TUNNELLER'S MEMORIES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 147, 22 June 1940, Page 5 (Supplement)

TUNNELLER'S MEMORIES

Company's Great Work The photograph that appeared in "The Page" a week or two back of a group of New Zealand Tumiellcrs has revived memories, and J. D. Holmes, D.5.0., of 110, Lake Road, Hamilton, herein recalls some of the line work done by those underground workers. He writes:—' The photograph tinder the title "These Tunnellers Knew Arras" in your issue of Juno 8 was\ noticed with pleasure, and one's thoughts were taken back to tlioee exciting -and strenuous days and years in and around Arras. Two years and four months is a long time for a unit to be in the fighting zone in one area, and during the best part of the first two years front line work ceased for only 10 hours on Christmas Day, 1917. Not a great deal is known of the operations of one of the finest units to leave this country, the New Zealand ] Tunnelling Company. 1 General Hawey, C.8., Controller of • Mines, later Chief Engineer VI. Corps, . and after the war Engineer-in-Chief, j British Army in India, stated in his review of the New Zealand Tunnelling < Company's history: "The leading principle of this company was that no diffi- ' culty or unusual circumstances in <. connection with bridge building or any other work was allowed to interfere with successful achievement." That principle, backed by dogged determination, carried that company tq tli3 J premier place in the mine fighting field in France, and also to that of one of the foremost bridging companies in the British Army. A few words quoted from an account 1 of a speech by General R. Young in 1925 as follows:.-—"During the second Battle' of Cambrai the authorities were faced with the problem of building quickly a bridge strong enough to carry the largest tanks, one of ■which weighed 34 ton 3. The work was entrusted to the New Zealand Tunnellers, though not a trained bridging unit, but, characterised by enthusiasm and adaptability,- they built during the battle a bridge, 180 ft span, in 104 hours' -working time the largest single-span bridge built under action. The erection of that famous bridge over the Canal du Nord earned an undying name for the skill of the New Zealand Engineers." This illustrates the standard set for those engineers going overseas at the present time. There, is no reason why that standard should not be well maintained and may I say "New Zealand expects this:" Unfortunately, the results of accidents eliminates the writer from further active service and, as very few of the surviving Tunnellers will now be under the upper age limit, we can but wish those engineers going on active service the best of luck and turn our attention to home defence and the problems of supplies. .+ + + +