arras

The grave of Sapper Tobin – the New Zealand Army's first death on the Western Front. The grave is at the Beauval Communal Cemetery, Somme, France.

A view inside the Wellington cavern, which was built by New Zealand tunnellers beneath the town of Arras, France, during the First World War, and is now the site of an undergound museum, Carrière Wellington.

Image taken at the opening of the Carrière Wellington museum on 15 February 2008.

This image shows the steps leading up to No. 10 exit from the caverns beneath the town of Arras in France, which were dug by New Zealand tunnellers during the First World War. Discarded helmets can be seen on the steps. This exit was intended to open up into no-man's land to allow troops to attack during the April 1917 offensive.

Image taken at the opening of the Carrière Wellington museum on 15 February 2008.

These images show examples of writing on the walls of the Arras tunnel system.

Prime Minister William Massey addresses soldiers of the New Zealand Tunnelling Company near Arras, France, on 2 July 1918. Immediately behind him is his deputy, Sir Joseph Ward. 

This tunnel, leading to the Christchurch cavern beneath Arras, France, was built by the New Zealand Tunnelling Company during the First World War. It was one of a series of caverns and tunnels at Arras named after New Zealand cities and towns.

As well as digging tunnels and caverns, the men of the New Zealand Tunnelling Company carried out various engineering and labouring tasks above ground. This photograph shows tunnellers laying mines in a road near Arras, France, on 17 July 1918. As this road crossed a stream, its destruction would hamper the German advance. Later in 1918, as the tide of the war turned in the Allies' favour, the tunnellers showed their versatility by building a series of temporary bridges. 

This map shows the location of the tunnels and caverns around Arras, where the New Zealand Tunnelling Company was active from 1916 to 1918. From Russell in the north to Bluff in the south, the parts of this tunnel system were identified by New Zealand place names. The town of Arras is just to the north-west of the area shown on this map.