World War ITimeline

1915

6 October

Enlisted at the age of 35

Main Body

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 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

23 February

Detached to Mine School

1917

7 March

Rejoined the Company

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

15 August

Admitted to hospital with a gunshot wound

1917

24 August

Embarked for England

1917

25 August

Admitted to hospital

1917

22 September

Died of woundsNo.1 NZ General Hospital, Brockenhurst

Buried

Brockenhurst Saint Nicholas Churchyard, Brockenhurst

Grave reference

A. 1. 2

How to cite this page

Anthony Byledbal, “World War I Timeline of William Ainslie“, New Zealand Tunnellers Website, NaN (2009), Accessed: . URL: www.nztunnellers.com/tunnellers/5/wwi-timeline