THE TUNNELLERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 March 1917, Page 3

THE TUNNELLERS.

- A Record in France. Civil Engineers and the War. The little use being made of the special qualifications of civil engineers in the military forces was referred to by Mr R, W. Holmeß (Engineer-in* Chief to the Public Works Department), in his address at Wellington recently, as retiring president of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers. He said that out of fifty enlistments, apart from the special Tunnelling Company, which absorbed eleven, only eight bad been utilised by New Zealand and four by the British Government, in positions for which their civil training had specially qualified them. The remaining men are serving in the infantry or artillery. • "As showing the advantages to be gained by placing men in those arms of the military forces for which their civil training particularly qualifies them, he went on to say, "the records of performances by the Tunneling Company are unique. This company was formed principally of miners, ( with a proportion of men used to (

earthwork, and officered by civil engineers with mining and tunnelling experience. Its duties consist of shaftsinking and driving handings or gallories under tue enemy’s lines for ths purpose of either direct or countermining. For some time past the company has held the record for the whole British Army in France in quantity of work done. This ie a performance of which New Zealand may be justly proud. One may safely veuture to express the opinion that the performances of the field engineer companies would.have been improved if they had been officered and manned in a similar way. "It is somewhat remarkable that so little has beon reported of the per ormancos of the Engineers and Artillsry—practically nothing as regards the former and very little as regards the latter. One might reasonably inquire as to the teasoD for this neglect. The first news published of tbe Tunnelling Company appeared in the Press recently, and for this reason we are indebted toLjrd Northclitfe.’’