New Zealand Tunnelers company collar badges(other ranks)

[pukman]

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

[atillathenunns]

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.

[pukman]

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.

[ray smith]

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

[atillathenunns]

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


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.

[pukman]

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