World War ITimeline

1916

4 September

Enlisted at the age of 40

3rd Reinforcements

1916

4 October

Trained

Narrow Neck, Auckland

1916

29 October

Promoted Sergeant

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

1917

29 January

Marched in to NZ Depot, Boscombe

1917

30 January

Reverted to temporary Corporal

1917

2 March

Embarked for France

1917

4 March

Marched in to NZ Base Depot, Etaples

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

13 April

Joined the Company

Reverted to Sapper

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

24 August

Admitted to hospital with pleurisy

1917

17 September

Rejoined the Company

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

7 January

Killed in action (Monchy Sector)Killed by shell fire

Buried

Faubourg d'Amiens Cemetery, Arras

Grave reference

VII A 26

How to cite this page

Anthony Byledbal, “World War I Timeline of James William Slaughter“, New Zealand Tunnellers Website, NaN (2009), Accessed: . URL: www.nztunnellers.com/tunnellers/775/wwi-timeline