Beginning of the underground warfare was very difficult for the New Zealanders. The Tunnellers took over the Chantecler sector, North-East of Arras front. Work underground began truly for the men. The Hun miners were very close to the British Front Line.
James Williamson was the first Tunnellers of the No.4 Section to take over the new sector named Chantecler, located to the North-Est of Arras town, between Roclincourt and Saint-Laurent-Blangy, North of Scarpe River. This section of the line was held by the 185th Tunnelling Company and before by the French engineers, the Soldats du Génie. Front line was quiet but not secure from the German miners.
Our section took over J4 ... It ran down an incline for about 20 ft then a winch chamber then another incline for 20 ft then a shaft 20 ft deep then 3 tunnels off this shaft.
J4 had 1 officer for each shaft 1 Sergeant, 1 Corporal, 1 Lance-Corporal & 15 sappers... I had to stay 8 days on & then had 2 or 3 days rest in billets.
This was the unvarying routine for many months ... a rum ration, a hot meal and to sleep till time for the next shift: each days of the week or month exactly alike, the only variations being in whether it rained or snowed, whether the mud was liquid or merely sticky.
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Arras was our home for a long time. Arras was ratter a big town but had been well knocked about.
The Grand Place in particular might well be the Plaza of some Spanish town with its graceful Moorish collonades shading the entrance to roomy many arched cellars used then as now for shops and workrooms.
They were a good few French civilians living, keeping shop & Estaminet. When in billets we could visit the Estaminet & buy french beer (mostly water), Vin Blanc or Rouge Wine.
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On the 6th June, after an intense bombardment lasting two days, the enemy blew four big mines ... Three of the resulting craters were in the company's sector and one in the adjoining section to the north.
Huge craters they were - the largest 147 feet in diameter and 38 feet deep, the mounds of chalk thrown up forming conspicuous landmarks.
They were christened Cuthbert, Clarence and Claude of a then popular revue.
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