With the signing of the Armistice on the 11th of November 1918 many Tunnellers stayed in Northern France and Belgium until the end of January 1919. Their work continued in repairing bridges and roads destroyed and damaged by the war. Return to New Zealand was still a long way off.
With the armistice, the Tunnellers’ mission did not change. The pace was less hectic and left a little more free time to the Sappers for playing football games. Nevertheless, works continued on several bridges: one in Pont-sur-Sambre, at about twenty kilometers to the east of Le Quesnoy, while half of the unit sent to Maubeuge, five kilometers north of Pont-sur-Sambre, for the erection of two bridges.
The Maubeuge inhabitants waving tricolour flags and Union Jacks warmly welcomed the Tunnellers. Part of the city was built on an island in the middle of the Sambre River. Thus, the Germans cut off all communications and the islanders were isolated except on a small wooden walkway laid on barrels floating on the River. The Tunnellers began erection of two bridges by 6am on 15th November. The first bridge was 76 ft (23m) long, rising above the main canal and the second 96 ft (29m), connecting the island to the outer gate.
The unit received orders to move to Fayt-le-Franc in Belgium on 20th November 1918. The company left France but some of the men returned at the end of December. The rhythm of work relaxed. 1st December was a Sunday and Tunnellers did not work. The men paraded in the morning. The officers gave them free time for the rest of the day.
On 12th December 1918, the unit reached Hyon, near Mons. Men took part in their last two works of the war, a bridge at Lourches over the Escault Canal and repairing water pipes in Spiennes. The first work made from 12th to 27th December and the second began on 30th December and finished on 6th January 1919. Both Christmas and New Year was taken as holiday. The war was over and the company would soon be transferred to England. The British military authorities in London only had to agree the date.
Finally after several months of urgent requests for the return of miners and engineers, the company was fully demobilized on 22nd January 1919. Men delighted at the announcement of the demobilization were very eager to return home. However, the trip to New Zealand was still long. In early 1919, the severe winter conditions made transport very difficult.
On 29th January the Tunnellers boarded on the SS Lydia for England. The men left Le Havre at 2.30pm and bid their final farewells to France. The company landed at Weymouth, England, on 30th January at 8.30am. Men went to the No. 26 camp located in the New Zealand depot at Larkhill in Salisbury Plains. The New Zealanders still had to wait before embarking for New Zealand. The wait became endless. The Tunnellers were busy during the first days of February. They were medically examined and their kitbags were packed from 7th February even though their departure date was not fixed yet.
Embarkation day to New Zealand posed great problem. The whole company was sent on leave from 7th to 22nd February 1919 to say goodbye to their English friends. When men returned from leave, their departure date had been finally announced for 14th March 1919.
The company, under the command of Captain Daldy NZE, sailed on 14th March aboard the SS Ionic for the final trip home. The men finally left England and Europe. The troopship navigated via the Atlantic Ocean, Panama Canal before crossing the Pacific Ocean.
Four years to the day since the company departed on long journey NZ Tunnellers found themselves looking upon a familiar sight: by 9pm on 23rd April 1919, the troopship sailed into Auckland Harbour. The Tunnellers were home.
"A fortunate Company, fortunate in its undertakings and fortunate in that its duty lay rather in conserving life than taking, but above all fortunate in those splendid men who, knit together by the bonds of common service and real brotherhood, made the Company what it was." (Lieutenant James Campbell Neill NZE, 1922).