World War ITimeline

1915

1915
15 September

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
13 May

Admitted to hospital with scabies

1916
23 May

Rejoined the Company

1916
11 November

Granted leave

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
23 November

Rejoined the Company

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
26 April

Granted leave

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
11 May

Rejoined the Company

1917
17 May

Admitted to hospital

1917
19 May

Diagnosed with pyrexia of unknown origin

1917
22 May

Embarked for England

Admitted to hospital

1917
27 August

Classified unfit for active service

1917
29 August

Granted leave

1917
13 September

Marched in to NZ Depot, Torquay

1917
2 November

Transfer to New Zealand

Troopship Tainui

1918

1918
31 January

End of Service

Demobilization

How to cite this page

Anthony Byledbal, “World War I Timeline of Harry Laycock“, New Zealand Tunnellers Website, NaN (2009), Accessed: . URL: www.nztunnellers.com/tunnellers/474/wwi-timeline