World War ITimeline

1916

11 October

Posted at the age of 22

3rd Reinforcements

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

1917

29 January

Marched in to NZ Depot, Boscombe

1917

2 March

Embarked for France

1917

4 March

Marched in to NZ Base Depot, Etaples

1917

10 March

Detached to Segregation Camp, Etaples

1917

4 April

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

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

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

4 February

Granted leave to the United Kingdom

1918

16 February

Admitted to hospital with laryngitis

1918

13 March

Classified unfit for active service on account of tubercle of lung

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

6 April

Transfer to New Zealand

Hospital Ship Marama

1918

15 May

Granted leave

1918

28 June

End of Service

Demobilization

How to cite this page

Anthony Byledbal, “World War I Timeline of Desmond Hendry“, New Zealand Tunnellers Website, NaN (2009), Accessed: . URL: www.nztunnellers.com/tunnellers/373/wwi-timeline