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1st Australian Tunnelling Company whereabouts on 20 September 1917


stevew

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I am doing a tiny piece of the research on the 1st Aus Tunnelling Coys whereabouts on 20 Sept 1917.  It is easy to assume they were involved in the Battle of Menin Road, but I can find nothing to back it up.  I thought this would be easy, a quick look at the war diary will reveal all.  Haha, more fool me. the WD stops on the 5 September.  Any ideas, or any clues as to where to look.

Cheers

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This book makes a sideways reference to The tunnelling Co

Prickett notes that at Passchendaele, the 3rd Field focussed on light railways because the large tunnelling companies and pioneers had more manpower needed on the more labour-intensive roads.

Darren Prickett, Purple Patch: History of the 3rd Field Company Engineers in World War One (Big Sky Publishing, 2019)

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https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1339274

 

2nd Tunnellers war diary

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From "Crumps and Camouflets - Australian Tunnelling Companies of the Western Front" by Damien Finlayson:

Page 244:

"The Battle of Menin Road commenced at 5.30a.m. on 20 September.  ............"

"The 1st and 2nd Australian Divisions attacked along a front which extended north of the Menin Road near Clapham Junction to the forward slope of Westhoek Ridge. ....."

"Sappers from Nos. 1, 2 and 3 Sections of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company advanced with the Australian infantry, their mission to examine and consolidate captured concrete pillboxes and dugouts.  To No. 4 Section, which had completed the bulk of the work in the Hooge Crater dugout, fell the less glamorous task of enlarging what was known as the Cambridge Road dugouts, located near Birr Cross Road."

 

Cheers, Frev

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12 hours ago, frev said:

From "Crumps and Camouflets - Australian Tunnelling Companies of the Western Front" by Damien Finlayson:

Page 244:

"The Battle of Menin Road commenced at 5.30a.m. on 20 September.  ............"

"The 1st and 2nd Australian Divisions attacked along a front which extended north of the Menin Road near Clapham Junction to the forward slope of Westhoek Ridge. ....."

"Sappers from Nos. 1, 2 and 3 Sections of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company advanced with the Australian infantry, their mission to examine and consolidate captured concrete pillboxes and dugouts.  To No. 4 Section, which had completed the bulk of the work in the Hooge Crater dugout, fell the less glamorous task of enlarging what was known as the Cambridge Road dugouts, located near Birr Cross Road."

 

Cheers, Frev

Thanks frev, just what I am after

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