drunkenness and using obscene language

1917

27 April

Awarded 28 days detention for not saluting an officer and disobeying an order

Admitted to hospital with venereal disease

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

20 May

Marched in to NZ Depot, Codford

1917

7 June

Marched in to NZ Depot, Christchurch

1917

11 June

Awarded 14 days confinement to barracks and forfeited 1 day pay for breaking out of camp, absence without leave and breaking into camp

1917

20 June

Embarked for France

1917

23 June

Marched in to NZ Base Depot, Etaples

1917

25 June

Admitted to hospital with venereal disease

1917

7 July

Marched in to NZ Base Depot, Etaples

1917

31 July

Joined the Company

1917

31 August

Admitted to hospital with tuberculosis

1917

11 September

Embarked for England

Admitted to hospital

1917

8 December

Marched in to NZ Depot, Boscombe

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

16 January

Admitted to hospital with venereal disease

1918

21 March

German Attacks

Spring Offensive

Two soldiers standing outside the entrance of a shaft in a desolate area of the front line, surrounded by barren ground and war-damaged terrain.

The Company was engaged in the defence of Arras by digging new trenches and dug-outs under constant enemy shellfire

1918

17 April

Marched in to NZ Depot, Christchurch

1918

11 May

Admitted to hospital with corneal rupture

1918

24 May

Marched in to NZ Depot, Christchurch

1918

22 June

Admitted to hospital with jaundice

1918

7 August

Transfer to New Zealand

Hospital Ship Marama

1918

31 December

End of Service

Demobilization

How to cite this page

Anthony Byledbal, “World War I Timeline of George Bartlett“, New Zealand Tunnellers Website, NaN (2009), Accessed: . URL: www.nztunnellers.com/tunnellers/34/wwi-timeline