Skip to main content

Story: First World War

Christchurch cavern, Arras, 1917

Image
Christchurch cavern, Arras, 1917

The New Zealand Tunnelling Company made a significant contribution to the capture of Vimy ridge in April 1917. They built a series of caverns and tunnels which allowed forces to advance undetected. The company named the tunnels after New Zealand cities, in this case Christchurch.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: 1/2-013758-G

by Henry Armytage Sanders

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Ian McGibbon, First World War – Western Front, 1916 to 1917, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/34124/christchurch-cavern-arras-1917 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ian McGibbon, published 16 April 2012.