New Zealand Tunnelers company collar badges(other ranks)
 

Happy New Years to all.

I'm putting a few NZ badges together for Ray,a badge collecting pal from Wales.He is after collar badges for the NZ tunneling company to go with his hat badge and shoulder titles.I've been told that they wore the flaming grenade collars or the version with the grenade over NZE.Is this correct .The hat badge i have, i've matched with the plain flaming collars.Trouble is i haven't seen to many portraits of NZ tunnelers other ranks ,but have a few officer images in my files(they have their own distinctive badge)

Any opinions appreciated

cheers Iain

Seasons greetings Puk old chap.

I have only seen NZE officers (including signalling officers) wearing the flaming grenade over NZE collar badges, and ordinary ranks including tunnellers wearing flaming grenade collar badges without the NZE scroll.

So what you have pictured looks good to me, just a couple of NZE shoulder titles needed to complete the set.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...nns/snoopy.jpg

Cheers for that Brent,and all the best for 2012.

Lets hope the collecting year will be as good as the last.

A pair of flaming grenade collars will not set old Ray back too much,fairly easy to find on my part.

I reckon the NZ tunnelers story would make a good book,they were a hard bunch of ba$tards.There was someone advertising for information ,who was planning to write a book several years back.I don't if any thing came of it.

They tell me the officers badges are rare as hen's teeth.

Flaming Grenade Collars
 

Thanks Iain for your help with these collars.
Thank you also Brent for your advise.
If you both ever get the chance to visit France, Go to a town called Arras
and visit the underground tunnels where the NZ tunnellers did some work.
Regards
Ray

Iain, I think it could be worthy of having a close look at the badges worn by the NZ Tunnellers.
Interestingly, the motto of the NZ Engineers "Quo fas et gloria ducunt" (Whither right and glory lead) is inscibed on the outter circle of the cap badge. So it seems logical that "Inga Wahi Katoa" (Everywhere/Ubique) was used as officer collar badges.
I have only one photo of a tunneller officer, but cannot make out the letters on the collar badge, so wondering if your tunneller officer photos are any better?
I will include a pre embarkation roll of NZ Tunnelling officers just in case other forum members might have photos.

Just out of interest, when the NZ Tunnelling Company was first formed at Avondale (Auckland) they were known as the "Red Feds" as amoung its volunteers were no less than 11 former secratries of various trade unions, and around 40 members who were members of trade union committees. Most of the men were miners who learned their business without Osh looking over their shoulders, so yes they were a hard bunch of ba$tards.

Evening Post, 21 February 1917
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...bruary1917.jpg

December 1915, List of officers.
Major John Evelyn Duigan, New Zealand Staff Corps.
Capt. Lachlan Bain Campbell.
Capt. Daniel Black Waters.
Capt. Hugh Vickerman.
Lieut. Robert Henry Daldy.
Lieut. Norman Thompson.
Lieut. John Dudley Holmes.
Lieut. Arthur James Wigley.
Lieut. Henry Ernest Metcalfe.
Lieut. Harold Watkinson.
Lieut. Robert Henry Price Ronayne.
Lieut. William Mellish Durant
Lieut. Guy Shackburgh Collyns.
Lieut. Leslie May.
Lieut Gregory Whittaker King.
Lieut. James Campbell Neill.
Major (temporary) Colin Huntly Gordon, New Zealand Medical Corps.

Now I' will have to add this guys name at a latter date,but definately a NZ Tuneeler's officer

Typical J R Gaunt made Tunnellers badge with lugs.
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...Tunnellers.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...llersfront.jpg
Tiptaft made with slider.
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...ellersback.jpg

The following photos show the front and reverse of a NZ badge die that has been advertised on Ebay for the last 6 months. (Current ebay link below)

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...rsBadgedie.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...sBadgedie2.jpg

It seems to me that the $325 USd asking price is probably the reason that the badge die has remained unsold, as most NZ badge dies usually sell between $20 to $150 NZd.

My thinking is that the seller has no idea that the die is actually a very rare NZ Tunnellers badge die, as had he mentioned this fact I am sure it would have sold long ago.

The seller suggests that it is a 'master die' that was used to make the actual stamping dies that pressed out the badges. However I am of the opinion that it is a stamping die and not a master die, that was made and used by J. R. Gaunt.

Now that I have let the cat out of the bag that the die is a rare NZ Tunnellers badge die, I wonder if it will soon find a buyer?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-ZEALAND-...item43a8d700e3

Now I would just like to point out that the Tiptaft badge that I have posted was one that sold on Trade me and I have not seen it in the flesh.

I have however handled the following slider backed Tunnellers badge and comparred it with a Gaunt made badge.

The weight, colour and feel of the slider badge just didnt feel right and am 99% pretty sure it was a copy (Several other badge collectors came to the same conclusion)

The fact that it looks almost identical to the Tiptaft made badge, I suspect both slider badges are fakes.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...Tunnellers.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...unnellers2.jpg

Here is what you should be looking for in a genuine, standard lugged, brass version, NZ Tunnelers cap badge.Almost 2 inches in height,with the J R Gaunt ,London,tab .

I would be wary of buying badges out of the U.K at the moment.There seems to be a few good fakes on E.BAY ,i.e the Maori Pioneers,and possibly the Railways battalion badge.There seems to be an extraodinary number of them on the market.Its a case of buyer beware and do your homework.

Hi chaps,
Here are mine for comparison, both genuine. Note that the Tiptaft has non-voided crown. My wife and I visited Arras a couple of years and went down the tunnels there. Great experience.
Cheers, Tinto

Pleased to hear you enjoyed the Arras Tunnels Tinto.
It is nice to see the work the French have done to preserve
for future generations.
Myself I was very impressed.
Regards
Ray Smith

Tinto, good to see your slider does not have the same bright colour tones as the two slider badges show when viewed from the back.

You will have to find a Gaunt made one to complete the set of known variations.

Heres my one in its current display (made by Gaunt)

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...2-02-02001.jpg

Very nice display, Brent. Thanks also for the pictures posted on the adjacent thread concerning patches worn by the Maori Contingent.
Cheers, Tinto

NZ Tunnelling Company
 

I realise this thread is a bit old - hope some of you are still here. I am a descendant of the first NZ Tunnelling Co man to be killed in action, in June 1916. I will be with a party of NZETC relatives and descendants visiting Arras this April 2012 for the 95th anniversary of the Battle of Arras (though my Sam Vernon was dead before 1917). I have Sam's medals, and would love to own the correct badges for a Sergeant in the NZETC. TradeMe has drawn only blanks in the few months I have been looking, and I am uncertain how the cap badges relate to a Sergeant - were they for officers? Any information or advice (or badges for sale!!!) would be much appreciated.

Stuart Park in New Zealand