The Plugstreet Archaeological Project 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company

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1st Canadian Tunnelling Company was formed in eastern Canada. On arriving in France they were sent into the Ypres sector for instruction in early 1916 and in March 1916 they relieved 182nd Company near Armentieres. They then worked on tunnels at the Bluff and next took over the tunnelling operation at Hill 60 in preparation for the Battle of Messines. They handed the operation at Hill 60 over to the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company and moved to take over the tunnels at St Eloi, driving the tunnel system beneath enemy lines, crossing them on the 1st of April. They saw the tunnelling at St Eloi through to the 7th of June and sucessfully detonated the mines. The 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company used a Whittaker Tunnelling machine for their workings at Lock Hospital in 1917, this tunnel was handed over to the 2nd Australian Tunnelling company on the 10th May 1917. The tunnelling by machine in the Belgian Blue clay was problematic and the War Diary lists numberous stoppages for repairs. The unit patch of the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company was a red square with a large black capital letter `T' on it.

Those who served with The 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company at the Battle of Messines. Anderson Wilfred Laurier Spr. d.8th Aug 1918 Arundel Robert Spr. d.8th Nov 1917 Barclay John Cpl. d.11th Aug 1917 Bates Lt Binnion T. Spr. d.2nd Oct 1917 Bishop E. Spr. d.27th Aug 1918 Bland Spr. Bland Wilfred Henry Spr. d.31st Jul 1917 Brown Lt Buchanan Lt Carey Spr. Clark G. A. L/Cpl. d.20 Aug 1918 Clarke R. Spr. d.3rd May 1917 Clegg R. Spr. d.31st Aug 1918 Cleworth W. Spr. d.7th Oct 1917 Davis J. Spr. d.2nd Dec1917 Deveaux Hector Spr. d.7th Oct 1917 Duthie Lt Essig   Ernest Albert Spr. Foster   E. B. Spr. d.7th Apr 1917 Gabriel F. Spr. d.4th Dec 1917 Gabriel   Frederick Spr. d.4th Dec 1917 Gaines Benjamin Spr. d.8th Aug 1917 Gillis   A Sjt. d.23rd Apr 1917 Godas Matt Spr. d.29th Aug 1917 Goldsworthy W. Spr. d.6th Jan 1917 Graham   Murdo Matheson Pte. d.23rd Feb 1917 Gray   Roy Cooper Spr. Hancock Thomas Richard Sgt. Hawes   C. H. Healey   Harry Pte. Humphrey Thomas William Spr. d.10th Sep 1917 Hutt Robert Edward Pte. d.8th Aug 1917 Livingstone Claude Spr. d.9th Aug 1917 MacPherson Lt McKay   Robert Finlayson Spr. d.2nd Oct 1917 McLean J. L. Spr. d.28th Jun 1917 McLeod Sjt. McNeil Spr. McQuarrie Sjt. Metcalfe 2nd Cpl. Mills Blair Wilfred L/Cpl. d.26th Mar 1917 Mitchell  VC. Coulson Norman Capt. Mitchell Robert Ernest Sjt. d.9th Sep 1918 Montgomery Wiliam Edwin L/Cpl. d.27th Jun 1917 Moore D. B. Spr. d.18th Aug 1917 Moriaty Patrick Spr. d.7th Apr 1917 Nichol P. Cpl. Nicholson John Spr. d.25th Mar 1917 O'Riley Lt Oates   A. Sgt. d.21st Apr 1918 Penfold A. d.19th Jul 1917 Peskyr James Spr. d.30th Nov 1917 Pixton H. 2nd Cpl. d.2nd Jan 1917 Poisson G. Spr. d.8th Oct 1917 Powell Sjt. Rattray J. N. Capt. Reynolds A. H. Spr. d.11th Sep 1917 Robertson Lt Rogers Blise Herbert Spr. d.7th Oct 1917 Ryan Leonard Spr. d.6th Jun 1917 Seale W. G. Spr. d.7th Aug 1917 Sim L. H. Spr. d.24th Sep 1917 Slade W. Sjt. d.23rd Jul 1917 Smith   John Montague Spr. d.1st Jun 1916 Sphynda   Harry Spr. Steele Sjt. Tanner Frederick Andrew Spr. d.3rd Nov 1917 Thom James Sjt. d.18th Aug 1917 Thorne Capt. Thorne  CDG. Stuart M. Mjr. Trenholme T. W. Spr. d.27th Aug 1917 Webb J. Sjt. d.12th Aug 1917 White Daniel Spr. d.26th Mar 1917 Williams Otto Russel Dvr. d.29th May 1917 Wood Spr.

Beneath Flanders Fields: The Tunnellers War 1914-1918 Peter Barton, Peter Doyle & Johan Vandewalle Whilst the war raged across Flanders fields, an equally horrifying and sometimes more dangerous battle took place underground. "Beneath Flanders Fields" tells the story of the tunnellers' war, which still remains one of the most misunderstood, misrepresented and mystifying conflicts of the Great War. A wealth of personal testimonies reveal the engineering, technology and science behind how this most intense of battles was fought - and won. They speak of how the tunnellers lived a relentless existence in the depths of the battlefield for almost two and a half years, enduring physical and mental stresses that were often more extreme than their infantry counterparts. Their lives were reduced to a complex war of silence, tension and claustrophobia, leading up to the most dramatic mine offensive in history launched on 7 June 1917 at Messines Ridge. Yet, Messines was not the end of their story, which continued with the crafting of a whole underground world of headquarters, cookhouses and hos More information on: Beneath Flanders Fields: The Tunnellers War 1914-1918

Underground Warfare 1914-1918 Simon Jones Simon Jones's graphic history of underground warfare during the Great War uses personal reminiscences to convey the danger and suspense of this unconventional form of conflict. He describes how the underground soldiers of the opposing armies engaged in a ruthless fight for supremacy, covers the tunnelling methods they employed, and shows the increasingly lethal tactics they developed during the war in which military mining reached its apotheosis. He concentrates on the struggle for ascendancy by the British tunnelling companies on the Western Front. But his wide-ranging study also tells the story of the little known but fascinating subterranean battles fought in the French sectors of the Western Front and between the Austrians and the Italians in the Alps which have never been described before in English. Vivid personal testimony is combined with a lucid account of the technical challenges - and ever-present perils - of tunnelling in order to give an all-round insight into the extraord More information on: Underground Warfare 1914-1918

If you know of anyone who served with this unit at the Battle of Messines, please complete the form below so that they can be remembered. Required fields are marked *                      Surname:             * Of the veteran.. First Name:          Middle Name(s): Nick Name:        Rank:                  Galantry Awards: DSO, MID etc. Service Number: Service:               * British Army/AIF/NZ/RFC/Civilian. etc. Unit:                     Regiment/Squadron etc. Sub unit:              Battalion/Section/Flight/etc. Home:                 prewar address/town/village Date of Death,     if during the war. Web Link,           If you have a webpage about your relative please provide the address. Please tell us about your relative: name of submitter:* Your name. email:                   @ Please type in the code shown here:   If you are unable to read the code please click here. If you have any photographs please scan or digitally photograph your orginials and send a copy by email attachment. NB. All entries are checked manually before appearing online to prevent spam and inappropriate content. There will be a delay before your submission appears on the website.