In September 1915 the Imperial Government requested the Dominions to raise special mining units. The raising of a New Zealand Tunnelling Company would assist in the matter of increasing the number of Tunnelling Companies of the Royal Engineers employed in France and Flanders.
At the request of the Imperial Government in September, 1915, miners and men experienced in tunnelling work were urgently recruited to form a Tunnelling Company. Enlistment for these miners began on the 17th September 1915. Many people, especially miners, had tried to enlist in 1914 in the NZ Expeditionary Force, but they had been rejected because they were too old. Miners were now the most wanted men to complete the ranks of the new Tunnelling Company.
Recruiting was very slow in the first few weeks, despite the attraction of higher pay for miners compared to servicemen in other units. More miners were wanted, but difficulty was found in filling the ranks. Coal miners were discouraged to enlist due to the essential part of their industry in fuelling the war effort. Despite quotas from various mining districts, a rare act in the creation of NZ military units, the Company also enlisted bushmen, labourers and farmers to be used as clerks, surveyors or engineers.
From the whole of New Zealand, 250 skilled face workers and 150 unskilled were required. Nonetheless, 80 per cent of the men who enlisted in the Company came from the North Island. The majority of men were gold miners, quarrymen or tunnellers from Auckland, Waihi, Huntly or Te Kuiti. Only a few came from the West Coast of the South Island, notably Millerton, Reefton, Waiuta or Globe Hill, a quartz and gold mining area near Reefton.
The recruitment from mining circles was not without its problems. Some of the Tunnellers were active labour union members and militants. Indeed, 11 members who were formely secretaries of various Labour and Trade Unions and over 40 who were erstwhile members of trade union committees were present in the Tunnelling Corps. A lot of miners enlisted in the Company had participated in strikes before the war, especially in the tragic Waihi strike of 1912. Engineers represented an important part of the Tunnelling Company and were given officers’ rank. They had great capacity in their field.
Finally, on the 6th October 1915, four hundred men assembled at the Avondale Racecourse, near Auckland, which had been transformed into a special military training camp.
Discipline was a problem for officers dealing with ex-secretaries and members of the various labour and trade unions. With most of the men over 40 and having never been in the forces, they knew little about army discipline. It was going to be a long hard slog.
Moreover, the training camp was in an open field, not contained within a traditional military barracks. It was within easy reach of New Zealand’s largest city. Nevertheless, locating the training camp at a racecourse seemed to be a tradition for the NZ Engineers Corps. In August 1914, the first NZE Field Company was mobilised on a racecourse at Awapuni, near Palmerston North.
Three officers and five NCOs were in charge of training at Avondale. Initial training focussed on honing basic soldiering skills. The men were in good shape. Every day, a run around the racecourse followed by six hours’ marching in the warm Auckland spring had a wonderful effect on the men's fitness.
All the men gained the military spirit and were really trying to be good soldiers. They did well in their efforts to get used to military discipline and orders, for many this was an alien form of life. Many found the training hard but thoroughly enjoyed the camp life. The soldiers were well fed and food was more than abundant.
Future officers, NCOs and Sappers learned quickly and discipline and drill improved. A report from the training camp stated: "Route marching is good... The drill, on the whole, has made very rapid improvement. This is due to the men themselves taking such keen interest in their work, and eager to learn." The report continued: "Considering the fact that majority of the men are over 40 years of age, their drill compares favourably with any other Unit."
After many changes, the embarkation date for movement overseas was finally fixed as 18th December 1915. The troops were inspected by Lord Liverpool and Major Duigan. The Company was congratulated for its speed of formation and good mental attitude during training.