Brief Chronology of the 3rd Aust Tunnelling Coy
allocated to the First Army
Sectors engaged at: Laventie-Fauquissart, Givenchy, Hill 70, Loos, Double Crassiers, Vermelles and Lens
May 1916
Relieved No 255th Company, RE
Mining in sectors of Red Lamp, Wytschaete, Colvin, Ducks Bill and Sign Post Lane
Working in blue clay 30 to 35 feet
This company quickly began learning their mining skills against the Germans, showing great tactics in mine warfare. Their proficiency was of great assistance in the Battle of Fromelles.
June 1916
Firing of a push pipe mine.
July1916
Captured German Mining Officer's Diary at Fricourt
Push pipe Mine end of Rhondde Valley
Push pipe Mine at Red Lamp
Push pipe Mine at Sugar Loaf
Salient - Major Coulter injured 19/7/16
Ducks Bill and Red Lamp
Mauquissart and Colvin
Chapigney and Fauquissart
August 1916
Offensive Mining at Red Lamp, Fauquissart, Chapigney sectors, Tilleloy
September 1916
Defensive Mining at Chapigney, Fauquissart, Tilleloy and Red Lamp (left & right)
October 1916
Defensive Mining
November 1916
Relieved 258th Company R.E. at Hill 60 sector
Defensive Mining Red Lamp, Fauquissart, Winchester
Electrical signalling systems
Hill 70 (1.5miles north-west of Lens, ground - white chalk rock)
Defending British troops holding trenches
Due to lack of information on the positions of German Galleries the Australians had to work largely in the dark which led to instant disaster of:
20 Aussies killed with the firing of a German camouflet on 27 Nov
2 also killed on 28 Nov
December 1916
Hill 70. Gordon incline, Seaforth Main Pioneer Stairways
Chambering of the Seaforth main fighting gallery was a risky place because of German attacks. Company praised for the consistent and accurately surveyed and excavated lines of it galleries.
January 1917
Loos salient
Black Watch incline
Germans flooded lower levels and 7 captured by a German raiding party
March 1917
Hill 70 area
26/3/17 - Arras Offensive launched
Company took over from 173rd Company RE. in the area of the hinge
After the Arras offensive Germans moved back from Hill 70 and nearly all mining ceased but Aussies manned listening posts under British lines and in no-man's land.
Now Coy used mainly for road-making, carrying for the trench-mortar batteries and searching abandoned German trenches for traps and mines.
April 1917
"Investigative Detachment" of 3 Officers and 60 others search for Booby Traps and mines continued in German trenches and dugouts. German mines were camouflaged in the British lines
May 1917
Distant sounds of German mining were detected by the listeners
June 1917
The "Investigative Detachment" was valuable on June 24 noticed abandonment of other German positions in front of Lens
28/6/17 - Tunnelling Company arranged an under cover raid by 11th Essex and 2nd Durham Light Infantry for three groups of tunnellers. Assisted in a raid to destroy 3 known shafts in no-man' s land and in the German trenches. Major Coulter was killed during a German counter-attack
July 1917
Aussies fired a large camouflet to destroy underground workings under no-man's land and German lines on Jul 11
Now duties confined to constructing u/g headquarters and communication facilities for the Canadian Corps which has taken over the sector from the British
September 1917
Red Lamp, Fauquissart, Chapigney, 10th Avenue Tunnel, Hullock Tunnel, Dream Tunnel, St Georges Tunnel, Border Tunnel, Rat Creek Dugout, Loos Trench, Elvastor Castle, Black Watch and Tosh Alby Dugouts
October 1917
Vermelles Tunnels, Bay Tunnels, Featham Tunnels, St Elie Galleries, Hullock Galleries and Border Redoubt Galleries
November 1917
Quarry Bay Tunnel, St Elie Tunnel, Manning Tunnel, Featham Tunnel and Highland Tunnel
January 1918
Dream Tunnel
March 1918
Hullock Tunnel, Hythe Tunnel at Hill 70, Vermelles Tunnels, Canteen Tunnel at Lens sector and Panam Canal.
May 1918
Fountain Keep Dugout, Dump Tunnel, Hythe Tunnel and Canteen Tunnel
June 1918
Lens - Loos - Hullock - La Bassee sectors
Givenchy Tunnel Dugout and Hythe Tunnel
Sources
The Australian Mining Corps in the Great War - Paul Higgins 1995
Roll of Honour - France, Flanders & Gallipoli 1915-1918 Register of Tunnelling Company Officers
The Official History of WW1 - The AI.F. in France - C.E.W. Bean Appendix 3 p 965
Mulligan War Diarys – notes by Ross Thomas at IWM May 2003