Friday, March 15, 2013

Thames (NZ): Miners & the New Zealand Tunnelling Co WWI

For those of you who didn't manage to hear the presentation at The Treasury today on the New Zealand Tunnelling Company - you missed a very informative presentation.

Why is this of interest to THAMES? Many of the men that joined this company were experienced miners, many having come from Thames, or their fathers/other relatives had been on the goldfields from the time they opened. Many of us have generations of miners in the family, some of these men then went to war and were involved with tunnelling projects in World War One.

For more information go to the dedicated New Zealand Tunnelling Company website. Waihi men in particular played a major part in this company and a memorial is planned to remember their efforts.
If you have any family information on men from Thames that were in this company, please can you make contact - as I try and find out more about these Thamesites.

A list of the names of men found with a connection to the wider Thames area can be found here.

WAIHI'S QUOTA OF THE NEW ZEALAND TUNNELLING CORPS LEAVING THE MINING TOWN LAST WEEK TO GO INTO CAMP AT AUCKLAND: THE CROWD FAREWELLING THE MEN AT THE WAIHI RAILWAY STATION.
Auckland Region (N.Z.)
Source: ' Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19151014-50-5 '

SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE NEW ZEALAND ENGINEER TUNNELLING COMPANY NEAR THE FIRING LINE IN FRANCE.
Auckland Region (N.Z.)
Source:  Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19170111-41-2

If you have any information in general or on any soldiers from the New Zealand Tunnelling Company,
contact the webmaster at the website mentioned above.