World War ITimeline

1915

6 October

Enlisted at the age of 26

1st Reinforcements

1915

11 October

Trained

Avondale, Auckland

1915

18 December

Transfer to England

Steamship Ruapehu

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

16 July

Awarded 7 days Field Punishment No.1 and forfeited 4 days pay for absence from duty

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

16 January

Admitted to hospital with dermatitis

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 July

Embarked for England

Admitted to hospital

1917

20 September

Forfeited 2 days pay by Royal Warrant for absence without leave

1917

9 October

Classified unfit for active service

1917

29 October

Marched in to NZ Depot, Torquay

1917

27 November

Awarded 10 days confinement to barracks and forfeited 3 days pay for absence without leave, resisting his arrest, refusing to obey and using obscene language

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

10 January

Transfer to New Zealand

Troopship Arawa

1918

27 July

End of Service

Demobilization

How to cite this page

Anthony Byledbal, “World War I Timeline of Tom Wilkinson“, New Zealand Tunnellers Website, NaN (2009), Accessed: . URL: www.nztunnellers.com/tunnellers/907/wwi-timeline