The first men were demobilized in December 26, 1918. Miners enlisted in the Company, were urgently required back in New Zealand by mine managers. A lot of work waited for the Tunnellers on their return. Finally, on March 14, 1919, the rest of the New Zealand Tunnelling Company embarked for home on board the S.S. Ionic. On April 23, the men arrived in Auckland. The Tunnellers were home. The next day, the Tunnelling Company ceased to exist and these heroes were largely forgotten.
As part of his thesis, Anthony Byledbal, PhD student in University of Artois (Arras) in France, has been working on the history of the New Zealand Tunnelling Company and men who composed this unit. His research includes a short biography of the life of each of the men of the Tunnelling Company. This study includes the social and military history of men before, during and after Great War and the culture of war.
Left to right: Bob Kavanagh, Jack Norris, Jim Roycroft, Joe Quintal underground in Waihi. Jack and Jim in the black singlets were members of the New Zealand Tunnelling Company.