World War ITimeline

1915

1915
5 October

Enlisted at the age of 39

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
24 August

Granted leave

1916
1 September

Rejoined the Company

1916
25 September

Admitted to hospital

1916
5 October

Rejoined the Company

1916
11 November

Forfeited 1 day pay for being out of bounds

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
7 May

Admitted to hospital in England with bronchitis while on leave

1917
4 June

Marched in to NZ Depot, Christchurch

1917
18 June

Forfeited 2 days pay under Royal Warrant for absence without leave

1917
8 November

Granted leave

1917
14 November

Classified unfit for active service on account of debility following bronchitis

1917
19 November

Admitted to hospital with venereal disease

1917
12 December

Marched in to NZ Depot, Codford

1917
18 December

Admitted to hospital with venereal disease

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
15 January

Marched in to NZ Depot, Torquay

1918
1 February

Transfer to New Zealand

Troopship Tahiti
1918
6 April

Granted leave

1918
26 April

End of Service

Demobilization

How to cite this page

Anthony Byledbal, “World War I Timeline of William Irvine“, New Zealand Tunnellers Website, NaN (2009), Accessed: . URL: www.nztunnellers.com/tunnellers/408/wwi-timeline