Tunnelers

[Bull]

Hi,
Does anybody have any info on the tunnelling companies that where formed at the start of WW1 eg, war diaries,muster rolls ect.
My great grandfather John Sanders served with the 1st/5th South Staffordshire Regiment and was killed on 27/4/1915. The war diary of this regiment states that he was killed at Dickebusch, Belgium, while attached to the Royal Engineers. I know that men from this regiment volunteered to do tunnelling work.

Cheers Iain Sanders

[Forrest Anderson]

Here are two books which might give you some more background...

"War Underground : The Tunnellers of the Great War" by Alexander Barrie, Paperback: 284 pages, Spellmount Publishers, 2000, ISBN 1862270813.
One Amazon reviewer says:

Barrie describes the formation of the tunneling companies and the development of the techniques and strategies they employed. Based on interview with former tunellers and published military histories Barrie has constructed a history based around the activities of John Norton Griffiths who was instrumental in establishing the first tunneling companies.

"Tunnellers: The Story of the Tunnelling Companies, Royal Engineers, during the World War", by W Grant Grieve and Bernard Newman, 1936, 334pp with illus and numerous maps, plans and diagrams. It has been reprinted by the Naval and Military Press in paperback and hardback forms, the paperback being ISBN 184342083X. In this case, the reviewer says:

Undoubtedly the best and most comprehensive account of the war underground, a history of the Tunnelling Companies, RE, during the Great War. In all twenty-five British, three Australian, three Canadian and one N Zealand company were formed. After a shaky start in December 1914 the miners of the BEF gradually overcame their opposite numbers in the grim warfare under the trenches, and had finally defeated them by the time of Messines in June 1 John Norton Griffiths who was instrumental in establishing the first tunneling companies.

Forrest

[peter nicholl]

Hi Ian

Do the War Diaries say that tunneling was involved? I have a reference in the War Diaries of the Rifle Brigade where Sappers were to be in the first wave of an attack, some armed with crowbars and grenades to break into and blow up houses occupied by the enemy. Others were to follow and make good any defences captured and yet another group to set up communications lines.
My Great Uncle was with the Canadian Engineers and his role was communications.
Just a thought
Peter

[Bull]

Hi Guys, Thanks for taking the time too answer.
Forrest, i will check out the book and, Peter, never thought about that one allways asumed that as miners where picked to do the tunnelling that he would have been in there. As his civilian job was as a miner.
Just been on a site that states on the day he was killed the Ypres area which includes Dickebusch was heavily bombed and the Germans launched a gas attack, so that now opens up another possabillity.
I've heard that Dickebusch was used for R & R and, there was a medical station there. So up against another brick wall.

Cheers Iain